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World’s cultures coalesce in celebration of the specialty of orthodontics     

 
The 6th International Orthodontic Congress (IOC) and the 3rd Meeting of the WFO brought together thousands of orthodontists and orthodontic assistants to celebrate the specialty of orthodontics and its many contributions to the dental health of the world’s population.

            With an overall attendance of 8,313, the 6th IOC exceeded the planning committee’s expectations. More than 3,800 doctors, 1,292 students and 908 orthodontic assistants from 101 countries journeyed to Paris, France, September 10-14, 2005, to share ideas, study research and shop for the latest orthodontic equipment from nearly 100 international vendors.

            Several years ago, the WFO-affiliate French organizations —  the Société Française d’Orthopédie Dento-Faciale (SFODF) and the Syndicat des Spécialistes Français en Orthopédie Dento-Faciale (SSFODF) — announced their desire to host the 6th IOC. After the WFO Executive Committee chose Paris as the site of the congress, the French organizations selected Dr. Olivier Mauchamp to preside over the planning and the Comité d’Organisation du Congrés International d’Orthodontie. Dr. Mauchamp, the French organizations and a coalition of European orthodontic organizations then worked together to make their dream a reality.

            “Seven years ago, we had a vision of what the 6th IOC would be,” Dr. Mauchamp said. “We knew French orthodontists and their societies would eagerly give a warm welcome to their colleagues from all parts of the world. We dreamed that the other European societies would join us in this organization to make it a strong European event, and, indeed, Europe was there from north to south and east to west. We also hoped that the most talented speakers would actively participate in this congress and come from all parts of the world. Our vision came true, and our dream became a reality!”

Doctors’ Program

Dr. Mauchamp selected Prof. Francesca A. Miotti and Dr. Alain Fontenelle to chair the scientific presentations of the 6th IOC. When Dr. Fontenelle died in 2003, Prof. Miotti completely took over and encouraged her planning committee to continue its work. In the end, the 6th IOC scientific program featured more than 300 lecturers who discussed research and the practice of orthodontics. The response to all these lectures was enthusiastic. To accommodate the number of attendees at some of the lectures, the planning committee secured overflow rooms in which the orthodontists and orthodontic assistants could view the lectures via a monitor. In addition, orthodontists submitted 600 scientific poster presentations.

            On the final day of the congress, nine European orthodontic organizations participated in the European Village. This unique forum allowed the organizations to hold their annual meetings. All attendees were welcome to attend the various conferences, which featured 90 different lectures and discussions.

Orthodontic Team Program   

   
Orthodontic assistants were well represented at the 6th IOC and attended the Orthodontic Team Program, which was organized by Claude Bourdillat-Mikol and Janet Robins. The 1st Assistants’ International Competition was a highlight of this program. On September 13, eight orthodontic assistants from around the world participated in the competition. Each orthodontic assistant gave a 10-minute presentation on an orthodontic topic. More than 1,000 people attended the competition.

            Nina White of the United Kingdom received first place and 500 euros. Donna Hannel of the United States and Claire Keyes of Ireland tied for second place and each received 300 euros. Christelle Wastraete of France placed third and won 210 euros.