Professor Ihklas El Karim

Let us think about endodontics differently: Pulpal diagnosis

Overview: Successful application of pulp preservation therapies requires diagnostic methods that accurately determine the degree of inflammation and the healing ability of the dental pulp. Currently, the clinical diagnosis of pulpal status is based on subjective tests relying on patients’ reported symptoms, which do not faithfully correlate with the histological status of the pulp.  However, advances in pulp biology research have improved our understanding of the pathophysiology of pulpitis that could be harnessed for enhanced diagnostic practices and development of appropriate classification and novel diagnostic tests. The aim of the talk is to provide new science-based perspectives on pulpal diagnosis, while reflecting on current practice and its limitations. 

Objectives: 

Translate insights from pulpal pathophysiology into a systematic approach to diagnose pulpal disease and enhance diagnostics practices 

Develop a pragmatic approach to the use of pulpal diagnostic terminology 

Explore the use of molecular markers and innovative technologies for accurate pulpal diagnosis 

Biography

Ikhlas El Karim BDS, FDRRCS, FFD RCSI, PGCHET, PhD

Clinical Professor, Chair of Endodontology and Translational Research and Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the School of Medicine Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences Queens University Belfast. 

Professor El Karim graduated from Faculty of Dentistry Khartoum University and completed PhD and speciality training in the School of Dentistry Queen’s University Belfast.  She currently leads a clinical and translational research programme in endodontics with a focus on developing novel pulpal diagnostics and therapeutics for vital pulp treatment at the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queens University Belfast. She has published over 80 peer reviewed papers, co-edited Vital Pulp Treatment book and contributed to many books’ chapters in the field. She has presented her work nationally and internationally as invited and keynote speaker. Dr El Karim is past president of the Irish Division of the International Association of Dental Research (IADR), President-elect of the Pulp Biology and Regeneration Group of the IADR and Associate Editor for Clinical Research for the International Endodontic Journal. She was a member of the European Society of Endodontology Steering Group for development of the S3-level Guidelines for the Treatment of Endodontic Disease and a co-led the treatment of pulpitis working group. She leads the COSET project for development of core outcome set for endodontic treatments and international collaborative vital pulp therapy project.