Message from the EAO Board of Directors,
August 20th, 2020
It is with deep sadness that the EAO has to announce that two well-known and merited members of the dental implant community have recently passed away.
Karl Ludwig Ackermann
Karl Ludwig Ackermann died on July 31st, 2020 from a heart attack while he was about to leave his office. Karl Ludwig “Acki” Ackermann was one of the pioneers of implant dentistry in Germany and worldwide. Together with his partner Axel Kirsch, they developed the IMZ implant and later on the Camlog System. Acki has been an outstanding person in our community and in dentistry in general. He received his surgical training at the university of Mainz before moving into private practice. As a private practitioner, he maintained a true connection with the scientific side of the profession. He served in many national professional organisation and he has literally lived for his clinical work as well as for teaching and education in implant dentistry. The number of lectures, courses and seminars he gave is almost uncountable. As a “wet finger dentist” in the best meaning of the word, he always convinced his audience not only by his authentic clinical expertise but also by his science based approach thereby bridging the gap between science and clinical practice.
Dieter Weingart
Dieter Weingart passed away on August 13th after a short fight against pancreatic cancer. Professor Weingart has been Head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Katharinen-Hospital in Stuttgart since 1996. He was one of the leaders in implant dentistry in Europe and has served in many professional associations with different roles. He was President of ITI in the years 2005-9 and was ITI Honorary Fellow since 2012. He studied in Tubingen and Freiburg and worked in his early career in the Department of Prof. W. Schilli. Besides being involved in major maxillofacial surgery, he was a great implant surgeon and contributed with great enthusiasm to the development of implant dentistry in the early nineties. Dieter was a true gentleman, a devoted husband and a beloved father. Whatever he did, he did it with enthusiasm and politeness. Apart from his family, that was for sure his greatest passion, Dieter loved his vineyard and his wine and, living in Stuttgart, sport cars.
The Board of Directors extends their deepest sympathy and commemorates Karl Ludwig Ackermann and Dieter Weingart in honouring their outstanding contributions. They will be sincerely missed not only by their families and friends.