Catching up with Dr Daniele Cardaropoli ahead of Australian workshop tour

Italian Periodontist, Dr Daniele Cardaropoli, was one of the presenters at Osteology Barcelona in April and we caught up with him there for a preview of what to expect when he visits Australia to deliver workshops on hard and soft tissue augmentation this August.

Thank you very much for your time today. Are you enjoying the conference?

As always, the Osteology Symposium is really a top-level conference. I think all the top speakers from all around the world are here and it’s a great programme. There is always something new to learn. Even if you’ve been in practice for 25 years and you’ve published textbooks and lectured worldwide, there is always something new to learn and it’s also a good occasion to catch up with colleagues and friends and to share our thinking and our knowledge about new techniques and new products. So, it’s always nice to be here at the Osteology Symposium.

It’s certainly a great event. This is my second time, so I’m really enjoying it. And you’re coming to Australia soon... What will you be speaking about?

Yes. I will be in Australia in August. I’m looking forward to it. I’m presenting on two topics. One is about bone augmentation and the other is about soft tissue augmentation. When it comes to implant dentistry, in the past, we were just focused on the concept of integration and the importance of the quality and volume of the available bone. And of course, this is fundamental, but more recently, we have focused on the significant role that the soft tissues also play. And this is not only in terms of aesthetics, but also from a functional point-of-view. If we have good thickness of soft tissue around our implant-supported restoration, it’s a good way to maintain long-term stability and to keep the bone stable long term.

I certainly see that theme is everywhere at Osteology Barcelona. So, tell me, there are many products on the market for bone augmentation. Are there new products coming onto the market for soft tissue augmentation? As a periodontist, connective tissue grafts are relatively routine, but many general dentists are not skilled in this procedure. Are there products coming onto the market that can be used as an alternative?

Connective tissue grafts remain the gold standard, but equally, even as periodontists, we also know that we should try to decrease patient morbidity and hence find alternatives. And luckily, in the past 10 to 15 years, we have some good biomaterials, like collagen matrixes, that can be used as a substitute for CTG in certain cases. One of these newer biomaterials, Geistlich Fibro-Gide®, is a volume stable collagen matrix. Geistlich Fibro-Gide® is really able to keep the volume, to maintain the stability of the thickness that we build during the surgery, which avoids grafting from the pallet. It is really easy to use and the patient is more than happy to avoid harvesting tissue from the palate.

And is Geistlich Fibro-Gide® suitable for everywhere that a Connective Tissue Graft is indicated?

There are some clinical situations in which Geistlich Fibro-Gide® cannot be used. For example, when we don’t have a characterised mucosal baseline. This is a clinical contraindication to the use of a matrix. In most other situations, however, when we want to increase the tissue thickness, we can use Geistlich Fibro-Gide® with pretty good outcomes.

And how are other new products like REGENFAST® affecting this?

Well, that’s another good question. As periodontists, we’re always looking to improve wound healing during surgery. And so, we’re working on the use of biologics. Biologics are really able to reduce the healing post-surgery in the short term and then to maintain stability in the long term. From this point-of-view, we’ve recently started using this new product called REGENFAST®. It contains polynucleotides and hyaluronic acid. We use that together, for example, with Geistlich Fibro-Gide® in order to improve healing. And we can also use it together with a bone substitute, like Bio-Oss, for bone augmentation procedures.

What is your experience with using REGENFAST®?

I’ve been using REGENFAST® for more than a year now. In the short term, I can tell you that wound healing after two weeks is much better than we see without using this kind of biologic. And now, we’re also seeing patients for a one-year follow-up after their soft tissue augmentation and the outcomes are really, really interesting.

So, it’s speeding up both hard and soft tissue recovery?

Yes. Very much so.

Is there anything else I should know about in the world of periodontology?

Well, in periodontology, we’re always looking to improve the outcomes for our patients while at the same time, being minimally invasive. The concept of being minimally invasive is not just a goal in dentistry. In medicine in general it is also something we’re looking at constantly so we can reduce the morbidity towards our patient.

So products like Fibro-Gide and REGENFAST® are really helping to change the game?

They are. They’re really changing the game. On a daily basis in my private perio practice, I now use bone and soft tissue substitutes in 90% of cases. And that is a game changer for me, my practice and my patients.

Amazing! Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to your lecture and workshop in Australia.

Thank you so much.

REGISTER NOW! Hard and Soft Tissue Augmentation in Implant Dentistry in August

Considerations for long-term health and aesthetics is the topic for 3 full day lecture and workshop programmes in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth this August, presented by Italian Periodontist Dr Daniele Cardaropoli and sponsored by Geistlich Biomaterials. Scan the QR code or visit Dentevents.com for more information.