Konstantinos Giannakopoulos

CEMENTATION OF INDIRECT RESTORATIONS: WHAT TO USE, WHEN, AND WHY

The success and longevity of indirect restorations depend largely on proper cementation. Predictable outcomes are not determined by material selection alone, but by the correct integration of surface treatment, cement choice, and adhesive protocol. The expanding range of resin cements, primers, and universal adhesives has increased clinical options — but also confusion.

This lecture presents a clear, material-driven approach to cementation of zirconia, silica-based ceramics, metal-ceramics, and indirect composite restorations. Indications for conventional versus adhesive cementation will be discussed based on retention form, esthetic demands, and clinical conditions. Step-by-step protocols will be outlined, including surface conditioning, selection of bonding strategies, and the appropriate use — and limitations — of self-adhesive resin cements and contemporary adhesive systems.

Participants will receive practical yet evidence-based advice to enhance predictability and reduce technique-related failures in everyday restorative practice.

Dr. Kostis Giannakopoulos graduated from the Dental School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and had 2-year graduate training in Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) and Aesthetic Dentistry in New York, USA. He completed a PhD in Operative Dentistry, in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. He served as scientific collaborator, was teaching courses and supervising clinics and labs for more than 15 years in the Dental School of Thessaloniki. He was elected in the rank of Assistant Professor of Restorative Dentistry and was Program Director of the AEGD post-graduate Program at the European University College in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He served as visiting Consultant at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine, in Dubai. He was appointed for a two-year term as Acting Vice Chair of the Department of Dentistry at the European University Cyprus in Nicosia and was elected Chair of the Department of Dentistry from September 2022 to September 2025. He is currently visiting Associate Professor of Operative Dentistry, coordinating the courses of Operative Dentistry and Dental morphology at the European University Cyprus. He has lectured internationally and published many research articles. He runs a private practice devoted to Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry for over 25 years in Thessaloniki, Greece.