In the dental industry, the aesthetic challenges in the tooth loss aesthetic zone are complex. Issues like bone and soft tissue loss, altered gingival contour and difficulties placing implant arise. Achieving stable, long-term aesthetics requires attention to detail, including new bone growth, soft tissue grafting, and prosthetic development. Predictable results demand adherence to key parameters, which need to be tailored to each patient. From Digital Smile Design, bone graft material choices, and soft tissue surgery timing, this lecture will share over 25 years of failure and success, but with a constant striving for improvement and excellence.

Professor Howard Gluckman BDS MChD (OMP) (Stell) PhD

Prof Howard Gluckman is an internationally renowned Periodontist, author, and lecturer who has been in the industry for nearly three decades. Howard completed his dental training at the University of Witwatersrand in 1990, after this, spent a few years in general practice before taking on a four-year degree in Oral Medicine and Periodontics at the University of Stellenbosch, which he completed with Distinction (Cum Laude).

Eager to shape the industry and help others expand their knowledge, Prof Gluckman became instrumental in the development of the University of Stellenbosch and the University of the Western Cape’s postgraduate Implantology Diploma.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Prof Gluckman recently completed his PhD titled “Partial Extraction Therapy: Past, Present and Future” passing Summa Cum Laude at the University of Szeged in Hungary, under the supervision of Professor Katalin Nagy.

In addition to running a full-time private practice in Cape Town, Prof Gluckman is also the co-founder and Director of the Implant and Aesthetic Academy (IAA). Prof Gluckman is Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and Adjunct Professor at the University of the Western Cape.

Educational aims and objectives

Losing teeth can cause the buccal plate to resorb, necessitating extensive procedures for both bone and soft tissue augmentation. This poses a risk to long-term aesthetic stability. Partial Extraction Therapies (PET) aim to preserve the buccal bone plate, preventing alveolar bone collapse and providing a stable foundation for soft tissue and bone in the long term. This is especially relevant in aesthetic areas. The lecture will cover immediate implant placement options and the latest advancements in PET step by step.

Learning outcomes

• Partial Extraction Therapy (PET) Techniques
• Discuss how to maintain the buccal bone plate and hence prevent the collapse of the alveolar bone creating a platform for ideal soft tissue
• Hands-on practical training utilising simulation models
• Gain a greater understanding of immediate implant placement as well as the most cutting-edge PET in a step-by-step fashion

GDC development outcomes

C, D