Meeting of the Section of Defense Forces Dental Services (SDFDS)

This year the annual meeting of the Section of Defense Forces Dental Services (SDFDS), a section of the Fédération Dentaire Internationale

(FDI), took place from 01 to 04 September in San Francisco. Well prepared from the chairboard of the SDFDS under its chairman, Captain (N) Dr. Helfried Bieber, together with our American colleagues, three extraordinarily informative days waited for the more than 80 participants from 24 nations.

The already traditional get-together on Sunday evening offered the opportunity to refresh old friendships and make new ones. In addition to initial discussions about the dental care for soldiers, especially in action, our hosts were of course intensively questioned about the sights of San Francisco.

In 30 lectures almost all facets of dental care in armed forces were examined intensively from the point of view of the various nations. In addition, lectures of high scientific quality on the subject of sleep medicine, endodontics, transplantation medicine and the dental contribution to the identification of victims showed the high standard of dental care in the armed forces all over the world.

Between the two lecture days our American colleagues had planned a cultural day, which in wonderful weather brought us closer all the sights of San Francisco, explained by a very 

competent guide.

After handing over the flag of the SDFDS to the next year host country China, an exceptionally successful meeting ended on Wednesday evening with a reception by the US Dental Service, in which all US Chief Dental Officers participated.

Hopefully we all meet again next year in Shanghai, China, 29 AUG- 1 SEPT 2020

Dr. Wolfgang Barth
Rear Admiral ret.

Date: 10/04/2019

Source: Dr. Wolfgang Barth, Rear Admiral ret.