Today, dental materials science encompasses far more than just material selection. It influences processes, quality, and responsibility – within the complex interplay of technology, regulation, and evidence-based dentistry. This is precisely where the DGPro 2026 Materials Science Forum – organized by EADT eV – comes in.
At the 73rd Annual Meeting of the German Society for Prosthetic Dentistry and Biomaterials (DGPro), taking place from June 11th to 13th, 2026 in Bonn, the EADT eV will be organizing the Materials Science Forum for the first time. Embedded within the overarching theme "Prosthetic Dentistry Meets Medicine," the forum will focus on dental materials. The DGPro stands for scientific excellence. Together with the EADT eV, the Materials Science Forum promotes interdisciplinary dialogue between dentistry, dental technology, and research.
Materials Science 2026 – Status Future
Dental materials science today means more than just material selection. It determines how materials are processed, which processes are effective, and how responsibility is assumed in practice and the laboratory. Automation, digital workflows, regulatory requirements, and clinical decisions are inextricably linked. The EADT addresses these topics as concrete questions: What is reliable? Where do new technologies truly help? And where is more differentiation needed instead of quick fixes?
Industry meets practice – the morning
The morning is dedicated to four workshops. Four partner companies will provide insights into material systems, clinical applications, and manufacturing concepts. The focus is not on new products, but rather on where material development and everyday clinical practice actually intersect today. Thematically, the spectrum ranges from micro-layering and adhesive bonding to modern zirconia materials and scalable, cloud-based 3D printing processes.
Materials Science in Dialogue – Afternoon
The afternoon is intentionally designed to be interactive and structured as a thematic arc: from overview to contextualization to responsibility. It begins with the presentation "Status Future," in which FELICITAS Mayinger, BOGNA Stawarczyk and CARSTEN Fischer To categorize material trends, developments, and challenges. It's about providing orientation in an increasingly complex market.
The following are three thematically focused presentations: STEFAN Roozen and MARCUS Engelschalk Under the title "Ceramics in Transition", they examine the integration of ceramic materials into digital practical and laboratory processes. CHRISTIAN Hannker and MORITZ Hoffmann They focus on polymers and hybrid materials and discuss the role ceramics will play in the context of new material systems in the future – taking into account milling, printing and current evidence. ALEXIS Ioannidis and ANDREAS Patrizi demonstrate how 3D printing is making the leap from innovation promise to clinical reality.
The TEAM presentation “MDR in Practical Use” brings together three perspectives (research, practice, laboratory) and makes regulatory requirements concrete. NINA Lümkemann, JULIA Gmeiner and MARTINA Schmitz Regulations, responsibilities and implementation strategies are discussed from the perspective of an MDR specialist, a dentist and a dental technician.
The event concludes with the panel discussion "Materials Science 2030 – Orientation instead of Hype." Here, the discussion will focus on: Which developments are reliable? What can we build on in the coming years? And where is more evidence needed instead of more hype?
Speakers from within our own ranks
With the organization of the Materials Science Forum 2026, the EADT is participating in the DGPro Annual Meeting not as a guest, but as a partner. The majority of the speakers come from the ranks of the EADT e.V. "Sharing is Caring" is more than just a motto. For years, the EADT has focused on close collaboration between practice, laboratory, science, and dental technology. The Materials Science Forum "EADT meets DGPro: Sharing is Caring" will take place on Friday, June 12, 2026, at the DGPro Annual Meeting in Bonn.