Forum Implantologicum, 01/2016

Until the turn of the century, oral health had been primarily assessed with objective indicators of caries such as the number of decayed, filled or missing teeth due to caries or with periodontal health indicators such as probing pocket depth or bone loss. Similarly, outcomes of dental treatment were primarily determined by considering clinical parameters. Following a powerful movement in medicine, clinicians and researchers in the oral health arena have begun to realize the value of considering patient-centered outcomes (PCO) and subjective indicators of oral health. The objectives of this general introduction to the relevance of PCOs in dental medicine are (a) to describe their importance for dental clinicians, researchers, and educators; (b) to specifically consider their role over the course of a patient's treatment from the time of diagnosis and treatment decision-making to the actual treatment phase and the post-treatment period; and (c) to discuss the relevance of PCOs to future research and clinical practice. PCOs such as patients' oral health-related quality of life and treatment satisfaction complement clinicians' understanding of patients' oral healthrelated experiences and treatment outcomes and thus can support their efforts to provide the best care possible. PCOs offer researchers an opportunity to comprehensively assess outcomes in basic science, translational, clinical, and behavioral research. Assuring that dental educators prepare future clinicians and researchers to understand the value of PCOs and to embrace their importance is therefore crucial. One ultimate benefit of PCOs is their value when communicating oral health-related concerns inter-professionally and to persons outside of the health professions. Schlagwörter: Patient-centered outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, oral health-related quality of life, treatment satisfaction

Traditionally success in implant dentistry is determined through the use of surrogate outcomes. In many instances these surrogates have little or no influence on the patient's interpretation of treatment success. All the while, the surrogate outcomes continue to be used because they are easy to quantify. Common thought in research is that all assessments must be objective in nature. In distinction, the use of subjective assessments makes it difficult to establish a number that defines success and, without a number, it is nearly impossible to identify a success hierarchy. Although it may be recognized that patient acceptance of treatment is the most critical factor that clinicians face, establishing a series of acceptable outcomes is a difficult, maybe impossible, task. Ultimate treatment success may be more appropriately found by actively listening to patients to identify what has "worked" for them and then extrapolating this into what will work for others. Schlagwörter: Surrogate, objective assessment, subjective evaluation, success

Changes in the economics and delivery of dentistry have resulted in suggestions for significant changes in the delivery of care. These guidelines emphasize increased patient involvement in the treatment of chronic diseases such as dental caries and periodontitis. This approach, which is termed patient-centered care (PCC), also emphasizes the direct participation of the patient in formulating treatment plans. This approach requires understanding the patient's goals and involving them in therapeutic decisions, as well as an emphasis on long-term behavioral changes needed to control these diseases, and monitoring therapeutic outcomes in a formal way. This approach is currently applied in very few private practices and is poorly understood by the average practitioner. In the past, similar approaches have yielded equivocal results. If these concepts are routinely practiced they will increase the economic burden on private practices and increase the use of third-party involvement for these services. Schlagwörter: Patient-centered care, dental caries, periodontitis, behavior modification, dental maintenance

Oligodontia is a rare congenital disorder defined as the absence of six or more permanent teeth. For optimum masticatory function, speech and esthetics, oligodontia cases are best handled by a multidisciplinary team. It is not enough just to place dental implants to replace the missing teeth. Dental implants do not last long term if there is untreated traumatic malocclusion; the final dental implants may also be unesthetic with poor treatment planning. This case report describes the treatment sequence by a team in Singapore, comprising an orthodontist, periodontist, and prosthodontist. Therapy consisted of detailed treatment planning, followed by an orthodontic phase, a surgical phase and a prosthetic phase. With good interdisciplinary cooperation, we have given this patient good function and a new smile. Schlagwörter: Oligodontia, multidisciplinary, esthetic, case report

An inventor, a pioneer, a man who was passionate about scientific questions and persistent in his search for answers, Honorary Fellow Samuel "Sam" Gotthelf Steinemann passed away on February 22, 2016 at the age of 92. The ITI pays tribute to this man, our colleague and friend, who played such an active and influential role in the development of the field of implant dentistry.

There are icons in every field and most people would consider themselves lucky to meet just one of them. The ITI not only introduced me to the era of icons but gave me the privilege of experiencing them as mentors.

Since I started along my path in implant dentistry, my goal has always been to enrich my knowledge in a center of excellence outside my country, Brazil. A few months before finishing my PhD, I saw the ITI Scholarship as the perfect opportunity to achieve it, and decided to apply.