Soft Tissue Management for Full Arch: The Forgotten Key to Long-Term Success

9:00am - 1​0:00am | Jeff Y. Li, DMD, MS, FRCD(C)​

Soft tissue health is a critical yet often overlooked factor in the long-term success of full-arch implant therapy. While surgical precision, prosthetic design, and digital workflows receive much attention, the quality and stability of peri-implant soft tissues significantly impact hygiene, esthetics, comfort, and long-term function. 

This lecture highlights the essential role of soft tissue management in full-arch cases. We will explore common challenges such as a lack of keratinized mucosa, reduced vestibular depth, mobile or scarred tissue, and their impact on prosthetic outcomes, even when implants are ideally placed. We will explore practical surgical strategies, including flap design principles, grafting techniques, and vestibuloplasty. Timing of intervention, whether before or at implant placement, second-stage surgery, or after final restoration, will be discussed in the context of maximizing soft tissue health. 

We will also examine the influence of prosthetic contours on soft tissue behavior and maintenance and review key considerations when delivering immediately loaded full-arch prostheses. Thoughtful soft tissue management enhances esthetics, reduces complications, and improves long-term stability. Whether you place implants, restore them, or both, you'll leave with practical insights to improve predictability and patient satisfaction in your full-arch cases. 

Learning Objectives 

• Understand the impact of soft tissue health on long-term success in full-arch implant therapy 

• Identify and address common soft tissue challenges 

• Incorporate timing and prosthetic design considerations to optimize soft tissue outcomes. 

Revolutionary Implant Design paradigm shifts in atrophic ridge and full arch treatment

10:00am - 11:00am | Howard Ochs, DMD

Remote anchorage implants—such as zygomatic and pterygoid implants—have demonstrated significant potential in achieving primary stability by engaging deeper skeletal structures beyond the atrophic alveolar ridge. These approaches reduce the need for prolonged healing times typically associated with sinus grafting, guided bone regeneration, or block grafting procedures. Recent innovations in implant design now allow clinicians to bypass deficient alveolar bone and anchor directly into dense, stable bone, thereby supporting immediate functional loading even in complex anatomical cases. These implants are also effective in managing single-tooth defects and can be integrated into full-arch rehabilitations using immediate-loading protocols. This lecture will present the rationale, indications, and clinical applications of this emerging hybrid tissue level implant solution, emphasizing predictable outcomes and reduced treatment timelines. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Understand the historical development and key design features of modern hybrid tissue-level implants. 

• Recognize anatomical indications and case selection criteria for remote anchorage implant placement. 

• Evaluate how these implants can improve functional outcomes and reduce the need for extensive bone reconstruction procedures. 

Morning Break

11:10am - 11:30am

New trends in PRF therapy in Implant Dentistry, Periodontology and Facial Esthetics

11:30am - 12:30pm | Richard Miron, DDS, MSc, PhD

The use of platelet concentrates has had a long history of use in various fields of medicine as an autologous source of growth factors fabricated utilizing centrifugation of blood under various conditions. Over the past 10 years, platelet rich fibrin (PRF) has seen a steady increase in utilization for a variety of medical and dental procedures due to its lack of anti-coagulation factors favoring fibrin clot formation and faster wound healing. This talk aims to highlight the recent advancements made with respect to the newest formulations of platelet concentrates, including recent developments in horizontal centrifugation. Thereafter, the Bio-Heat technology will be presented as a way to completely replace collagen membranes in dentistry owing to the ability to extend the working properties of PRF from 2-3 weeks to 4-6 months. Lastly, new clinical applications and uses of PRF will be presented in implant dentistry, periodontology, and in facial esthetics (Bio-Fillers using PRF). 

Learning Objectives:  

• Optimization of protocols for any centrifugation device
  

• Update on Bio-Heat technology and the ability to extend the working properties of PRF from 2-3 weeks to 4-6 months.
  

• Launch of the Bio-Cool technology 
  

• New uses of PRF in implant dentistry and Facial Esthetics

Restoring the Severely Atrophic Maxilla with the Zygomatic Implant

1:50pm - 2:50pm | Dennis Smiler, DDS, MScD

This presentation showcases the clinical application of advanced zygomatic implant techniques for full-arch rehabilitation in patients with severe posterior maxillary atrophy. Building upon the proven success of extra-maxillary zygomatic implant placement, a novel advancement—the 2-Piece Zygoma Extension Link—is introduced to address the prosthetic and surgical limitations of current systems. This innovative configuration is designed to enhance prosthetic alignment, improve surgical access, and streamline restorative workflow.  

