Dr. med. dent. Holger Gloerfeld finishes teaching at the SSOP (Swiss School of Prosthetics by Candulor)
After an eventful and very committed professional life, we bid farewell to Dr. med. dent. Holger Gloerfeld into well-deserved retirement. This marks the end of a very special and long partnership, which was characterized by the joint development and sharing of knowledge.
Focus on prosthetics and senior dentistry
Very early in his life as a dentist, Dr. med. dent. Holger Gloerfeld focused on senior dentistry, as he believed that these patients in particular – as a group on the prosthetic „edge of care“ – require special care, both in terms of dentistry and dental technology. It was particularly important to him to restore quality of life, both esthetically and functionally, with good complete dentures, even for those patients who have lost all their own teeth.
“Senior dentistry” became the focus of his teaching activities for dental education and training at the University of Marburg, which ultimately led to the formulation of the „Marburg 75+ Concept“. In this concept he makes suggestions on how comprehensive dentistry for the last phase of life could be implemented in the best possible way. He forthermore provides answers to questions such as:
- What do we do with ageing patients and their dentures?
- At what age should we start thinking about refurbishing the existing restoration as required and, above all, in good time and, if necessary, redesigning/adapting it so that the patient can still cope with it in good oral health in old age?
- Which form of dentures is best suited for restrictions such as dementia, immobility or care?
This is an important topic that still receives far too little attention in university curricula and also in further dental training. In view of the demographic development, this seems all the more astonishing.
From the training partnership to the SSOP Teacher
As the GERBER concept is the preferred set-up model at the University of Marburg, Holger Gloerfeld inevitably came into contact with CANDULOR over 10 years ago. The brief contact developed into a genuine partnership with an intensive exchange about the challenges of prosthetic training for future dentists and the connection to dental technology. So it was only natural that Dr. med. dent. Holger Gloerfeld was also very involved in the development of the SSOP’s dentist courses and ultimately acted as a teacher for training courses and lectures in 2018.
In him, the SSOP had a teacher on its team who created a teaching environment that recognized the person behind the dentist. In doing so, he specifically promoted cooperation between dental professionals and dental technicians. He ensured mutual respect and therefore great enthusiasm among all training and course participants.
Dr. med. dent. Holger Gloerfeld will retire from teaching at SSOP, but the partnership with him will remain, including as a supporting consultant.
CANDULOR and the SSOP would like to thank Dr. med. dent. Holger Gloerfeld for his commitment and enthusiasm as a teacher, who has embodied the values of the SSOP so excellently.
Vita
Holger Gloerfeld studied and obtained his doctorate (Prof. Dr. I. Oepen) at the Philipps University of Marburg. He worked there as an assistant in the departments of Prof. Dr. G. Ahrens (dental conservation), Prof. Dr. L. Flores de Jacoby (periodontology) and the practices of Dr. A. Klatt (Kassel) and Prof. Dr. A. Gutowski (Schwäbisch Gmünd). Most recently, from 1992-2020, he was senior consultant in the Department of Prosthodontics, first under the direction of Prof. Dr. Dr. W.T. Klötzer and then Prof. Dr. Ullrich Lotzmann.
For over two decades, he was a specialist in prosthetics for the German Society for Prosthetic Dentistry and Biomaterials (DGPro). Even in retirement, he was active as a lecturer for full dentures and senior dentistry at the University of Marburg and at the Swiss School of Prosthetics.
