Martin Schimmel
Prof. Dr. Martin Schimmel is chairman of the Department of Reconstructive Dentistry and Gerodontology at the School of Dental Medicine of the University of Bern, Switzerland (zmk bern). He received several academic awards, among them the 2022 IADR Distinguished Scientist Award in Geriatric Oral Research. Professor Schimmel serves on various editorial boards of scientific journals and is an active council member of the ECG, the GA and the SSGS. His academic interests include gerodontology, orofacial hypofunction, CAD/CAM in prosthodontics, the patients’ perspective and implantology in edentulous patients. He has been an ITI Fellow since 2013 and is currently a member of the ITI Research Committee, ITI Study Club Director (Brunmatt II, Bern) and ITI Scholarship Center Chair (zmk bern).
Articles
Feature Article
The mean age of candidates for implant surgery as well as dental patients is generally increasing due to the growing life expectancy worldwide. While being older per se is no contraindication for implant therapy, it often implies medical conditions and more medication (polypharmacy). These aspects often reduce the resilience of patients and lead to increased risk of complications after implant surgery.
Feature Article
The 7th ITI Consensus Conference was held in Lisbon, May 2023. A total of five areas in the field of implant dentistry were identified to be addressed and covered, each assigned to a specific working group. The topic assigned to Group 4 was “patient benefits”. The group prepared three systematic reviews entitled 1) “Treatment effect of implant-supported fixed complete dentures and implant overdentures on patient-reported outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis”; 2) “Oral function in completely edentulous patients rehabilitated with implant-supported dental prostheses: A systematic review and meta-analysis”; and 3) “Effect of dental implant therapy on the preservation of orofacial tissues: A systematic review and meta-analysis”.
Feature Article
With the so-called “baby boomer” generation reaching retirement, a new challenge in implant dentistry has emerged. Predominantly, tooth loss occurs later in life, accompanied by increased demand for partial dental prostheses. Edentulous patients are more difficult to treat due to advanced age, functional dependence, illness, and financial instability.