Stefano Gracis

Dr. Gracis was trained in the United States where he obtained first a DMD degree at the University of Pennsylvania, and, then, the certificate in Prosthodontics with an MSD degree at the University of Washington. In 1990, he returned to Milan and has been working ever since in private practice limiting his activity to prosthodontics and restorative dentistry. He is active member of the Italian Academy of Prosthetic Dentistry for which he was President in the years 2007-2008 and of the European Academy of Esthetic Dentistry for which he was President for the 2016-2018 term. He is on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Esthetic Dentistry.

Current Approaches in the Interdisciplinary Treatment Planning of Prosthetic and Orthodontic Patients

In many partially edentulous patients requiring prosthesis and osseointegrated implants, orthodontic treatment is indicated to reposition natural teeth. This may be important to correct the sagittal, vertical and transverse positions of the teeth to improve masticatory function, create the necessary space for restoring the mesio-distal dimension of the crowns and obtain a satisfactory and natural looking esthetic outcome. Osseointegrated implants, as well as non-integrated mini-implants or temporary anchorage devices (TADs), can be used as anchorage to carry out the planned orthodontic movements, especially in patients with many missing teeth, and to support temporary crowns in edentulous areas. The treatment of such patients implicates a complete diagnosis, careful planning and an efficient line of communication between the orthodontist and the prosthodontist.

This lecture will illustrate the variables that should be taken into consideration when a combined ortho-implant-prosthetic treatment is necessary. Several clinical cases will help demonstrate the decision-making process.

Impressions for Tooth Supported and Implant Supported Restorations: Materials and Techniques

To many professionals, final impression is a very stressful moment of the prosthetic work on which they believe they have little or no control. Every time that an impression is not satisfactory, they do not know whether to blame the material or the technique. This lecture will attempt to answer the following question: does a satisfactory impression depend more on the choice of an “accurate” material or on the utilization of a proper technique?

The topics addressed are:

• Types of impression materials available
• Criteria for material selection
• Soft tissue retraction (methods and agents)
• Step-by-step impression technique for tooth-supported restorations
• Objectives and peculiarities of impression taking for implant-supported restorations