International Research Award in Dentistry goes to Heidelberg Institute of Global Health
A great honor for Professor Dr. Dr. Stefan Listl from the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University: The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) honored him at its annual meeting with the prestigious Distinguished Scientist Award in the field of social science, epidemiology, and health services research. This award is one of the most important scientific honors in dentistry and the highest award given by the IADR. It honors the scientist’s entire body of work.
Stefan Listl, Professor of Translational Health Economics in Dentistry at the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and Head of the Oral Health Section at the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), received the award for his outstanding scientific achievements.
Listl is both a trained dentist and an economist. He is widely recognized as a leading researcher in the fields of health economics, public health, and dental care research. Listl has received funding for his extensive research from the European Union, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Innovation Committee of the Joint Federal Committee (G-BA), among others. Listl is currently coordinating two European Union-funded research projects to promote quality and cost-effectiveness in dental care, as well as a project funded by the G-BA Innovation Fund on integrated care for diabetes and periodontitis.
Listl was a member of the steering committee for the latest World Health Organization (WHO) report on the status of oral health. He has also contributed extensively to reports by the World Dental Federation (FDI) and the World Economic Forum. Listl is a member of the WHO Working Group on Prioritizing Efficient Interventions for Oral Health and two Lancet commissions focusing on oral health and the European Health Union.
Focus on quality and cost-effectiveness
The research work of Listl and his team combines the promotion of quality and cost-effectiveness in dental care as an integral part of the healthcare system. He was the first to publish a highly acclaimed assessment* of the global costs of caries, periodontitis, and tooth loss. According to the latest update of these estimates, the annual costs of dental care and productivity losses due to dental disease amounted to approximately €640 billion. In the EU, the cost of care for oral, dental, and maxillofacial diseases ranks third behind cardiovascular disease and diabetes. These data have been included in the latest World Health Organization (WHO) report on the state of global oral health and in a corresponding WHO action plan.
Listl and his team aim to contribute to the sustainable promotion of quality and cost-effectiveness in dentistry through their research projects. The EU project “DELIVER” (Deliberative Improvement of Oral Care Quality) is developing innovative concepts to promote a participatory culture of error management. The EU project “PRUDENT” (Prioritization, Incentives and Resource Use for Sustainable Dentistry) is dedicated to optimizing financial incentives for dental care. The project “DigIn2Perio,” funded by the G-BA Innovation Fund (Digital Integrated Care for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Periodontitis) is investigating how care processes for the treatment of diabetes and periodontitis can be better coordinated in general practices and dental practices. The two diseases can reinforce each other. This vicious circle is to be broken by optimizing early detection so that treatment can be started at an earlier stage.
The IADR “Distinguished Scientist Award” is presented annually to outstanding scientists and is considered the highest scientific award in dentistry. The IADR is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing dental, oral, and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide.
* Jevdjevic M, Listl S. Global, Regional, and Country-Level Economic Impacts of Oral Conditions in 2019. Journal of Dental Research. 2024;104(1):17-21. doi:10.1177/00220345241281698