The lecture will review the anatomical and clinical challenges of the atrophic maxilla, including the implications of sinus pneumatization and bone resorption. A comprehensive overview of surgical protocols will be presented, including quad zygoma support, virtual planning using stereolithographic models, guided template-assisted surgery, and a comparison of prosthetic outcomes. Clinical cases will illustrate the biomechanical stability and prosthetic versatility utilizing the BLUEDIAMOND zygomatic implant system and demonstrate how the 2-Piece Extension Link expands the clinical utility of zygomatic implants in complex rehabilitations.  

 Learning Objectives 

• Recognize anatomical and surgical challenges in posterior maxillary atrophy and the indications for zygomatic implants. 

• Describe the benefits of two-piece zygomatic implant designs for improving prosthetic and surgical outcomes. 

Full-Arch Dentistry in the Digital Age: Innovation Meets Precision

2:50pm - 3:50pm | Paul Schuh, DMD

The digital revolution is transforming full-arch dentistry, offering unprecedented precision, efficiency, and predictability. This lecture explores the latest advancements in digital workflows, from diagnostics and treatment planning to guided surgery and final prosthetic solutions. By integrating technologies such as intraoral scanning, Jaw Tracking Systems, 3D printing, and AI-driven planning, clinicians can streamline their workflow, reduce chair time, and enhance patient outcomes. 
 
Attendees will gain practical insights into seamlessly incorporating digital tools into their practice, improving efficiency while maintaining high aesthetic and functional standards. This presentation will provide actionable strategies to optimize full-arch rehabilitation, ultimately leading to more predictable, patient-centered results and a competitive edge in modern dentistry. 

Learning Objectives 

• Understand the role of integrated digital technologies—such as intraoral scanning, jaw tracking, and AI—in enhancing full-arch treatment 

• Learn how to implement a streamlined digital workflow for full-arch rehabilitation to improve clinical efficiency and patient outcomes. 

• Evaluate strategies for adopting aesthetic digital tools that support high and functional standards in a modern full-arch practice. 

Q & A

3:50pm - 4:00pm

Beyond Implant Placement: The Big Picture of Digital Full-Arch Rehabilitation and Biologically Guided FP1 Restorations

​ 4:20pm - 5:20pm | Achraf Souayah, DDS  

Recent advancements in digital workflows have significantly enhanced the precision and efficiency of full-arch implant rehabilitation. Acquiring the appropriate data for planning implant surgeries and fabricating interim prostheses is crucial, but ultimately, the patient's needs must remain the top priority. Digital workflows go beyond guided implant placement, designed to improve the overall patient experience by reducing errors, enhancing treatment predictability, and minimizing chairside time. 
 
This lecture will focus on a novel digital pathway that reintroduces the patient’s face into treatment planning, enabling the creation of a patient digital twin—a hybrid 3D model that integrates critical data, including the patient's face, lips, jaw position and motions, soft tissue, and bone structure. Using a facially-driven virtual diagnostic wax-up, R2Gate software allows for precise, prosthetically and biologically driven 3D implant positioning, facilitating the immediate fabrication of implant-supported, screw-retained interim restorations. 

 
A step-by-step breakdown of the process involved in designing immediate provisional restorations will be provided, covering planning and guidance for bone and soft tissue sculpting. This approach aims to reset tissue architecture, achieving an ideal interface between bone, soft tissue, and the final prosthetic restoration. The big picture extends beyond guided implant placement by ensuring that digital workflows account for both aesthetic and functional considerations, with FP1 prosthetic design as the ideal strategy for achieving natural tissue architecture restoration in AOX cases. 
 

Learning Objectives: 

• Describe how minimally invasive techniques improve patient outcomes and reduce recovery time in full-arch implantology. 

• Explain the role of patient digital twin technology in integrating facial, jaw, soft tissue, and bone data for accurate implant planning and prosthetic design. 

• Identify key aesthetic and functional principles in FP1 prosthetic design to restore natural tissue architecture in full-arch cases.