European Aesthetic Dentistry Congress. "Comfort" option*

Chair of the Department of Oral Health Sciences at KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Belgium. Head of BIOMAT – Biomaterials Research Group at KU Leuven. Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Adhesive Dentistry. One of the world's most distinguished researchers in adhesive dentistry and dental materials science with over 35 years of research experience.

Pioneer and leading global authority on dental adhesive technology, adhesive-tooth interface characterization, bonding mechanisms to enamel and dentin, and performance evaluation of adhesive systems. Expert in universal adhesives and their clinical applications, functional monomers for chemical bonding to hydroxyapatite, etch-and-rinse versus self-etch bonding strategies, and long-term durability of adhesive restorations. Research focuses on molecular interactions at the adhesive-tooth interface, laboratory and clinical performance of adhesive systems, dental ceramics, biocompatibility and bioactivity of dental materials, cariogenicity assessment, and pulp preservation material technology.

Author of over 600 peer-reviewed publications in leading dental materials and restorative journals, making him one of the most prolific and cited researchers in dentistry. Member of editorial boards of multiple international journals. Recipient of numerous prestigious research awards from international dental organizations recognizing his fundamental contributions to adhesive dentistry. International lecturer presenting extensively throughout Europe, Americas, Asia, and worldwide on topics including modern adhesive technology, universal adhesives performance on dentin and enamel, evidence-based bonding strategies, ceramic materials, and bioactive materials. Regular keynote speaker at major dental materials and restorative dentistry conferences globally. Mentor to countless graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and clinicians worldwide who have advanced the field of adhesive dentistry. His research has fundamentally shaped contemporary understanding of dental adhesion and influenced clinical practice worldwide.

DDS from KU Leuven, Belgium (1988). PhD from KU Leuven (1993). Full Professor and Chair appointment at KU Leuven Department of Oral Health Sciences. Over 35 years of continuous research and teaching at KU Leuven.

Prosthodontist and restorative dentist; Founder and Chief Physician at Clinica Rugină (Timișoara, Romania), a private practice focused on aesthetic restorations, prosthetic rehabilitations, and implant-supported prosthetics.

Postgraduate clinical training includes: Competence in Implantology — Carol Davila University, Bucharest; MSc in Ergo-Engineering in Mechatronics — Politehnica University Timișoara — a multidisciplinary degree that informs his systematic, engineering-minded approach to occlusal rehabilitation and dental preparation design. Founder of three original structured hands-on educational curricula: STRUCTURE (dental preparation concepts for all-ceramic restorations), ADHESION (full-ceramic adhesive restorations), and FULL CIRCLE (modular program for complex cases and full-mouth rehabilitation).

DDS — Faculty of Dentistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babeș," Timișoara (2011).

Restorative dentist and researcher specializing in adhesive indirect restorations, biomimetic dentistry, ceramic and composite partial restorations, adhesive cementation protocols, and full-mouth rehabilitation. Visiting Professor of Dental Materials, Operative Dentistry, and Restorative Dentistry at the University of Siena, Faculty of Dentistry. Visiting Lecturer at Sheffield, Genova, Naples, and Brescia Universities.

Over 20 years of academic and clinical activity at the University of Siena across multiple teaching roles, including researcher in dental materials (2007–2009), and teacher in basic principles of dentistry, restorative courses, and prosthodontics master programs. Clinical focus on vertical preparation prosthetics, adhesive partial ceramic restorations, palatal and buccal veneers, onlays, overlays, and complete mouth rehabilitation with minimally invasive biomimetic protocols.

International speaker at congresses and dental meetings across Europe and worldwide. Author of multiple peer-reviewed articles on restorative and prosthetic dentistry. Author of the books Fixed Prosthesis with Vertical Margin Closure and La Protesi Implantare (Elsevier), and the academic textbook A Study into the Significance of Tracing Microleakage by Color Dye Infiltration.

MSc in Dental Materials, University of Siena. PhD in Dental Materials, University of Siena. Member, Bio-Emulation Group. Active Member, Amici di Brugg. Member, Academy of Operative Dentistry. Member, R.V. Tucker Gold Inlay Study Club. Member, Massironi Study Club in Prosthodontics.

General dentist practicing all branches of dentistry in private practice, Syracuse (Siracusa), Italy. DDS, University of Perugia (2001), with highest honors (110/110 cum laude). Microscope user since 2006 — one of the early adopters of surgical magnification in Italian general practice.

Active Member, SIDOC (Italian Society of Restorative Dentistry). Co-Founder (with Dr. Pasquale Venuti) of "Tomorrow Tooth" — a web-based dental education community dedicated to shifting dentistry toward more sustainable, minimally invasive, and patient-centered outcomes.

National and international lecturer on restorative and prosthetic dentistry. Author of articles on dentistry practice and philosophy. Clinical philosophy: outcome-oriented, patient-centered interdisciplinary dentistry with a focus on long-term sustainability and magnification-based precision.