Dear Colleagues,

The road to successful patient outcomes can often be challenging. As dental professionals, we understand that collaboration among the dental team is essential to providing the most optimal care to our patients. A strong relationship between the periodontist and restorative dentist is absolutely crucial to helping our patients maintain healthy function and esthetics.

Luckily, a roadmap exists to help us navigate what can often be a tricky path. The American Academy of Periodontology’s 2014 Spring Conference held earlier this year in Chicago highlighted the importance of diligent communication and collaboration between periodontists and restorative dentists and provided the tools we need as dental professionals to work together as efficiently and effectively as possible. This interactive, dynamic 2-day conference brought together more than 300 periodontists and restorative dentists and featured presentations from world-class experts that provided a plethora of ideas, tips, techniques, and strategies for helping our patients lead healthier lives.

This supplement to the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry highlights some of the cutting-edge presentations given at the 2014 Spring Conference. Titled “The Perio-Restorative Relationship: A Roadmap to Clinical Success,” the conference covered everything from identifying risk factors for disease, to how the perio-systemic link affects our patients, to how to select the best restorative materials. Most importantly, the 2014 Spring Conference provided a comprehensive overview of how to best diagnose, treat, and manage patients in concert with your fellow dental colleagues. On behalf of the AAP, I would like to extend our gratitude to Nobel Biocare for their generous support in publishing these proceedings.

As a practicing periodontist and periodontal educator for more than 40 years, I have learned that maintaining collaborative and mutually beneficial relationships with my restorative colleagues allows me to be a better dental professional. I encourage you to continue to partner with your dental colleagues in the name of patient care. The road to optimal patient care is not always easy, but by working together we can and will traverse it.

Warmest regards,

Stuart J. Froum, DDS

President
American Academy of Periodontology