Association for Dental Education in Europe

Learning together to improve oral health and quality of life

PaFein+: A Holistic Educational Model for Pain- and Anxiety-Free Dental Care in Children

Thursday, 27th August 2026 - 14:00 to 15:30
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Timezone: 

UTC +1

Duration: 

90 Minute

Venue: 

EOK: György Békésy Lecture Hall

Session type: 
Type 4: Organised, planned and delivered by an external group without input from ADEE
Session synopsis: 

PaFein+ (Pain-Free Dentistry for Children) is an Erasmus+ supported cooperation partnerships in higher education project, aimed at developing undergraduate and postgraduate dental curricula with institutions from Turkey, Romania, and Italy.

It integrates behavioural guidance, minimally invasive dentistry (MID), and pain-free local anaesthesia to manage dental anxiety, caries, and pain in children, while also promoting environmentally responsible dental care through reduced reliance on nitrous oxide and general anaesthetic gases.

This 90-minute in-person session presents the PaFein+ educational model through four thematically linked components. The session introduces the project’s aims, methods, and pedagogical structure, followed by evidence-based modules focusing on behavioural guidance, MID, and pain-free injection techniques. Each component combines findings from randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses, learning outcomes, including pre- and post-training survey data assessing knowledge, attitude and skills.

The session demonstrates how a holistic, biologically respectful and child-centred educational approach can reduce pain, anxiety, avoidance behaviours, and environmental burden while enhancing learner competence.

Programme: 
14:00 Introduction to the PaFein+ Project 
14:20 Session 1 – Behavioural Guidance: Anxiety–Pain Relationship 
14:40 Session 2 – Minimally Invasive Dentistry as a Child-friendly, Biological Approach
15:05 Session 3 – Pain-Free Dental Injection Techniques & Final Remarks
15:30 Discussion and close 
Chair: 

Betül Kargül

PaFein+ Project Coordinator
Marmara University and Queen Mary University

Prof Dr B. Kargul graduated from Marmara University, Faculty of Dentistry in 1986 and started to study as a PhD student in 1987. She has been lecturing and directing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Her research expertise is epidemiology, caries research in children, preventive dentistry, dental materials and minimally invasive dentistry.

She has published more than 100 refereed papers and has more than 200 presentation in the international congresses. She has awarded a scholarship to support study project from Austrian Academic Exchange Service, Department of Development Cooperation in 1999. In 2007 awarded a scholarship from TC White Visiting Scholarship, Royal Collage of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, UK. She has a expertise in co-ordinating and chairing meetings with partners of multidisciplinary background. She has been active in the field of Pediatric Dentistry. She was a councillor in European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry(EAPD)(2002-2012). List of her publications can be found in https://avesis.marmara.edu.tr/bkargul/publications.

Speakers: 

Arina Vinereanu

PaFein+ Project Partner
President of Romanian Association of Pediatric Dentists (ANSPR)

Dr. Arina Vinereanu, DDS, PhD has attended courses in

  • formation in dental hypnosis “Hypnoteeth”, Paris, France (2012-2013), by Association Francophone d’Hypnose Dentaire.
  • Nitrous sedation in modern dentistry – formation course by Natalie Murphy, Dental Sedation Teachers group UK. Bucharest (19.11.2011)
  • Postgraduate Formation in nitrous sedation – Bucharest, 2022-2023
  • “Teaching the teachers”- Foundation Course in Medical Education – Bristol, UK (14-25.07.1997).

She coordinated Erasmus+ 2019-1-RO01-KA202-063820 Oral Special Care Academic Resources (OSCAR) project in 2019. List of her publications can be found in

https://scholar.google.com/scholar? hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Arina+Vinereanu&btnG= https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9745-1315

Sertaç Peker

PaFein+ Key Person
Marmara University

Prof. Peker is a full professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Marmara University Faculty of Dentistry, Istanbul, Turkey. He graduated from Marmara University Faculty of Dentistry in 1999 and completed his PhD in Pediatric Dentistry in 2007. He has been a member of the academic staff at Marmara University since 2000 and has progressed through all academic ranks to full professorship. In addition to his academic career, he has undertaken administrative responsibilities within the faculty, including serving as Vice Dean between 2010 and 2014.

Prof. Dr. Peker’s academic interests focus on pediatric dentistry, preventive and minimally invasive approaches, pain control and anesthesia in children, laser applications, and oral health–related quality of life in pediatric populations. He has authored and co-authored a substantial number of national and international scientific publications indexed in major databases and has actively contributed to scientific meetings and professional organizations. Alongside his academic work, he has also been involved in professional activities within the Istanbul Chamber of Dentists, contributing to the development and organization of pediatric dentistry–related professional practices and initiatives. List of his publications can be found in https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dgMnR5UAAAAJ&hl=tr

Özgür Önder Kuşcu

PaFein+ Project Partner
Istanbul Kent University

Prof.Kuscu started his doctoral studies in Pediatric Dentistry (Pedodontics) in February 2000. In line with the subject of his doctoral study, he pursued his studies and gave lectures on dental anxiety-pain management and pain-free dental injection techniques in children. He is dedicated to eliminate the fear of dental treatment observed in children with the help of Behavioral Guidance Techniques. Between 2007 and 2013, he worked as a faculty member at Yeditepe Faculty of Dentistry and received the title of Associate Professor in 2013. Since 2018 he has been working in Istanbul Kent University and received the title of Professor in 2020. In 2019, 2020, 2024 and 2025 he was awarded for his research studies by ADEE - Association for Dental Education in Europe and EAPD-European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry and IAPD -International Association for Pediatric Dentistry. List of his publications can be found in https://scholar.google.com.tr/citations?user=2Wz2UigAAAAJ&hl=tr

Learning Outcomes: 

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. Outline the PaFein+ educational framework and recognize its main evidence-based components aimed at pain- and anxiety-free paediatric dental care.
  2. Identify the key domains of behavioural guidance, minimally invasive dentistry, and pain-free anaesthesia, and understand their role within undergraduate and postgraduate dental curricula and clinical training programmes.
  3. Recognize how educational impact in PaFein+ is evaluated, including the use of pre- and post-training outcomes related to knowledge, attitudes, and clinical practices.
Call for Abstracts: 

Now open via the meeting abstract system. For more information visit the call for abstracts page. 

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