BRC Professor to lead the European Federation of Periodontology

The European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) have recently named Professor Moritz Kebschull, from the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)’s Oral, Intestinal and Systemic Health research theme and the University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry, as their new President.

Encompassing 43 countries, the EFP is a nonprofit federation of national societies for periodontology, representing over 20k professional members, experts in the treatment and study of gum diseases. In addition to its European core, the EFP, with members from Argentina to Australia and Norway to Nigeria, has a global agenda to promote awareness for periodontal science and the importance of gum health.

“To keep improving periodontal education for students and professionals, and stimulating the progress of periodontal researchers is not only in the interest of the EFP or the dental profession. These advancements are critical to ensure that current and future dental patients will be better served. At Birmingham, we are on the forefront of all these developments, driving forward basic, clinical and translational research, for example within the Birmingham NIHR BRC and with our partners in industry and charity, with measurable real world impact.”

Professor Kebschull

Professor Kebschull is currently the Chair of Restorative Dentistry at the University of Birmingham and holds an adjunct professorship at Columbia University. He is a specialist periodontist trained in Germany and the United States. His award-winning translational research explores the links between the clinical features and molecular foundations of periodontal and peri-implant diseases and other systemic diseases. At Birmingham, he is running a significant portfolio of externally funded research programmes, including leading a module of the NIHR funded Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, and innovative structured postgraduate training programmes such as the PGCert in Periodontology, unique in its access to surgical treatment of patients within a part-time programme.

Having served on the boards of both the British and German national societies, and as a member of the EFP’s Executive Committee for the last three years, Professor Kebschull has been driving the development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of gum diseases in Europe, in the UK and in Germany, developments that have already led to a real-world impact for patients and practitioners alike.

Prof Kebschull’s priority during his presidency will be to further the EFP’s global impact as the largest periodontal federation world-wide by expanding its lead in guideline development in the field of dentistry, by opening pathways for educating the clinical workforce for periodontics, and by driving periodontal science by empowering young, internationally mobile researchers.

The University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry ranks at an impressive 22^nd internationally, according to the 2024 QS World Rankings. The £50million Birmingham Dental Hospital and School of Dentistry opened its doors in 2016 and provides modern research facilities for more than 600 undergraduate and postgraduate students and trainees.