Founder and director of the “Steigmann Implant Institute”, Dr. Steigmann

Founder and director of the “Steigmann Implant Institute”, Dr. Steigmann is Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor University of Michigan Dpt. of Periodontics and Adjunct Assistant Professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery Boston University.

How would you describe yourself in 3-4 words?

I like to know! To be around people I can learn from

What do you like?

To plan –the act of planning gives me satisfaction-and it does not dependent necessarily on the result of the planning process.

Which is your passion?

Jazz

What is your dream?

That those surrounding us would understands us –patients, friends ,parents ,children –appreciation of the effort we invest to achieve what we achieve.

How did you become a dentist?

My father was a dentist and my mother a lab technician. I was already quite far in my childhood when I found out there are also people who are not dentists.

How did you find out about the ESCD and how did you become part of the organization?

From Friends who are part of the organization especially my friend Dr.Lazarescu.

How did ESCD influence your career?

Usually I was only attending implant meetings or was part of the organization dedicated mostly to osseointegration. An overall prospective on aesthetic without elitarian tendencies was what I was looking for.

What’s the most spectacular case you’ve ever had?

It is not easy to decide which was the most difficult case as many cases are difficult in a specific way. Here I would like to quote the Anna Karenina principle by Tolstoy „Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The successes look the same the difficulties are different. However for the aesthetic outcome it is difficult to achieve ultimate success when the anatomy is not ideal, you need grafting for bone and soft tissue without any additional harm when performing surgeries.

If you were to be anywhere in the world, where would you like to be now?

Where I am today. This time is the best as I overcame all obstacles and
fears and I can perform professional and privately what I prefer.

When did you cry the last time? Why?

Couple of years ago when I realised my parents, cannot share my joy.

Tell us more about Steigmann institute.

Steigmann institute was founded 14 years ago with the aim to focus on soft tissue management in Implant dentistry. This happened when I realised most implantologists, specialists or GPs want to import techniques from different specialties in implant dentistry and sometimes fail. I wanted to structure it and teach dentists about it. We have different modules altogether, 10 days of theory and hands on dedicated to soft tissue. Participants will learn in theory first how different tissue biotypes react to different surgical trauma. For this reason, we have adjusted the surgical approach to the biotype (tissue thickness) specific to each patient and location in the oral cavity. It was difficult to focus on something totally different what was mainstream in those days, when everybody was talking about bone, bone and bone, and I was talking about the soft tissue, no bone socket preservation and soft tissue prosthetic development.