9:00 – 9:30 Opening ceremony
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME
23 October
Pulp Responses: From Research to Practice
TOPIC: Vital Pulp Therapy
09:30 – 10:30 Rethinking Vital Pulp Therapy: A Scientific Perspective on Pulpitis
Speaker: Imad About (France)
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Vital pulp therapy has the potential to significantly prolong the life of a tooth. However, maintaining pulp vitality following carious lesions or pulp exposure remains a major clinical challenge, as successful healing is highly dependent on the degree of pulpal inflammation. The delicate balance between inflammation and regeneration is critical in determining the pulp’s healing capacity within its confined, inextensible environment. Tricalcium silicate-based materials are currently considered the materials of choice for vital pulp therapy owing to their chemical, physical, and bioactive properties. Beyond providing a hermetic seal when applied to exposed pulp tissue, emerging evidence demonstrates that these materials possess anti-inflammatory properties, thereby creating adequate conditions to dentin- pulp regeneration and improved clinical outcomes. Furthermore, recent findings indicating the intrinsic ability of the dental pulp to eliminate infiltrating cariogenic bacteria enhance our understanding of how these materials expand the therapeutic boundaries of vital pulp therapy, including their successful application in cases of dental trauma with pulp exposure and irreversible pulpitis. This presentation will illustrate the regenerative potential of the dental pulp and its capacity to eliminate cariogenic bacteria. It will highlight the bioactive properties of calcium silicate-based materials, demonstrate their anti-inflammatory effects, and discuss their role in reducing postoperative pain. Advances in pulp biology and material science that are driving a paradigm shift in vital pulp therapy will also be addressed. Finally, a novel patent describing pulp regeneration without tissue volume loss will be presented.
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:00 Clinical Management of Deep Caries and the Exposed Pulp
Speaker: Tugba Turk (Turkey)
The management of deep caries and exposed pulp is undergoing a fundamental paradigm shift, driven by advances in pulp biology and high-level clinical evidence. Today, the goal is no longer to remove and replace, but to preserve, modulate, and support the healing potential of the pulp–dentin complex. Pulp preservation techniques, encompassing vital pulp therapy modalities, represent a spectrum of evidence-based interventions that challenge traditional treatment paradigms. Emerging data indicate that, even in cases diagnosed as irreversible pulpitis, the inflamed pulp may retain a significant capacity for healing when managed with appropriate case selection, controlled disinfection, and bioactive materials. This lecture will integrate current evidence with clinical reasoning to redefine decision-making in deep caries and pulp exposure. Particular emphasis will be placed on the dynamic nature of pulpal inflammation, the limitations of existing diagnostic frameworks, and the importance of intraoperative findings—such as bleeding characteristics—in guiding treatment strategies. A structured, clinically applicable workflow will be presented, focusing on achieving predictable outcomes through biologically respectful interventions. A diverse series of clinical cases with long-term follow-up will be presented, highlighting treatment outcomes and decision-making across a spectrum of clinical scenarios. Ultimately, this presentation aims to shift the clinical mindset: from intervention to preservation, from replacement to regeneration, and from protocol-driven treatment to biology-driven decision making.
12:00 – 12:25 Discussion
12:25 – 13:00 Poster Presentation sessions
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch and Networking
14:00 – 15:00 Pulp Mineralisation: Biological Regulation and Clinical Challenges
Speaker: Hal Duncan (Ireland)
Concerns over the cost and destructive nature of dental treatment have led to a surge in research and practice related to vital pulp treatment (VPT) for managing the cariously-exposed and traumatically exposed pulp. Although an exciting opportunity for us all, how much do we know about the tertiary dentine deposition and the pulps response to exposure and subsequent material placement. The aim of this lecture is to describe from a scientific and practical viewpoint the nature of pulpal mineralisation responses, consider the role of the material, the operator and other variables in improving the response, before discussing the clinical challenges of under and overproduction of mineral at the tissue/ material interface. Objectives: During this presentation we aim to answer the following questions in this area; -Management of pulp exposure in VPT stimulates the formation of a hard tissue bridge, but is this reparative dentine or dystrophic mineralisation? -Is pulpal mineralisation important? -Which cells form the bridge? -Does the material used affect the nature of the response? -Is regeneration of dentine or pulp tissue possible?
