A new year with much activity and expansion for the EFP

The next 12 months will mark a significant chapter in the story of the EFP, as the federation stages its first event outside of Europe and welcomes new members from beyond the shores of the old continent.

At the beginning of March, Perio Master Clinic 2019 will take place in Hong Kong, providing an attractive learning environment for clinicians to hear the latest science and therapeutic techniques concerning the prevention and treatment of soft- and hard-tissue defects around implants.

At the end of March, the EFP general assembly meets in Bern (Switzerland), where the formal welcoming of the first international associate members of the federation is due to take place.

Four national societies of periodontology have completed the application process and been accepted by the EFP executive committee, which will recommend to the assembly that these societies – from Brazil, Lebanon, Mexico, and Taiwan – become members.

Their presence will mean that this year’s Gum Health Day on May 12 will be even more international than ever before.

The awareness day is being co-ordinated by Lior Shapira, elected member of the executive committee, and the emphasis is on the relationship between oral health and dental aesthetics, using the slogan 'Healthy gums, beautiful smile'.

Materials – including graphics, videos, and templates for press releases – are being sent by the EFP to its affiliated national societies to help them prepare a wide range of events and other outreach activities.

Symposium and workshop

In September, the EFP Postgraduate Symposium will bring together students and teachers from the 16 EFP-accredited postgraduate programmes in Gothenburg (Sweden).

The aim of the symposium is to create a programme “for the students and by students” and to provide a special opportunity to bring students from the programmes together to benefit from a high-level, EFP-developed scientific discourse.

In November, Perio Workshop 2019 will focus on updating guidelines on periodontal diseases. In preparation for this workshop, a group of EFP experts will attend a training session on writing guidelines in line with European Union legislation. This session will take place in Frankfurt on January 21.

Classification toolkit, new projects

A key priority for the EFP in 2019 is the development and distribution of a toolkit about the new classification of periodontal and peri-implant diseases and conditions.

Work is now well under way on creating a series of written, graphic, and video materials that seek to translate the conclusions of the 2017 World Workshop into clear and easy-to-use formats for the general dental practitioner.

The toolkit is due to be presented to the EFP general assembly in Bern on March 30.

In February, the EFP will hold a workshop in partnership with the World Heart Federation (WHF), which will examine the latest evidence on the links between periodontal and cardiovascular diseases.

An outreach project will later be developed to disseminate the content of this workshop among different stakeholders and target groups (oral-healthcare professionals, physicians, pharmacists, researchers, patients, the public, and the media). The workshop and the outreach project will be sponsored by Dentaid.

The next EFP outreach project – Oral Health for a Lifetime – is due to be launched in November. This project is an initiative driven by EFP president Anton Sculean and will provide materials showing the importance of maintaining good oral health throughout one’s entire lifetime, with an emphasis on the oral health of senior citizens. The project will be sponsored by EFP partner GlaxoSmithKline.