Associate Professor Aikaterini Papathanasiou

TITLE of Presentation:
From Minimal Invasive to Digital Esthetic Dentistry

Abstract:
It is recognized that retention and treatment of natural teeth will often result in better aesthetic outcomes when compared to dental implant strategies alone. From this perspective, the value of a tooth to maintain the supporting bone and gingival tissues will be examined in the context of dental trauma or tooth loss. In both our adult and growing patients, dental trauma can result in tooth loss, a compromised periodontium and bone atrophy. The presentation will discuss protocols for tooth replantation, ridge maintenance, ankylosed teeth and bone stabilization with tooth autotransplantation aimed at providing natural functional teeth and delaying dental implant placement.

Objectives:
• Current minimal invasive esthetic protocols will be presented.
• Digital workflows from diagnosis to final restorations using intraoral scanners, digital wax-up, digital implant planning, 3D printing, and milling which are included in today’s esthetic dentistry protocols, will be discussed.
• Conventional vs. digital methods on dentate and partially edentulous patients will be described.

Dr. Aikaterini Papathanasiou is the Graduate Program Director in Advanced Education in Esthetic and Operative Dentistry and Associate Professor in the Prosthodontics Department, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM). She received her DDS from the University of Athens (Greece) and her DMD from TUSDM. She completed her postgraduate training in Operative Dentistry, Endodontics, Preventive Dentistry and Cariology at Aarhus University (Denmark) and in Esthetic Dentistry at TUSDM. She is a Fellow of the International College of Dentistry and Fellow of the International Academy for Dental and Facial Esthetics (IADFE).
Dr Papathanasiou is in the Editorial Board of peer reviewed dental journals. She is involved in research projects and has published numerous articles and abstracts on tooth whitening, esthetic, restorative, and digital dentistry. She lectures nationally and internationally. Dr. Papathanasiou holds leadership positions in dental organizations and at Tufts University. Lastly, she practices limited to Esthetic Dentistry in Boston, MA.