International Society of Periodontal Plastic Surgeons

Over 30 years ago, Dr. Peter Nordland reached out to Dr. Preston Miller and suggested they meet to discuss similarities in root coverage surgery, which up to that time had been considered impossible or, at best, unpredictable. They met during the American Academy of Periodontology’s Annual Meeting and shared differences and similarities in the procedures they were performing. Dr. P.D. Miller introduced Dr. Pat Allen to Dr. Nordland and they all decided to meet and share ideas about root coverage grafting. The meeting was so productive that they felt it would be a good idea to create a study group focused on regenerative surgery. They invited some of the most talented and inquisitive clinicians of the time to also contribute. Little did they realize that the pendulum of periodontal surgical procedures was about to take a big swing into the regenerative and reconstructive direction.

The interest and focus of the organization expanded as international surgeons and educators expressed an interest in participating. Over time, what had been known as the periodontal plastic surgery study club evolved into the International Society of Periodontal Plastic Surgeons (ISPPS), and invitations to attend the annual meeting were offered to surgeon-educators interested in oral plastic surgery.

Today, the International Society of Periodontal Plastic Surgeons is composed of dental specialists throughout the world, most of whom are full-time clinicians and educators. The society meets annually the day before the AAP annual meeting to present new, innovative and often unpublished material and techniques or modifications to existing techniques in the field of periodontal plastic and reconstructive surgery, aimed at improving overall esthetics to the benefit of patients long-term.