Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session 1 – Longevity Medicine

asks whether extending life is science, hype, or hope — and how lifestyle and biology can meet somewhere real.

Longevity is underpinned by some science, but much of the hype exceeds the evidence available for humans today. There is strong reason to believe we can slow aging and extend healthspan through both medical and lifestyle interventions. But most of the spectacular claims seen in media and marketing are still aspirational and require thorough human research before becoming reality.

Hosts:
to be announced

Breakout Session 2 – Brainpower

connects mental well-being, behavioral design, and gum health — showing how the mind can shape not only thoughts but tissues.

By structurally designing environments and interventions with behavioral economics strategies, it's possible to help people adopt and maintain healthier habits more effectively and sustainably. Mental health and gum health are connected. Stress, anxiety, and depression can alter the immune system, increase inflammation, and make it harder to maintain healthy habits.

Hosts:
Dr. Sc. Manuela Adcock
Prof. Dr. Björn Bartling

Breakout Session 3 – AI in Health Prevention

designing trustworthy AI in disease prevention / health promotion: systems, citizens and co-creation

AI can transform early risk detection and disease prevention – but only if people and professionals trust and adopt it. In this breakout, Dr. Christine Jacob and Larisa Aragon Castro will:

• Show where AI can realistically add value in disease prevention / health promotion, how it reshapes care pathways and professional roles, and how oral health can be embedded in broader preventive strategies.
• Explore practical ways to co-create AI-enabled services with “people who are patients” as partners, not just data points.
• Discuss how citizen-involved data governance and national personalized health initiatives can enable responsible use of AI and health data.

Through short cases and facilitated discussion, participants will extract actionable design principles for trustworthy, prevention-focused AI to apply in their own institutions.

Hosts:
Dr. Christine Jacob
Mrs. Larisa Aragon Castro

Breakout Session 4 – Food for Thought

returns to the mouth, revealing how micronutrients, antioxidants, and hydration strengthen the very gateway to our health. And this time, a top chef joins the conversation.

Nutrition is fundamental to healthy teeth and oral tissues. Micronutrients such as vitamin C, B‑vitamins, iron, zinc, and folate are important for periodontal integrity and wound healing, while anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods can help modulate periodontal inflammation. Overall, limiting frequent sugary/acidic intake, emphasizing nutrient‑dense, fiber‑rich foods, and ensuring adequate hydration and saliva stimulation are core dietary strategies for maintaining oral health.

Hosts:
Prof. Dr. Hannelore Daniel
Daniel Geisser (Chef)

Breakout Session 5 – Put Function First

orofacial fitness as the key to nutrition, satisfaction and quality of life.

How well can your elderly patients still masticate – and what does that mean for their health, food choice, social interaction, and everyday life? Current research shows that mastication is much more than a side effect of healthy teeth. In older people, chewing restrictions are closely related to undernutrition and malnutrition – for example, to get close to a Mediterranean diet, lower quality of life and to enjoy meals with friends and family. At the same time, it is known that the adaptive capacity of the aging brain is limited: Complex prosthetic reconstructions do not automatically lead to better function if neuroplastic reserves, motor skills and everyday resources are not taken into account.

Hosts:
Prof. Dr. Martin Schimmel
Dr. Ramona Buser (Teacher of the Year 2025, ZMK Bern)

Breakout Session 6 – Healthy Mouth – Better Business

shows how prevention is not just good medicine but good strategy — uniting professional integrity with sustainable success.

A prevention-focused oral care business can be profitable by optimizing revenue from clinical services, creating recurring turnover models, smartly leveraging auxiliary staff, and scaling innovations that serve both professional and patient needs. Dental professionals are – for instance - uniquely positioned to contribute to early detection of non‑communicable diseases by integrating saliva and other biomarker analyses into routine care.

Hosts:
Dr. Raman Preet
Dr. Marta Mazur
Dr. Giselle Richterich
Dr. Selma Dervisbegovic
Dr. Céline Lehnherr
Dr. Aleksandar Milosavljevic