TOPIC: Mineralisation and Calcification
15:00 – 15:30 Coffee Break
15:30 – 16:30 Managing Calcified Canals: From Detection to Treatment Strategies
Speaker: Hugo Sousa Dias (Portugal)
Calcified root canals represent a major challenge in contemporary endodontics, compromising diagnosis, access, and treatment predictability. Pulp canal obliteration, commonly associated with trauma, ageing, or chronic irritation, leads to canal narrowing or disappearance, increasing the risk of iatrogenic errors such as perforation, excessive dentine removal, and missed anatomy. Effective management requires precise diagnosis and a tailored therapeutic strategy. This lecture will present a clinically oriented approach to calcified canals, from detection using CBCT and magnification to advanced treatment strategies. The advantages and limitations of three main approaches—free-hand, static guided endodontics, and dynamic navigation—will be critically discussed. Free-hand techniques offer flexibility but are highly operator-dependent. Static guidance improves accuracy and safety through preoperative digital planning, although it lacks intraoperative adaptability. Dynamic navigation provides real-time guidance, enhancing precision while maintaining flexibility, but involves higher costs and a learning curve. Clinical strategies to optimise outcomes, including conservative access design and ultrasonic techniques, will be addressed. Finally, future perspectives will explore the emerging role of artificial intelligence in diagnosis, planning, and guidance, with potential to further improve safety and predictability. Mastering these evolving approaches is essential to successfully manage calcified canals in modern endodontic practice.
16:30 – 16:55 Discussion
16:55 – 19:00 Welcome Drink
​​9:00 – 9:30 ESE / AAE new diagnostic classification for pulpal and apical disease. Towards a global standard in endodontic diagnosis
Speaker: Lise-Lotte Kirkevang (Denmark)
The development of a new international classification for pulpal and periapical diseases represents a critical step for modern endodontics. Existing diagnostic terminology - largely unchanged for over a decade - no longer fully reflects advances in biological understanding, imaging, and clinical practice. This initiative, led collaboratively by the European Society of Endodontology and the American Association of Endodontists, aims to establish a clear, evidence-based, and clinically applicable diagnostic framework. Importantly, it is designed not only for specialists, but also for general dentists and researchers, ensuring broad usability across settings. A globally recognized classification is essential to: -Standardize communication between clinicians, educators, and researchers worldwide -Improve diagnostic consistency and treatment decision-making -Enable comparability of research outcomes across studies and populations -Support education and guideline development based on shared terminology Ultimately, this work lays the foundation for a common diagnostic language in endodontics—one that is adaptable to future scientific advances and emerging technologies, while remaining practical in everyday clinical care.
24 October
Structural Failures: From Research to Practice
TOPIC: Cracks and Fractures
09:30 – 10:30 Cracking up…aetiology, prevention and management of cracked teeth
Speaker: Shanon Patel (United Kingdom)
The incidence of cracked teeth and longitudinal root fractures is increasing and can be challenging from a diagnostic and/or management perspective for both endodontist and general dentists. Management requires a risk-based, individualised approach, including provision of cuspal coverage restorations as well as management of parafunctional habits to limit crack propagation and improve prognosis. Aim This lecture gives a pragmatic approach on diagnosis, prevention, and management of cracked teeth to increase longevity based on the current evidence-based, as well as a reflection of 25 year’s clinical experience. Objectives • Appreciate the range of tooth cracks and their progression to vertical root fractures • Identify aetiological and risk factors, including occlusal loading, ageing dentine, and endo-resto influences • Understand how to diagnose cracked teeth and vertical root fractures • Devise effective and individualised management and preventative strategies based on tooth and patient factors.
