EFP president Anton Sculean reflects on a successful 2018 and looks forward to the new year

In a message to members of the 30 EFP-affiliated national societies of periodontology, federation president Anton Sculean looks back on an eventful year and highlights  the main attractions of 2019.

“From my hometown of Bern in the heart of Switzerland, as EFP president I would like to say “thank you’ for all the great work performed by you and your national perio society in 2018 and wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy New Year.

“We can look back on 2018 with satisfaction and pride. EuroPerio9 in Amsterdam in June –chaired by Michèle Reners, with Søren Jepsen as scientific chair and Gernot Wimmer as treasurer – attracted more than 10,000 delegates from 111 countries. This was a real indication of the EFP’s global audience.

“European Gum Health Day 2018 on May 12, co-ordinated by Xavier Struillou, conveyed the powerful message “Health begins with healthy gums” with activities in more than 100 towns and cities in 41 countries across four continents.

“Other EFP milestones in 2018 included: the launch of the Perio & Caries project in January and the Perio & Diabetes project in November, joining the Oral Health & Pregnancy project that launched in 2017; the announcement of the new classification of periodontal and peri-implant diseases and conditions; Perio Workshop 2018, devoted to bone regeneration and held jointly with the Osteology Foundation; and the launch of the EFP app.

“Next year will be action-packed too, starting with the Perio-Cardio Workshop in February in Madrid with specialists from the EFP and the World Heart Federation. In March, Perio Master Clinic 2019 in Hong Kong will be the first EFP event outside Europe, and the international focus continues with Gum Health Day 2019 on 12 May, co-ordinated by Lior Shapira, which has the slogan 'Healthy gums, beautiful smile'.

“In September, the EFP Postgraduate Symposium will gather students and teachers from the 16 EFP-accredited postgraduate programmes in Gothenburg, while in November, Perio Workshop 2019 will focus on updating guidelines on periodontal diseases. That same month, the next EFP project – Oral Health for a Lifetime – is due to be launched.

“So, charge your batteries now for an exciting 2019, packed with new initiatives!”