It pursues its mission by organising evidence-based scientific events and campaigns, including: EuroPerio, the world’s leading congress in periodontology and implant dentistry; Perio Master Clinic, a theme-based conference on periodontal practice; Perio Workshop, a high-level meeting that sheds light on emerging issues; and Gum Health Day, a global awareness initiative celebrated on May 12.
The federation seeks to serve both the professional periodontal and dentistry sector as well as patients and the public.Periodontology or periodontics (from Ancient Greek περί, perí – “around”; and ὀδούς, odoús – “tooth”, genitive ὀδόντος, odóntos) encompasses the art, science, and practice of attaining and maintaining healthy tissues supporting and surrounding teeth (or their substitutes), replacing lost teeth by implantation of natural and/or synthetic devices, and reconstructing lost supporting structures by regeneration or repair with the goal of maintaining health, function, and aesthetics to improve oral and general health and wellbeing.
As set out in the federation’s by-laws: The EFP is a non-profit making organisation whose goal is the promotion of periodontology and, more generally, oral health both in Europe and worldwide.
[5] The origins of the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) date back to a conversation in 1985 between Dr Jean-Louis Giovannoli (France) and Professor Ubele van der Velden (the Netherlands).
In 1998, the EFP gave its first accreditation to a postgraduate programme in periodontology, to the Academic Centre of Dentistry (ACTA) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, soon followed by the University of Bern in Switzerland.
This was followed by the launch in October 2022 of Responsible Periodontology, a logo that expresses the EFP’s commitment that its activities – promoting disease prevention and healthy lifestyles, educational programmes, and campaigns – are carried out with ethics, respect, and ensuring that all voices count.
The triennial EuroPerio congress is the most important event organised by the EFP and one of the world’s biggest meetings in the field of periodontology.
The most recent edition – EuroPerio10 in Copenhagen (2022) – attracted more than 7,000 attendees from more than 100 countries and featured hundreds of scientific presentations and also included live video transmissions of periodontal surgery.
EuroPerio12 will be held in Munich, Germany, in 2028 with an organising committee of Andreas Stavropoulos (Sweden), Virginie Monnet-Corti (France), and Mervi Gürsoy (Finland).
The findings of each workshop have been published, initially by Quintessence International and, since 2002, as special open-access monographic supplements of the Journal of Clinical Periodontology.
Since 2009, the workshops have taken place at La Granja de San Ildefonso, Segovia, Spain, chaired by Mariano Sanz (2009-2019) and David Herrera (2021-).
It was created to “bridge the gap” between the triennial EuroPerio congresses and offers a more intimate environment, with hands-on training by leading clinical practitioners of periodontology and implant dentistry.
At the World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases and Conditions, held in Chicago in November 2017, the EFP and the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) drew up a new classification of periodontal and peri-implant diseases and conditions after reviewing the scientific evidence and creating a consensus knowledge base.
[8] To assist clinicians in implementing the new classification, the EFP published a toolkit in April 2019, comprising a set of guidance notes, slide presentations, infographics, and videos.
[16][17] At Perio Workshop 2019, the process of drawing up a formal S3-level clinical practice guideline for the treatment of periodontitis stages I-III was started.
Consensus was achieved on recommendations covering different interventions, aimed at: (a) behavioural changes, supragingival biofilm, gingival inflammation, and risk factor control.
The EFP organises, together with its affiliated national societies of periodontology, an annual periodontal-health awareness day held on May 12.
At a meeting in May 1990 in Maastricht, the Netherlands, where the constitution and rules of procedure of what would the following year become the EFP were proposed, among the aims of the new organisation were:“To promote equal and high standards in the countries of the member societies in the areas of […] In 1998, the EFP gave its first accreditation to a postgraduate programme in periodontology, to the Academic Centre of Dentistry (ACTA) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, followed later that year by the University of Bern in Switzerland.
[2] Since April 2020, the Journal of Clinical Periodontology (JCP) has been edited by Panos N. Papapanou, who succeeded Maurizio S. Tonetti (2005-2020) and Jan Lindhe (1976-2004).
The journal accepts a broad spectrum of original work characterised as clinical or preclinical, basic or translational, as well as authoritative reviews, and proceedings of important scientific workshops.
Edited by Andreas Stavropoulos (chair, EFP scientific affairs committee), with the co-operation of the JCP editor-in-chief, each issue is prepared by a team of students at one of the EFP-accredited postgraduate periodontology courses.
Their support helps the EFP in performing its work of serving the development of periodontal science and clinical practice and the promotion of oral health.
As of July 2024, the EFP’s partners were Colgate, Curasept, Dentaid, Dentsply, Haleon, Kenvue, Oral-B, Philips, and the Straumann Group.
The EFP believes that “the transparent collaboration between businesses and an informative non-profit-making scientific entity is a great asset for strengthening the links between science and commercial development, which greatly benefits professionals in periodontology, dentistry, and oral hygiene, as well as the general interest of the public.”[15] Since 2017, the EFP has organised workshops and outreach campaigns with its partners focusing on specific areas of concern within periodontology.
In April 2020, the EFP launched its first series of interactive webinars – Perio Sessions – as a way to provide continuing education online.
Perio Sessions featured expert presentations on important scientific and clinical issues in periodontology and implant dentistry.
In July 2020, the federation launched Perio Talks on Instagram, conversations between clinicians who also respond to questions from the live audience.
The EFP Eminence in Periodontology award has been conferred on Ubele van der Velden (2014), Gianfranco Carnevale (2015), Mariano Sanz (2021), Iain Chapple (2022), Maurizio Tonetti (2023), and Anton Sculean (2024).
[3] At present, periodontology is recognised as a speciality in 11 of the 27 members of the EU: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, and Romania.
In September 2019, the question of the EU-wide recognition of periodontology as a speciality was discussed at a meeting of the EU Group of Co-ordinators (GoCs) for professional qualifications and freedom of movement.