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:00 Clinical Management of Cracks and Root Fractures: An Interdisciplinary Perspective
Speaker: Tadas Venskutonis (Lithuania)
Speaker: Julius Maminskas (Lithuania)
Cracked teeth and root fractures represent some of the most diagnostically and therapeutically challenging conditions in contemporary dental practice, requiring close collaboration between endodontic and prosthodontic disciplines. From an endodontic perspective, the primary objective is to minimize intraoperative uncertainty through thorough preoperative assessment—identifying crack presence and extent, pulpal status, and periodontal involvement prior to committing to a definitive treatment plan. This raises a fundamental clinical question: who should initiate treatment—the endodontist or the prosthodontist? The intraoperative discovery of a crack during access cavity preparation necessitates immediate critical decision-making: whether to pause, reassess the situation, and determine if endodontic intervention remains justified, or whether the prosthodontic prognosis is too compromised to proceed. From a prosthodontic perspective, emphasis is placed on prevention, early identification of structurally compromised teeth, and the role of pre-endodontic coronal build-ups. Root cracks, root fractures, and the quantity and quality of residual coronal tooth structure are key determinants of tooth prognosis and prosthetic possibilities. Reliable treatment planning requires comprehensive diagnostics beyond radiological and clinical evaluation, including assessment of remaining structure, crack characteristics, periodontal response, and isolation possibility. Accordingly, management should begin with thorough tooth evaluation and prosthetic prognosis assessment, and definitive endodontic treatment should be performed only thereafter. Consequently, the prognosis of cracked teeth is directly dependent on effective interdisciplinary synergy between the endodontist and the prosthodontist.
12:00 – 12:25 Discussion
12:25 – 13:00 Poster Presentation sessions
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch and Networking
TOPIC: Retreatment
14:00 – 15:00 Retreatment Outcomes: What Matters Most?
Speaker: Hagay Shemesh (The Netherlands)
This lecture will address the key factors influencing the outcome of orthograde endodontic retreatment, with emphasis on clinically meaningful success rather than radiographic healing alone. Retreatment decisions should be guided by the cause of failure, the quality of the existing treatment, the restorability and strategic value of the tooth, and the patient’s symptoms, expectations, and overall prognosis. Additional considerations, including cost-effectiveness, imaging modalities, and the distinction between technical and patient-centered outcomes, will also be discussed. Particular attention will be given to the biological and restorative factors that may influence healing after retreatment, as well as to the limitations of the available evidence on outcomes. The lecture will examine how outcome assessment may vary depending on whether success is defined by radiographic resolution, absence of symptoms, tooth survival, or preservation of function over time. It will further explore the role of case selection and decision-making in determining whether retreatment is justified, when it is likely to benefit the patient, and when alternative strategies such as monitoring, surgical intervention, or selective retreatment may be more appropriate.
15:00 – 15:30 Coffee Break
15:30 – 16:30 Retreatment or Implant: Clinical Decision Making
Speaker: Augusto Malentacca (Italy)
My presentation will focus on the clinical assessment that the dentist should be required to perform when deciding whether to pursue an endodontic retreatment or instead proceed directly with implant therapy. I deliberately use the conditional form because, unfortunately, in everyday practice the general dentist is increasingly inclined to prefer implant placement—driven both by economic considerations and by the relative procedural simplicity—rather than by the patient’s actual best interest. This trend risks undermining the remarkable advances achieved in recent years in the field of endodontics, largely due to the introduction and widespread use of the operating microscope. Endodontic retreatment—both surgical and non-surgical—is progressively becoming a niche procedure, carried out by a shrinking number of practitioners who uphold a deontologically sound, tooth-conserving approach. I believe that endodontic societies should concentrate their efforts on educational campaigns directed primarily toward patients rather than dentists. In my view, attempting to sensitize the general dentist to these issues, although valuable, is largely a losing battle. Educating patients, on the other hand, could foster a more informed demand for conservative treatment options. During my presentation, I will also aim to delineate the boundary between appropriate endodontic retreatment and true over-treatment. I will evaluate a series of parameters not only related to endodontic criteria but also to patient age, the quantity and quality of remaining dentinal structure, functional and occlusal factors, and other clinical considerations that may influence prognosis and guide clinicians toward a genuinely individualized therapeutic decision.