When speaking of maxillo facial surgery it is difficult not to mention an Italian professional who has been practicing the dental profession internationally for over thirty years, while also teaching his techniques all over Europe.
SmartBoneBlog today meets Dr. Giorgio Carusi at his studio in Ponsacco, a nice Italian town close to the hills that surround Pisa.
Your deep knowledge of maxillo facial surgery is closely linked to post graduate specializations and experiences abroad: what are the countries you have benefited more from in terms of background?
The first phase of my career started in the late 70s in the U.S. where I mastered the surgical techniques, then two other fundamental turning points of my career have been in Sweden and Denmark where I worked in the biological and histological field.
How is the European scene today?
I’d say good, since the European level of preparation has increased surpassing the US. The United States have top level researchers, but from a standpoint of basic training, countries like Italy, France, Germany and Spain and Western and Eastern Europe in general, have a high standard. The only country with different needs is England, because there is no great tradition of oral, maxillo facial and reconstructive surgery, and this is why they are a step behind in this field.
Currently you combine your work with a consistent schedule of formation activities throughout Europe. Can you tell us about it?
Teaching has always engaged 50% of my activity time. The other 50% is in-studio work. I started in the 80s in Italy where I taught in university for 10 years, first periodontics and then at the maxillo facial surgery department; then I got interested in reconstructive surgery, implantology, sinus lifting techniques, bone reconstruction with innovative materials, and from there I started to organize specific training courses in Italy, Spain and Romania.
Do professionals in other countries have different working habits?
I exclude Eastern Europe since these countries are slowly recovering for political and social reasons, even if they are already getting good results. I consider Western Europe where the dentistry community is active and shares new ideas. Here, the scenario really depends on the market, even if the health care world doesn’t like the word ‘market’; the situation varies depending on how much spending power the patient has, and whether he intends to support the high costs of reconstruction.
Let’s speak of the importance of the use of materials: how do you decide when to adopt a new material? How do knowledge, experimentation and adoption of a new material for interventions occur?
The use of new materials is the basis of the reconstructive activity because it allows less invasive techniques for the patient, but it requires a long phase of experimentation: initially by the company and then by clinics. Before applying a new material it is necessary to know the results from a histological and from a clinical point of view. After that, a case record is created and slowly inserted into routine work, and this over time allows a lowering of the costs of an intervention. Many years and many steps must pass before using a new material.
What do you think of SmartBone?
SmartBone is a good material: not only from a clinical point of view, but also from a surgical protocol point of view. I’ve studied SmartBone from every point of view, and I can confirm two fundamental advantages if I compare it to the materials usually used on the market:
1.the fact that SmartBone blocks have been demineralized and treated with particular protein-based products (of course covered by proprietary processes) has permitted the achievement of biomechanical changes, as well as biochemical ones. For example, Smartbone is highly resistant to the application of forces: we can cut it, screw it to the basal bone without breakage of any sort, which, however, is often the case with other materials, when a drill or a screw are inserted.
2.Another great advantage of SmartBone is that cell adhesion greatly increases, both in vitro and in vivo, also providing a strong attraction on blood cells. Therefore, its application has a good vascularity and immediate blood supply and very little reabsorption.
These are the main characteristics of a material that tends to be used in maxillo facial surgery, to reduce the invasiveness of the old methods (e.g. bone samples from the retromolar area, from the chin or skull or from other parts of the body).
Is there still a lot to be discovered in oral surgery, or are we at a good point in research?
With research you are never at a good point: the beauty of our business is that the reaching of a target sparkles the quest for new ones! And this is the challenge!
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Biography
Giorgio Carusi graduated in Medicine at the University of Bologna in 1975, later specializing in dentistry in Pisa in 1980. Since 1996 he has been a member of the IADR (International Association for Dental Research) and over the years has had a major role in international research. He has taught specialization courses in the Arab Emirates and in Europe. He wrote 26 international publications on reconstructive surgery. For more information visit www.giorgiocarusi.it