Dr. Sepehr Zarrine, Speaker at Edentulism2023
Episode summary
Dr. Sepehr Zarrine, an implantologist in Saint-Dié, France and chairman of ITI France, discusses his Edentulism2023 lecture 'The Right Mindset in Zygoma Surgery to Avoid Complication.' Once a bone grafter, Zarrine now favors graftless, immediately loaded full-arch rehabilitation for edentulous patients, arguing that zygomatic implants let patients avoid long grafting healing periods without fixed teeth and return quickly to social and professional life. He treats such cases with a 'Swiss Army knife' of tilted, mini and zygomatic implants, having set aside pterygoid implants. Drawing on a prior career as a professional fighter, he stresses that success is decided before surgery through preparation, training and respect for every surgical and prosthetic detail, from incision to soft-tissue management. He cites zygomatic implant success rates of roughly 96% and insists complex rehabilitation demands mastering all the details.
Key takeaways
- Dr. Sepehr Zarrine has run a private practice in Saint-Dié, France focused on complex rehabilitation for 17 years and is chairman of ITI France.
- For full-arch rehabilitation of edentulous patients with insufficient bone volume, Zarrine has stopped using bone grafting techniques in favor of graftless approaches.
- Bone grafting requires a long healing period without fixed teeth, whereas zygomatic implants allow immediate loading and a rapid return to social and professional life.
- Zarrine's graftless toolkit for these cases consists of tilted implants, mini implants and zygomatic implants; he no longer uses pterygoid implants, preferring zygomatic solutions such as quad zygoma.
- He cites a recent meta-analysis reporting roughly 96% overall success for zygomatic implants, evaluated over a five-year period.
- Immediate loading with a fixed prosthesis yields higher implant success than a removable prosthesis during healing, making it advantageous for both surgeon and patient.
- Zarrine, a former professional fighter, argues that avoiding complications and achieving long-term success in zygoma surgery depends on preparation, training and respecting every surgical and prosthetic detail before the operation.
What you'll learn
- Why zygomatic implants can replace bone grafting for full-arch rehabilitation in patients with insufficient bone
- The 'Swiss Army knife' of graftless tools: tilted, mini and zygomatic implants for immediate loading
- How pre-surgical preparation and mindset, not just intraoperative skill, determine long-term success
- Respecting every surgical and prosthetic detail, from incision design to soft-tissue and suture management
- Weighing established, evidence-based techniques (zygomatic implants at ~96% success) against less-supported options
About the guest
Dr. Sepehr Zarrine
Dr. Sepehr Zarrine is an implantologist based in Saint-Dié in the east of France, near the German and Swiss borders, where he has run a private practice focused on complex rehabilitation for 17 years. He works with both grafting and graftless techniques, with zygomatic implants (including quad zygoma and combined conventional/zygomatic cases) forming a major part of his practice. He has directed his own surgical school for 10 years and is chairman of ITI France, part of the International Team for Implantology (ITI), an international scientific organization of some 20,000 members.
Credentials: Chairman of ITI France; private-practice implantologist, Saint-Dié, France; director of his own surgical school
LinkedIn · en.dr-zarrine.com · straumann.com
