EDSA Magazine Autumn 2009

EDSA

World Trends Denticap - A New Approach To Dental Problems

EDSA Interview Chris Barrow: Director Of Integrated Dental Holdings - IDH

45th EDSA Meeting And 8th EDSA Congress 7th - 14th March 2010 Bucharest

PHOTO: Dental Students - School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb

Magazine Autumn 09

Editorial Magazine Co-editors:

Maja Sabalić majasabalic@yahoo.com School of Dental Medicine University of Zagreb Croatia

Plamen Nenkov plamenmn@abv.bg Faculty of Dental Medicine Medical University Varna, Bulgaria

I would like to take this opportunity to mention the upcoming 45th EDSA Meeting & 8th EDSA Congress in Bucharest, March 2010. This is a great opportunity for students to share their scientific work and experiences with colleagues from all over Europe. If however your school isn’t part of the EDSA, the invitation is open to you to attend and potentially become part of our EDSA family.

On a final note, I would like to thank EDSA Magazine Coeditors for their continued hard work over the last couple of years. However, it is now time for a change as this is my last edition as the editor. I have no doubt the magazine will continue to develop with new ideas and energy from future editors and their team.

During my years as editor, I have learnt how to work in a team and respect those I work with. I have met fantastic people, made strong friendships and enjoyed every single minute that I have dedicated to this project. I would like to thank Maja, Andrew and Plamen for being an integral part of the magazine. This issue shows a pure reflection of our great team work and understanding of one another.

Good luck in the future, you have my unconditional support!

Andrew Sullivan sullivana@cardiff.ac.uk Dental Faculty, University of Cardiff Wales, U.K.

“Time for changes...”

Dear EDSA friends and colleagues,

Hope you enjoy the read!

Best regards, Marija Begovic

Marija Begovic EDSA Magazine Editor School of Dentistry University of Belgrade Serbia

We have some great news this edition - we can finally announce that the EDSA Magazine is going to reach all European dental schools after three years! This is a result of a fruitful collaboration between EDSA and one of the leading world publishing houses ‘Wiley-Blackwell’. This is the first of two pilot issues which will be published in cooperation with WileyBlackwell, and is a big step forward for the EDSA Magazine.

As a result, we have included a new section- ‘A word from Wiley-Blackwell editors’. This is a great opportunity to integrate the current student input with a professional insight from the editors of well established journals.

It is our great pleasure, this edition, to introduce an article written by Professor Dahllöf, the Editor of International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry.

EDSA MAGAZINE - Journal of the European Dental Students Association Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Manager: Thomas Trier-Mork / Business Development Manager: Martin Nielsen www.wiley.com © John Wiley & Sons A/S and EDSA. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing from the copyright holder. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. Articles are accepted with the understanding that they have not been published previously and that they are submitted solely to EDSA Magazine.

Table Of Contents EDSA Minute 43rd EDSA Meeting & IADS Mid-Year Meeting Anja Mikuš & Mihovil Gregurić Bajza 7-14 March 2010 Bucharest, The Place To Be! Cristina Rizea

04 06

EDSA Science How To Write, Submit And Publish An Article In A Scientific Journal

Professor Göran Dahllöf Denticap: A New Approach To Dental Problems Maja Sabalić 16th International Student Congress Of Medical Sciences Ekaterina Radoslavova Implication Of Insulin - Dependent And Insulin – Independent Diabetes Mellitus On Oral Mucosa Aleksandar Jakovljević | Mubina Omerović | Amira Dedić PhD Microperforated Trays For Oral Treatments With Ozone A.Torrado | M. Abuin | V. Lüdi | J.C. Pérez | B. Martin | J.D Gónzalez-Bahillo Study Upon Dental Students’ Attitude Toward Obese Patients Dr. Octav Ginghina | Flavia Calburean | Mariana Caramida | Cristina Bute | Diana Cacoveanu

10 12 13 14 15 16

EDSA Motivation Have You Ever Thought About Working In The United Kingdom Once You Graduate?

James Belcher GYDS - Georgian Young Dentists Society Mariam Orjonikidze EDSA European Visiting Programme - Belgrade, Serbia 2009 Bojan Vindis A Strong Friendship That Flourished In EDSA And Keeps Blooming. . .

Neda Stefanovic | Maria Protopapadaki Ward Van Dijk Emiliya Taneva

For Advertising and Magazine sponsorship please contact: Martin Steiniche Nielsen- Business Development Manager Wiley-Blackwell Direct phone: +45 77 33 33 89 E-mail: mnielsen@wiley.com

18 20 22 24 27

Executive Committee

President Emiliya Taneva em.taneva@gmail.com Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University Sofia Bulgaria Vice President Vedran Santak vsantak@gmail.com School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb Croatia

General Secretary Irina-Florentina Dragan dragan.irina@gmail.com University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest; Faculty of Dentistry Romania

Treasurer Brian O’Donovan brian.odonovan@dental.tcd.ie Trinity College Dublin, Dublin Dental School and Hospital Ireland

Magazine Editor Marija Begovic makihoki@hotmail.com School of Dentistry University of Belgrade Serbia

Web Editor Sebastian Scarlat sebscarlat@gmx.net University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest; Faculty of Dentistry Romania

Immediate Past President Lena Hosseinzadeh lena.hosseinzadeh@gmail.com Institute of Odontology at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Sweden

EDSA Headquarters Dublin Dental School and Hospital, Lincoln Place, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland E-mail: edsa@globaldent.com

EDSA Website http://www.edsa.globaldent.com EDSA Mailing List: http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/EDSAfriends

EDSA Minute

43rd EDSA Meeting & IADS Mid - