My name is Marco Antonio Alarcon Palacios, and I am a Master and Specialist in Periodontics, a proud graduate from the prestigious Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) in Lima, Peru in 2000. From the very start of my career, I discovered a passion for Periodontics, as this field allows you to improve overall health and aesthetics, offering a rewarding opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of patients.
Upon completion of my master’s degree at UPCH, the need to learn and pursue a practice based on evidence-based dentistry skyrocketed. This thirst for learning led me to seek intensive training at internationally renowned institutions such as the International Team for Implantology (Boston, 2011) and the Osteology Foundation (Lucerne, 2012). Armed with this cutting-edge experience, I decided to revolutionize Periodontics and Oral Implantology in my country by introducing innovative research courses.
In 2013, we held the first “Evidence-Based Periodontics and Oral Implantology” congress, with inspiring international speakers who motivated our students to deepen their research and share the results of their studies. The result has been extraordinary! Since then, our UPCH group has published around 20 indexed articles on Web of Science, a testament to our commitment to advancing knowledge not only within our university but throughout Peru. In fact, we are extremely proud to be the third country in Latin America in published articles, according to the latest Scimago ranking.
Together with our exceptional research team, we have achieved not one but two remarkable scientific products, aimed at improving the health of our population. First, we developed the “Periodontics Clinical Practice Guide” in collaboration with the Peruvian Ministry of Health, providing guidelines for the treatment of periodontitis and gingivitis in the Peruvian population. Later, that same year, we presented the book entitled “Management of Peri-implant Pathologies”, focused on meeting the needs of patients with edentulism, who require dental implants. This publication was awarded the “Hipolito Unanue” prize, the highest scientific recognition in oral health in Peru.
Last year marked an exciting new chapter in my career when I assumed the position of President of the Peruvian Association of Periodontics and Osseointegration. My mission is to advocate for oral health through gum health care and bring the latest in periodontics to the entire country through the prevention, promotion, and treatment of periodontal diseases – disorders that significantly affect the quality of life of countless people. Today, I am also pleased to contribute my expertise to the Timothy A. DeRouen Center for Global Oral Health at the University of Washington.