Dankeschön Potsdam!

April 30, 2013

Following what happened last year, FDI Mid Year Council and Chairs of Committees Meetings took place out of Genève. If last year the city chosen was Lisbon, this year was Potsdam, in Germany. ERO (European Regional Organisation of the World Dental Federation) plenary session was held immediately after.

 The council visited the Cecilienhof Palace.

The council visited the Cecilienhof Palace.

Wikipedia: “Schloss Cecilienhof is a palace in the northern part of the Neuer Garten park in Potsdam, Germany, close to the Jungfernsee lake. It has been part of the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.

Cecilienhof was the last palace built by the Hohenzollern family. Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany had it erected for his son, Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, and the crown prince’s wife Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The house was designed by Paul Schultze-Naumburg to look like an English Tudor country house[1] and was built between 1914 and 1917. The interior was furnished according to plans by Paul Troost, who originally had designed steamship décors.

The brick and oak timberframe building, including six courtyards and 55 carved brick chimney tops, should have been completed in 1915, but construction was delayed due to the outbreak of World War I and Crown Prince Wilhelm and Cecilie could not move in until August 1917. Wilhelm followed his father into exile one year later, while Cecilie stayed at the palace until she fled from the approaching Red Army in February 1945.
Cecilienhof was the location of the Potsdam Conference between 17 July and 2 August 1945. The rooms had been largely refurnished to match the taste of the participants. Winston Churchill, later Clement Attlee, Joseph Stalin and Harry S. Truman met at the round table in the great hall. On 26 July 1945, Churchill and Truman issued the Potsdam Declaration defining the terms for Japanese surrender, while Truman had already given order to prepare the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Today Cecilienhof is a museum as well as a hotel. Queen Elizabeth II visited Cecilienhof on 3 November 2004. On 30 May 2007, the palace was used for the G8 foreign ministers summit.”

A picture of Potsdam Conference room. In 1945 and today.

A picture of Potsdam Conference room. In 1945 and today.

It was, once again, a fruitful council meeting as well as the committees meetings. Thanks to all colleagues that gave some of their time and knowledge to this common aim that links us all: the future of dental medicine and Oral Health worldwide.

Council meeting.

Council meeting.

Emmanuel Chevron (associate director for Business Development & Corporate Relations), Jean-Luc Eiselé (FDI executive director) and Jaime Edelson (FDI councillor).

Emmanuel Chevron (associate director for Business Development & Corporate Relations), Jean-Luc Eiselé (FDI executive director) and Jaime Edelson (FDI councillor).

Djerdana Ivosevic, FDI associate director for governance.

Djerdana Ivosevic, FDI associate director for governance.

Kathryn Kell, FDI treasure, speaking.

Kathryn Kell, FDI treasure, speaking.

Gerhard Seeberger, FDI councillor.

Gerhard Seeberger, FDI councillor.

ERO General Assembly.

ERO General Assembly.

Phillippe Rusca, new ERO president, and Anna Lella, president-elect.

Phillippe Rusca, new ERO president, and Anna Lella, president-elect.

Peter Engel, president of the German Dental Association BZÄK.

Peter Engel, president of the German Dental Association BZÄK. A special recognition to the BZAK, and Peter Engel for all the collaboration!

Kutschstall Ensemble.

Kutschstall Ensemble. Already the great Elector Friedrich Wilhelm had a riding stable built in 1671, not far from his residence situated at the old market, which 1878 resulted into the so-called “Kutschstallkomplex“ under Friedrich II.

Kathryn Kell, Phillipe Rusca and Kim Chuan How.

Kathryn Kell, Phillipe Rusca and Kim Chuan How.

Gerhard Seeberger, ERO former president, and Phillippe Rusca, current president.

Gerhard Seeberger, ERO former president, and Phillippe Rusca, current president.

Musical momment with "Marlene Dietrich" imitator.

Musical momment with “Marlene Dietrich” imitator.

At the Jungfernsee lake. I can not miss the opportunity to try to keep in shape...

At the Jungfernsee lake. I can not miss the opportunity to try to keep in shape…


FDI and Unilever – Towards a sustainable improvement of oral health

April 26, 2013

unilever-chart-contextUnder the invitation of Paul Polman, Unilever CEO, I participated at a roundtable event in London to discuss the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan.

