Origin And History

The First International Orthodontic Congress (IOC) was held in New York in August 1926. This was the first world-wide congress held by a dental specialty. The Second International Orthodontic Congress was held in London in July 1931. The Third International Orthodontic Congress was also held in London in August 1973 under the joint sponsorship of the European Orthodontic Society and the American Association of Orthodontists. The 4th IOC was held in San Francisco in May 1995 under the sponsorship of the American Association of Orthodontists.

The Bylaws of the WORLD FEDERATION OF ORTHODONTISTS (WFO) were adopted in San Francisco during the 4th IOC. Subsequently, meetings of the WFO, including the Council of the WFO, took place in Chicago in 2000, and in Paris in 2005.  The next scheduled meeting of the WFO and the WFO Council will be in Sydney, Australia, February 6-9, 2010.

Meetings of the WFO will continue to be held every five years during the INTERNATIONAL ORTHODONTIC CONGRESS in conjunction with the host country's national association meeting. Sites for these meetings will be determined by the Executive Committee of the WFO as described in the Bylaws.