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250 firms at dental conference

DUBAI - Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Deputy Ruler, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry and Chairman of the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms), yesterday inaugurated the UAE International Dental Conference and Arab Dental Exhibition (AEEDC) 2003, at hall No. 8 of the Dubai International Exhibition Centre (DIEC).

Speaking to reporters after touring the exhibition, Shaikh Hamdan said that attendance at the AEEDC this year was bigger than last year with a marked 20 per cent increase in floor space for the exhibition. He said the recent scare surrounding Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) had not affected attendance at the AEEDC 2003.

"One suspected case of SARS - an American man - was discovered 10 days ago. He was taken in for tests, but he was later given a clean chit and his symptoms pointed to the common flu. We have taken all necessary precautions together with the Ministry of Health and I assure you there are no SARS cases in the UAE," Shaikh Hamdan told reporters yesterday.

Shaikh Hamdan was accompanied on his tour of various exhibition stalls by Hamad Abdel Rahman Al Midfa, the UAE Health Minister, and Qadi Saeed Al Mrooshid, Director-General of the Dohms.

Around 250 companies are taking part in the Arab Dental Exhibition, being held alongside the conference. Participating companies from 22 countries are represented at the exhibition.

Among the countries represented are: Germany, USA, Italy, Spain, Sweden, UK, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, France, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Austria, Liechtenstein, Jordan, India, Pakistan, South Korea and Japan.

Ten thousand visitors are expected to attend the AEEDC 2003, while the scientific programme of the UAE International Dental Conference boasts of 38 lectures that will cover latest developments in dentistry and dental surgery around the world.

Detlef Moore, Executive Director of the International Association for Orthodontics (IAO), delivered a lecture on the first day of the conference, outlining the role and mission of the IAO, the world's oldest and largest non-speciality orthodontic organisation. The IAO has over 3,500 members in 36 countries.

Mr Moore introduced participants to opportunities for international professional recognition through the IAO's Tier Advancement System. He further outlined several membership benefits available through the IAO, including the quarterly peer-reviewed International Journal of Orthodontics.

Dr Fredric Bohin from France, in his presentation, outlined the results of a two-year study in the USA, on the safety and efficacy of a local anaesthetic used in dentistry, called 'Articaine', which was first synthesised in 1969 and introduced on the German market in 1975.

He said Articaine provided better diffusion through hard and soft tissue and faster onset of analgesia than other local anesthetics. It is bio-transformed, both in plasma and by the liver, which explained better tolerance reported by clinical studies conducted around the world.

The new anaesthetic was introduced in the USA after five years of research, followed by two double blind controlled clinical trials which involved more than 1,300 patients.

Professor Goran Koch, former president of Swedish Dental Association and editor of the Swedish Dental Journal, yesterday delivered a lecture on diagnosis and treatment of oral pathological conditions in the young.

The most common conditions such as lesions of the oral mucosa, bone lesions, cysts and tumour-like lesions were discussed during his lectures.

Prof. Koch also delivered a lecture yesterday on traumatic injuries to young dentition, in which he stressed that correct clinical management of these injuries was of vital importance for the survival of the damaged tooth. He presented guidelines for clinical examination, diagnosis of injuries, immediate (acute) treatment, follow-up and expected long term prognosis.

Other lectures presented yesterday included one by Dr Fred Bergmann from Germany on perfect aesthetic results in implantology predictability, simplicity and team approach.

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