The roundtable focused on five themes: Sustainable Business Models, Improving Livelihoods, Health and Hygiene, Sustainable Sourcing and Sustainable Consumption & Marketing.

I joined the discussion on Health & Wellbeing hosted by Dave Lewis, President Personal Care. I was asked to share my views in three key areas:

  1. How do we accelerate progress on affordable public health interventions to reduce levels of diarrhea and malnutrition, and to increase access to basic sanitation and safe drinking water?
  2. We all feel businesses, NGOs and governments should be working together to deliver greater scale impact. Yet successful examples are not as numerous as you might expect. Why is this? What is holding us back?
  3. Given Unilever’s footprint in certain geographies, are there other areas of public health concern where you believe we have the opportunity to make a positive impact?

It was a challenging to accept this invitation which I enjoyed very much. I hope that my inputs to the discussion will help Unilever to make progress towards becoming a sustainable business.

From the Unilever report:

“We continue to work in a global partnership with the FDI World Dental Federation. In 2012, 28 local oral health promotion projects with national dental associations focused on communicating the importance of twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste through dental practices, schools, hospitals and communities across 25 countries. We are evaluating the impact on over 28,000 people involved in these programmes around the world. A new campaign in 2013 is designed to address parents as the primary target to encourage behaviour change.”

450px-unilever-report-cover

I would like to thank Marie-Anne Aymerich (Unilever senior vice president for oral care) and Analia Mendez (Unilever global director of health programmes and partnerships for oral care and household care categories), and Unilever team with whom we had several meetings and a farewell dinner with a view (below) to the Unilever headoffice in London.

unilever-headoffice-london


Congratulations to GC Brussels/Leuven

March 12, 2013

Excerpt from my address at GC Corporation Brussels administrative building inauguration: “GC is the 18th company in the world to have achieved the Japan Quality Medal – and we all know that such an accolade is the pinnacle of quality control. You also comply with all the relevant ISO standards, notably the 14,000 series on environmental management”. “We all know as dentists notable materials such as Fuji and Equia”.

Inauguration of new GC administrative building, in Brussels/ Leuven. From left to right, Eckhard Maedel (President GC-Europe), Kris Peeters (Flemish Minister-President), Makoto Nakao (CEO GC Corporation) and myself.

Inauguration of new GC administrative building, in Brussels/ Leuven. From left to right, Eckhard Maedel (President GC-Europe), Kris Peeters (Flemish Minister-President), Makoto Nakao (CEO GC Corporation) and myself.

20130310-gc-event-brussel-002

With Makoto Nakao.

20130310-gc-event-brussel-003

Group photo.

20130310-gc-event-brussel-004

Guest speaker Peter Cochrane: A brilliant presentation “The Future of Technology”.


Turning Vision 2020 into an action plan – Chicago/ADA

February 23, 2013

The taskforce Vision 2020 met in Chicago at the American Dental Association (ADA) headoffice.

20130221-chicago-midwinter-meeting-006

20130221-chicago-midwinter-meeting-016

We thank the ADA for all the collaboration and support.

From the FDI – World Dental Federation, the participants were Orlando Monteiro da Silva (president), Kathryn Kell (treasurer), Patrick Hescot (concilor), Gerhard Seeberger (councilor), Jean-Luc Eiselé (executive director) and Emmanuel Chevron (associate director). From the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), were Michael Glick and David Williams (IADR).

And industry partners: Christian Brutzer (Ivoclar), Gerard Meuchner (Henry Schein), Robert Labella (Johnson&Johnson), Mike Butler (Colgate), Analia Mendez (Unilever), Mayumi Kaneda (Sunstar), Friedrich A. Herbst (IDM).

This was a great opportunity to share ideas and suggestions for an operationalisation of Vision 2020 in the months and years to come.

20130220-chicago-midwinter-meeting-001

At the Chicago’s Millennium Park, with “The Bean” behind


أشكرك أيتها المملكة العربية السعودية ، القصيم. Thank you Saudi Arabia!

