FDI 2013 Istanbul final tally: 16,197 visitors

16,197: that is the final tally of visitors attending the 2013 FDI Annual World Dental Congress (AWDC) and Exhibition, held in Istanbul (Turkey) from 28 to 31 August 2013. That makes it the biggest FDI congress for over one decade; that also makes it the largest medical congress ever held in Turkey.

The scientific programme comprised a total of 170 speakers covering all aspects of dentistry today, with an extensive schedule of lectures and interactive sessions over the four-day period. It also featured well over 800 poster presentations, of which 15 were moderated poster sessions, and an additional 347 oral presentations.

The congress exhibition was also one of the most extensive in recent times, with over 6,000 square metres allocated.

Astonishing
"These are truly astonishing results for an exceptional FDI Annual World Dental Congress," said FDI President Dr Tin Chun Wong. "They demonstrate without any doubt that FDI is the key player in dentistry on a global level and the voice of dentists worldwide. Thanks once again to our hosts the Turkish Dental Association (TDA) for all the time, effort and commitment in organizing such a successful event."

"We are very happy with the results of the 101st FDI Annual World Dental Congress in Istanbul," added TDA President Prof Taner Yucel. "It has been an exciting time since we first launched the event back in April 2012. FDI 2103 Istanbul was good for international dentistry, provided a huge boost to Turkey's already-successful congress sector... and was excellent for TDA and its members throughout the country!"

Public health issues
The 2013 AWDC covered a number of important public health policy issues, notably the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and oral health within the context of the United Nations initiative on noncommunicable diseases.

The Minamata Convention, to be signed in Minamata, Japan, in October of this year, is set to regulate the mining, use and trade of mercury. Mercury is a key component of dental amalgam and two congress sessions investigated the likely impact of the Convention on the dental profession.

The post-Minamata world
The first of these was the Symposium of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) ('the Future of Dental Materials for Direct Restoration in a Post Minamata Convention World').

The subject came under discussion a second time at a World Oral Health Forum entitled 'How might the Minamata Convention on Mercury Change Dentistry. Panellists were from FDI, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), IADR, the US-based waste management company DRNA and International Dental Manufacturers (IDM).

Active in NCDs
FDI has been an active participant in high-level NCD discussions and, working with national governments and partners from the dental sector, it helped ensure that oral health remained on the international NCD agenda.

The congress' second World Oral Health Forum took up the theme again under the title: 'Addressing Oral Health into the Global Noncommunicable Diseases Initiative: A focus on the opportunities provides by such integration at regional and country level.

Traditional sessions
The congress also featured traditional sessions including the FDI World Military Dental Congress; the Women Dentists Worldwide Forum (with a focus on the 'Multiple Perspectives related to Different Dependence'); the Young Dentists Worldwide Forum; and a Forum on Preventive Dentistry focussing on problems and solutions from a Central/Eastern European perspective.

About FDI
FDI World Dental Federation serves as the principal representative body for over one million dentists worldwide. Its membership includes approximately 200 national member associations and specialist groups from well over 130 countries. The FDI Annual World Dental Congress, held every year in different locations around the world, provides a unique opportunity for professionals and all other sectors related to oral healthcare to meet and learn from one another. FDI's vision: 'leading the world to optimal oral health'.