Since many years dental implants are the primary treatment option to replace missing teeth. More recently, despite available evidence of long term survival of teeth treated for dental or periodontal disease, replacing slightly to severely compromised existing teeth with dental implants is becoming more and more a common treatment option. Unfortunately dental implants are often applied irrespective to previous treatment of periodontitis and frequently peri-implant complications are reported, leading to extremely complex clinical conditions of difficult treatment.
Available evidence together with long term clinical experience suggests that the option of preserving existing natural dentition, instead of planning for replacement with implants should be evaluated and discussed with the patient whenever it’s possible to achieve the best treatment option.
Associate Fellow of the Academy of Prosthodontics, Active Member of the Italian Academy of Prosthetic Dentistry (AIOP), the Italian Society of Orthodontics (SIDO) and the Italian Society of Periodontology and Implantology (SIdP). Visiting Professor in the Departments of Prosthodontics of the universities of Siena (Italy) and Rochester (NY) and in the postgraduate program of Orthodontics of the University of Milan (Italy). President-elected of the Italian Academy of Prosthetic Dentistry (AIOP), member of the Executive Board of the American Prosthodontic Society. He is in private practice in Milan and is active in research and publishing (H-index 20).