Although technological developments have made our world more connected through social media and other Internet based applications, there is still nothing which is quite like face to face contact to maintain friendships.

Unfortunately with our busy lifestyles it isn’t always possible to catch up with former classmates in the way in which we’d like.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could find a way to combine work and play? Even better, if this is a Reunion year for you, be it a 10, 20 or 25 year reunion, why not participate in a reunion to coincide with Congress?

The 34^th Australian Dental Congress, to be held from Wednesday 30^th March to Sunday 3^rd April 2011, will be the first major dental education event since the introduction of National Registration and mandatory Continuing Professional Development on the 1^st July 2010.

A maximum of 24 CPD points are achievable with full attendance at the Congress, which represents 40% of the 60 points which must be accrued over 3 years.

Located at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Congress attendees will be in easy reach of cafes, restaurants, cinemas and other entertainment in the Southbank, West End and City precincts of Brisbane.

A reunion to coincide with Congress? The Congress Secretariat at ADA Inc. can assist your alumni to coordinate a reunion. If you plan to be the coordinator, simply contact the Congress Secretariat on +61 2 9906 4412. Your information will be promoted on the Congress website, so your class members will have a reunion contact.

The rest is up to you!

Dr Lloyd Wong – Vice Chairman, Local Organising Committee

Registration for the 34th Australian Dental Congress has opened, with Early Bird extended to Monday 15 November 2010.

Online registration and a downloadable Registration form (PDF), are now available from the Registration ‘Link‘ .

The PDF form is also available from the ‘Downloads’ button.

Additional and updated Congress and industry exhibition information continues to be available progressively.

Investec Experien is supporting the 34^th Australian Dental Congress in 2011 as its Platinum Sponsor.

Their sponsorship at Congress also encompasses the planned ‘Young Dentists’ event on Thursday 31st March 2010.

Investec Experien is a specialist finance company that provides financial solutions specifically created for professionals in the medical and accounting sectors. They are a wholly owned subsidiary of Investec Bank (Australia) Limited.

The Investec Group is a dual listed international specialist banking group that provides a distinct range of products and services to a niche client base.

Closely aligned and complementary in business focus, culture, values and philosophies, Investec Experien is able to leverage off the strength and vast international experience and expertise the Investec Group has in the professional finance sector.

www.investec.com.au/professionalfinance

The scientific programme for the 2011 Australian Dental Congress is packed with diversity, and with 15 hours of lectures a day on offer, there is sure to be plenty to keep you informed and up to date.

Every day will see us start just after 8am running through to at least 5pm so there will be plenty of CPD points to be had, but also time to catch up and visit the exhibition.

Some of the scientific programme highlights will include:

Thursday

The Keynote Speakers will cover some introductory comments in the opening plenary session before Professor Lyndon Cooper examines “The three unit fixed dental prosthesis in contemporary dental practice”; Professor Adrian Lussi will cover “Modern caries diagnosis, Iatrogenic damage during tooth preparation and its prevention” and Professor Ken Hargreaves will explore “Regenerative Endodontics.” Throughout the day other lecture topics will include an introduction to digital photography, implants in the perio patient, forensic dentistry, impacted canines and endodontic irrigation to mention a few.

Friday

Again the day is structured around the keynote speakers covering “Fluoride – How does it work? The BEWE – the basic erosive wear examination”, “New Advances in Pain Control” and “Evidence based treatment of the edentulous mandible; is this the final decade?” As always the programme is structured to allow you to get to all the keynote lectures. But if that is not enough other topics on the day will include:  Sleep apnoea appliances, composite resins, sequential plastic aligners, eating disorders, common drug interactions for dentists, teeth whitening plus another 12 lectures from leading Australian based speakers.

Saturday

Another busy day which will feature panel discussions of composite rehabs and osteonecrosis. In addition there is perio systemic interactions, staff awards for pay and conditions, root caries, practical removable prosthodontics and how to get started in implants. As well as a further nine lectures, the key note speakers will tackle “Managing Endodontic Infections”, “Dental erosion – from diagnosis to therapy” and “Dental implant esthetics – when and why we fail”.

Sunday

After some summary conclusions from our keynote speakers, we will test the strength of their convictions when Prof Ian Meyers will guide them through a dental hypothetical.  The early afternoon see a few goodbyes, there is plenty of time to get back home before another busy week in your practice.

*please note: congress programme topics and scheduling – subject to change.

Dr Rod Marshall – Scientific Committee Chairperson, 34^th Australian Dental Congress

Are you are planning to attend the 2011 Australian Dental Congress in Brisbane.

Please complete the ‘Expression of Interest’ return mailer, which was included with the April 2010 ADA News Bulletin, or download the PDF it from this site, or from the main ADA Inc. website www.ada.org.au .

For the 2011 Australian Dental Congress in Brisbane Australia, we have lined up a superb array of international keynote speakers. Individually they would be an asset to any national congress, but together they provide a powerhouse of solid science with direct clinical implications that will be the foundation for a further extensive array of nationally based speakers.

The theme in 2010 is centred on the concept that to benefit from the latest treatment options and to plan for the future we need a sound footing of where we have come from. Not all old ideas are bad ideas, in fact many basic facts are still being reinterpreted and utilised in today’s and tomorrow’s technologies. Our keynote speakers Lussi, Hargreaves and Cooper all have extensive research backgrounds and yet also have wide clinical experience in taking the science to the chair side.

Prof Lyndon Cooper is the Stallings Distinguished Professor of Dentistry at the Department of Prosthodontics at the University of North Carolina. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Prosthodontics and acting Director of Graduate Prosthodontics and the director of the Bone Biology and Implant Therapy Laboratory. His laboratory primarily conducts research relating to the growth of bone tissue in conjunction with dental implants and he focuses on integrating basic and clinical research to improve patient care.  In 2009 Prof Copper was awarded the IADR’s 2009 Distinguished Scientist Award (the Nobel awards of dentistry) for Prosthodontics and Implantology.  As a practicing prosthodontist with a biology background there are few better qualified to discuss implant therapies.

Prof  Ken M. Hargreaves is Professor and Chair of Endodontics, and Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Texas Health Science Centre  San Antonio. In addition to his university work he maintains a private practice limited to Endodontics and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontists. His area of research focuses on the pharmacology of pain and inflammation.  Prof Hargraves has been awarded not one but two IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards- for pulp biology in 1999, and pharmacology, toxicology and therapeutics in 2000.  In addition to being widely published, he is also editor of the Journal of Endodontics  and co-editor of Seltzer and Bender’s Dental Pulp, and with Steve Cohen, co-editor of the classic  Pathways of the Pulp.

Prof Adrian Lussi from the University of Bern has authored and edited Dental Erosion from Diagnosis to Therapy a modern day classic in this area.  His major expertise is in the area of the multifactorial aetiology of dental erosion. Starting from the clinical appearance/manifestations of this seemingly increasing problem, Prof Lussi then moves into investigating the biological, chemical and behavioural  risk factors  including a new simple method for assessing the tooth structure (BEWE) before he covers treatment strategies. Along the way expect to cover topics such as optical/laser caries detection, ozone and fluorides as well as classic cariology.

With such a broad range of keynotes with not only research but also wet-fingered approaches there is sure to plenty to keep you informed  not to mention  the almost 50 other local speakers!

The programme has been specifically arranged to allow easy access to all the keynote addresses with no overlap.  Plan now, to join us on a journey from loss of tooth structure to peri-implant tissues and pain control via aesthetics, minimally invasive preparations, nanotechnologies and everything else in between.

Dr Rod Marshall – Scientific Committee Chairperson, 34^th Australian Dental Congress