The highest award conferred by the IADR for practice-based research, it was awarded to Igor in recognition of his distinguished contributions to the field, particularly the national and international importance of his translation of practice-based research findings into clinical recommendations.
The annual award is named in honour of the late president of the IADR, the Norwegian dentist Ivar Mjör, who was a world-renowned researcher and one of the most eminent champions of practice-based dental research.
A professor of primary care dentistry and advanced general dental practice at King’s College London, and a consultant and specialist in restorative dentistry, Igor is only the second UK-based recipient of the Ivar Mjör Award.
His impactful publications on the management of failing dental restorations, the reasons for the placement and replacement of direct restorations, and the longevity of posterior composite restorations placed in practice-based settings were among those considered by the selection committee.
Igor coined the term ‘reparative dentistry’, and the citation also noted that his contribution to the development, teaching and promotion of the repair of failing yet serviceable dental restorations, as a minimally invasive alternative to replacement, has paved the way for it to become an internationally acknowledged and recognised treatment approach.
Another example of his influence is his 2002 standardised diagnostic description criteria for dry socket (alveolar osteitis). ‘Blum’s definition’, which is widely referenced in textbooks and presentations and has become the most used definition for dry socket worldwide, has been cited in over 750 journal papers to date.
Igor was also nominated in recognition of his promotion of practice-based clinical, educational and research articles through the Primary Dental Journal, in combination with its increased international profile during his tenure as editor.
The Primary Dental Journal, a peer-reviewed professional development journal uniquely dedicated to primary dental care, is distributed in print quarterly to the College of General Dentistry’s UK and international members and subscribers. It is also made available online in over 10,500 academic institutions worldwide.