Tomorrow’s World: which restorative materials will meet the challenges of the future?
In an ever-changing world of shifting population demography and epidemiology, restorative dentistry is faced with many challenges.
Join Professor Falk Schwendicke on 22nd April 2026 in an engaging evening lecture, in which he will discuss how recent material evolutions, including glass ionomers and glass hybrids, may help clinicians navigate this landscape and address the specific challenges of tomorrow’s dentistry.
Professor Falk Schwendicke, MDPH
Chair of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich
When & Where
Date & Time:
Wednesday 22nd April 2026
17:00 - 20:30
17.00–18:00 - Arrival, welcome drinks
18:00–19:00 - Lecture Part I
19:00–19:30 - Drinks and light buffet, networking
19:30–20:30 - Lecture Part II
20:30 - Close
Duration: 3.5 hours
Trainer: Professor Falk Schwendicke, MDPH
Location: Edgbaston Park Hotel & Conference Centre, 53 Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham, B15 2RS
Complimentary car parking for up to 100 spaces is available either side of the hotel entrance or on the lower level of the multi storey car park. Further parking is available at a cost of up to £10.00 for 8-10 hours.
Admission: £99 inc VAT
(includes an EQUIA Forte HT Intro Pack and Capsule Applier IV to take away)
Meet Professor Falk Schwendicke
Professor Falk Schwendicke is the director and chair of the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich in Germany. He was previously the head of the Department of Oral Diagnostics, Digital Health and Health Services Research at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin in Germany. He has a demonstrable track record of clinical and scientific excellence in the fields of diagnostics and operative, preventive and data-driven dentistry.
Prof. Schwendicke’s research is aimed at answering questions of high clinical relevance. His research focus is on cariology and restorative dentistry, preventive and public health dentistry, dental diagnostics and artificial intelligence, as well as health economics and health services research. He has authored over 300 articles, edited various books and provided over 20 book chapters on a range of issues - from caries management to health economics.
Prof. Schwendicke has been awarded a range of prestigious awards, among them the International Association for Dental Research’s Basil G. Bibby Young Investigator Award and Lion Dental Research Award, numerous awards from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zahnerhaltung (German society of conservative dentistry) and the David Sackett Award from the German Network for Evidence-based Medicine.
He reviews for over 40 peer-reviewed journals, among them The Lancet, as well as for various national funding agencies. He has served on the editorial boards of various dental journals and is presently an associate editor of the Journal of Dental Research.
Aims and objectives
This lecture aims to:
Explore the evolving challenges in restorative dentistry in the context of demographic and epidemiological change.
Examine how material science — particularly the development from glass ionomers to glass hybrids — supports minimally invasive, sustainable restorative approaches.
Highlight the clinical relevance of modern restorative materials across diverse patient groups, including children, older adults, and individuals with special care needs.
Encourage evidence-based, patient-centered material selection for future-oriented restorative practice.
Discuss the implications of global trends such as the amalgam phase-down, sustainability, and access to care on restorative decision-making.
By the end of this session, participants should be able to:
Identify key demographic and clinical trends shaping the future needs of restorative dentistry.
Describe the properties, indications, and performance characteristics of modern glass hybrids and related bioactive materials.
Compare glass hybrids with traditional restorative materials (composites, amalgam, glass ionomers) in terms of clinical outcomes, handling, and longevity.
Apply MI (Minimal Intervention) principles to restorative planning in complex or vulnerable patient groups.
Integrate new material options into everyday practice while considering sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and patient-specific needs.