February 15, 2013

The city of Buraidah has always had the honor to host the event. This year, the fifth Dental students scientific meeting (5th DSSM) was held at the King Khalid Cultural Center.

m01-webimg1900px-20120213-saudi-arabia-fdi-017

As guest speaker, I had the pleasure to present to a vast audience the FDI Vision 2020, shaping the future of oral health. Afterwards I responded to several questions placed by the students.

m02-582772_424988630910587_1677293214_n

Receiving, on behalf of the FDI, an recognition award under the auspices of honor if his Royal Highnness, Prince Dr. Faisal Bin Meshal Al Saud, also vice Governor of Qassim Province.

m-webimg1900px-20130212-saudi-arabia-fdi-023

Thanking on behalf of the FDI.

m03-webimg1900px-20120213-saudi-arabia-fdi-020

With Mohammed Almohaimeed, dean of the College of Dentistry Qassim University.

m-20130214-saudi-arabia-fdi-154

With Yousef Al-Khodair, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia National Board Health Affairs.

m05-webimg1900px-20130212-saudi-arabia-fdi-019

During a scientific session.

m06-webimg1900px-20130212-saudi-arabia-fdi-022

Addressing the audience about the FDI role on “Leading the world to optimal oral health”.

m07-webimg1900px-20120213-saudi-arabia-fdi-018

Omar Al Abood, a saudi dental student, translating an interview for a nation tv channel.

m08-webimg1900px-20130212-saudi-arabia-fdi-021

Students at the dental exhibition.

m09-webimg1900px-20130212-saudi-arabia-fdi-001

Tower City Buraidah. Buraidah is the capital of Al-Qassim Province in northcentral Saudi Arabia in the heart of the Arabian peninsula. Buraidah lies equidistant from the Red Sea to the west and the Gulf to the east. It has a population of 609,000 (2010 census).

m10-webimg1900px-20130212-saudi-arabia-fdi-004

Informal meeting with several dental students associations from Saudi Arabia.

m12-webimg1900px-20130213-saudi-arabia-fdi-026

Irina F. Dragan, teaching assistant at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.

m13-webimg1900px-20130214-saudi-arabia-fdi-025

Pavel Scarlet, president of the International Association of Dental Students (IADS).

m15-webimg1900px-20130213-saudi-arabia-fdi-008

Giving the FDI Oral Health Atlas to Sulaiman Saleh Al Reshaid, president of congress board of directors.

m16-webimg1900px-20130213-saudi-arabia-fdi-009

In the desert with the dental students.

m17-webimg1900px-20130213-saudi-arabia-fdi-010

Sunset in the desert.

m18-webimg1900px-20130213-saudi-arabia-fdi-011

Having tea in a tent in the desert.

m20-webimg1900px-20130214-saudi-arabia-fdi-013

After a meeting about the Saudi Arabi oral health strategy. With Hassan S. Halawany (left) and Solaiman M. Al-Hadlaq (right), both experts in health management and policy, from the King Saud University, Riyadh.

m21-webimg1900px-20130214-saudi-arabia-fdi-014

Night in the desert.

m22-webimg1900px-20130214-saudi-arabia-fdi-015

Thank you Buraidah!


Prevention: the best option in times of austerity

January 31, 2013

Live.Learn.Laugh is being implemented in 29 countries in one of four formats, selected according to local needs. There are currently two projects underway in Greece, both targeting pre-school children.

webimg450px-20130129-llc-fdi-athens

Prevention is at the heart of both projects: “Twice daily brushing with a fluoride toothpaste” to improve oral health.

Part of my presentation in Athens, the 29 last January:

…”We are holding this workshop in Athens at a time of ‘austerity’. As a dental practitioner in Portugal, I, like my colleagues in Ireland, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, and others am acutely aware of the impact of cutbacks in government spending on health services in general and, in particular, what is (wrongly) perceived as non-urgent or to-be-postponed care, for example oral health care.

In the face of this, the best option is: prevention. Much of what is termed ‘prevention’ focuses on individual behaviour. For more than a year now, FDI, in cooperation with four other medical associations comprising physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists and nurses, has been targeting individual behaviour in the prevention of noncommunicable diseases”…


FDI Congress at the NY Times Global Edition

December 31, 2012

istanbul2013Dear Colleagues and Friends of the FDI and of the global health community, we successfully held our 100th Congress this year in Hong Kong. I wish you a happy 2013 and all the best for the FDI. See you in Istambul, for the Centenary +1 FDI Anual World Dental Congress.

hkadvantage-nytimes(click the image to open full size)