From mentorship to mastery: Prof. Damiano Pasqualini on advancing endodontics

Prof. Pasqualini, as a leading expert in endodontics, many clinicians admire your innovative techniques and insights. What experiences have most shaped your approach and success in this field?

I think every successful path starts with a mentor who inspires you, guides you and passes on their passion and skills to you. For me he was Prof. Berutti, a dear friend and skilled endodontist, a pioneer in Italy and in the world of minimally invasive and micro-surgical endodontics. Subsequently, my constant passion for updating and my enthusiasm in embracing new technologies have led me to this point. New biomaterials and the digital world have also offered microsurgical endodontics unexpected opportunities until a few years ago: guided, static and dynamic techniques, virtual and augmented reality to facilitate the learning curve of young operators, artificial intelligence as a diagnostic aid and decision making are just some exciting examples of the evolution in this field.

What inspired you to focus on the field of surgical MicroEndodontics, and how have you seen it evolve over the years?

My career in clinical and university began 25 years ago in the Oral Surgery division, but since the beginning I have always been fascinated by the elegance of the search for precision and detail of Endodontics. It was a natural evolution to move and grow in the Endodontics Division and combine surgical and endodontic skills through the binoculars of an operating microscope. Enthusiasm for microsurgical endodontics has grown with intervention, appreciating its low invasiveness, improved quality of life and high long-term success rates. For many years it seemed that the specialty was always the same, that it did not offer interesting novelties and that it could not counter the overwhelming power of implant marketing, in short, that it was destined to disappear. In fact, in recent years there has been an exciting return of interest all over the world, with an exponential spread of courses, conferences, workshops and hands-on. I think this is partly due to recent guided and imaging technologies, but above all because the costs of managing medium-term implant failures have pushed clinicians, insurance companies, and scientific societies to enormously re-evaluate the importance of preserving an individual's natural dentition, including through advanced techniques such as modern surgical endodontics.

What motivates you to share your knowledge and insights in dentistry?

I was born as a private practicioner and later I embraced the university world. Currently, two-thirds of my day is spent in university with the triple mission of research, teaching and clinic of complex endodontic cases and patients with special needs. I purposely maintain a private clinical practice to preserve the connection to the real world of everyday clinical activity like most of my colleagues. However, the teaching activity, both in the under-graduate and post-graduate programs, is for me a human and professional satisfaction and a continuous stimulus to improve that I would not give up for anything in the world.

Your upcoming lecture at the CAD/CAM & Digital Dentistry & Oral Facial Aesthetic Conference 2024 will delve into modern surgical MicroEndodontics. How do you see conferences like this one contributing to the advancement of dental techniques?

It is an honor to be invited as a speaker at one of the most popular events in the world. The program and the network created by CAPP go well beyond the days of this important event full of lectures, workshops, in-person and virtual meetings, important social media activities, they positively influence the progress of dental specialties and have an important impact on the entire community

Could you discuss the innovative microsurgical instruments featured in your lecture and how they enhance the performance and outcomes for both clinicians and patients?

In my lecture and hands on workshop the microsurgical endodontic EasyEndo Black kit will be presented and discussed. It is an original set of instruments inspired to simplicity and clinical comfort, designed by Elio Berutti and myself in collaboration with HuFriedyGroup. Each instrument combines simple shapes that any clinician feels confident in and precise indications for use. One instrument for every single step of the complete procedure to achieve a predictable successful outcome with no stress.

All instruments are made with XTS technology, a dark Aluminium Titanium Nitride coating that does not shine under the light of the magnification device, dazzling the operator like traditional instruments. It also offers a very nice contrast with surrounding soft and hard tissue and materials during surgery. These instruments allow the operator to perform the surgery with simplicity and without stress, increasing the confidence and results of the clinician and the satisfaction of the patient.

How do you envision the role of advanced technology evolving in the near future, and what impact do you anticipate these advancements will have on patient care?

Microsurgical endodontics is for sure one of the specialties that in recent years has benefited from the most advanced technology, such as 3D imaging, digital planning and guided surgery of complex cases, but the real strength of the specialty is the solidity of the scientific data, of the biological and surgical principles on which it is based. Preclinical and clinical training must certainly be strengthened to allow more and more operators to successfully embrace these natural tooth preservation techniques.

What advice would you give to clinicians who are new to MicroEndodontics and looking to incorporate these techniques into their practice?

Microsurgical endodontics is by no means reserved for a few talented clinicians. With basic surgical training, appropriate specific training and the correct equipment, everyone can perform a successful and satisfying surgery for the clinician and patients. If you improvise, the result will be bad and the stress will be maximum, so you will abandon the procedure and label it as too complex. Like any surgical discipline, training is crucial, as well as the equipment must be adequate and efficient, but it is also necessary to have the patience to follow a physiological learning curve by selecting simple clinical cases initially and then over time of increasing difficulty.

To find out more about the lecture of Prof Damiano during the conference in Dubai, visit the event page.