Dr. David Norré - "Full Arch FP1 a Digital Approach"
Episode summary
Dr. David Norre, a Belgian prosthodontist and implantologist and creator of the STAR concept, describes a fully digital approach to full-arch FP1 rehabilitation ahead of the Edentulism 2025 conference in Barcelona. He argues that most full-arch cases are not truly edentulous at the outset, so treatment should begin before extraction: by planning implant positions in advance and keeping three well-positioned teeth, the clinician can use a tooth-supported guide, which is more accurate than tissue- or bone-supported guides. A second guide seats a provisional bridge, prepared up front with oversized access holes, in the correct prosthetic position for same-day delivery via an intraoral pickup. Norre stresses that guided surgery is precise but not always accurate in the bone, so he retains manual control over implant depth and verticality, and he provides an algorithm to distinguish genuine FP1 indications from contraindications such as the Class III upper jaw.
Key takeaways
- Dr. David Norre is a Belgian prosthodontist who graduated from the University of Leuven in 2001 and trained in oral implantology in Liege from 2006 to 2008.
- The STAR concept plans implant positions before extractions and preserves three well-positioned teeth so a tooth-supported surgical guide can be used.
- Tooth-supported guides are more precise than tissue-supported or bone-supported guides, according to the evidence Norre cites.
- Norre published the STAR concept in 2022: 'STAR concept: A technique to improve the predictability of immediate implant placement and loading in edentulous arches' in the International Journal of Computerized Dentistry, with co-author Wael Att.
- The provisional bridge is fabricated in advance with access holes about one millimeter larger than the temporary cylinders to absorb positional inaccuracy, then finalized via an intraoral pickup and completed outside the mouth.
- A second guide is used to deliver the pre-made provisional bridge in the correct prosthetic position on the day of surgery.
- Norre considers the upper jaw in Class III patients a contraindication for FP1 and teaches an algorithm to distinguish FP1, FP2, and FP3 indications.
- Norre views guided surgery as precise but not necessarily accurate in the bone, so he adjusts implant depth and verticality manually rather than relying on the guide alone.
What you'll learn
- Why treatment should be planned before extractions rather than treating the arch as already edentulous
- Using tooth-supported guides for higher accuracy than tissue- or bone-supported guides
- The STAR concept for predictable immediate implant placement and same-day provisional delivery
- A second guide to seat the pre-made provisional bridge in the correct prosthetic position
- An algorithm for identifying true FP1 indications (and contraindications, e.g. Class III upper jaw)
- Preserving the freedom to adjust implant depth/verticality even with a pre-made bridge
About the guest
Dr. David Norre
Dr. David Norre is a prosthodontist and implantologist in private practice in Belgium. He graduated in dentistry from the University of Leuven in 2001, training in the prosthodontics department during the early era of immediate loading, and completed postgraduate training in oral implantology in Liege from 2006 to 2008. In 2009 he opened his own clinic focused on full-mouth reconstruction, and he now performs implantology from A to Z. He is the originator of the STAR concept and lectures internationally on digital full-arch workflows.
Credentials: Prosthodontist and implantologist, private practice, Belgium; adjunct lecturer, Tufts University; creator of the STAR concept
davidnorre.com · LinkedIn · instagram.com
