Endodontics has progressed over the years, in technology as well as materials. Bringing together universities, students as well as disciplined leaders has driven this evolution and continues to do so. Therefore, Dentsply Sirona held an annual advisory board meeting as well as student case contests. This year’s editions were organised in conjunction with the International Federation of Endodontic Associations (IFEA) meeting.
The first week of October 2018 was marked as an important time for all dentists interested in Endodontics and Endodontists in the Asia – Pacific and around the world. The 11th edition of the IFEA World Congress opened its doors on 4th October, inviting international renowned, distinguished speakers and experts in the field to come together, share knowledge and discuss future directions in the field of Endodontics.
Profound discussions in an excellent atmosphere
In conjunction with IFEA, Dentsply Sirona held the 2018 edition of the University Endodontic Case Contest, as well as the 2nd Endodontic advisory board meeting. The annual advisory board meeting serves as a platform to exchange, discuss and identify future trends in Endodontics. This year, Dentsply Sirona was happy to welcome 19 leading experts across 11 countries to come together for a fruitful one-day meeting on topics such as technology, materials, clinical education and the future direction of the Endodontic field.
Future leads in endodontics
Dentsply Sirona Asia University Endodontic Case Contest (UECC) has been one of the key platforms in Asia to identify and engage with talented dental students as future leaders in Endodontics, and helping them to develop a professional network with their peers. The contest is open to all postgraduate (Master) students and undergraduate students with experience in handling medium-high complex endodontic cases.
The 2018 Asia Final UECC was held on 8th October, immediately following the IFEA Congress. Through individual and group case presentations, the students had the chance to present their cases to an expert judge panel under the theme of ‘Master the Root Canal’ with a focus on four main criteria: Precise diagnosis, complete treatment plan, correct instrumentation and proper post-endodontic restoration.
Each year the judging panel consists of certified Endodontists from non-competing countries, thus for the 2018 edition Dentsply Sirona was honoured to have Prof. Gary Cheung from University of Hong Kong, A/Prof. Patrick Tseng from National University of Singapore and Dr. Lara Friedlander from University of Otago (New Zealand) providing professional assessment on the individual case presentations from 8 national winners, as well as Dr. Jeffrey Chang from University of Hong Kong to lead and judge the group challenge.
In 2018, more than 200 Universities from eight countries (China, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam) participated in the local competitions, demonstrating the passion to advance Endodontics and the values of learning, sharing and striving for clinical excellence.
Taiwan wins third time 1st place in regional final third year in a row
The winners of the Asia University Endodontic case contest for 2018 are:
- First place: Dr. Chang Ching-Yi (Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan ROC)
- Second place: Dr. Kim Woo-Young (Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea)
- Third place: Dr. Vu Viet-Duc (Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam)
The first place does not only receive a prize award but also the chance to present her case during the bi-annual Asia Forum in 2019.
“I was extremely lucky to have such a great honour to participate in the Dentsply Sirona Case Contest. It was a wonderful chance to exchange our clinical experience through the case presentation with these intelligent participants from Asia. I had a great time during the event. It was a memorable experience to share cases and solve clinical questions with them. Fulfilled and satisfied, I appreciated this opportunity to meet with so many amazing people. Thank you, Dentsply Sirona.”, says Dr. Chang Ching-Yi from Taipei Medical University.
Mr. Boris Kujawa, Director Marketing Dentsply Sirona Endodontics, Ballaigues summarises the October meeting as, “Innovation and Education are the driving forces of the Maillefer brand, now part of Dentsply Sirona. We stay true to our winning formula and are convinced that Innovation and Education, more than ever will allow Endodontics to progress and maybe even reinvent itself. The Advisory Board meeting is our opportunity to connect with the best and most visionary professionals from many markets and thus ensure that our work goes in the right direction. The case contest event is the genuine expression that passion for perfection is still a key ingredient of the future generation of practioners. And it is just fun.”
The research and clinical work presented at the IFEA congress demonstrates that there are many untapped opportunities within diagnosis, pulp therapy, disinfection, and many more.
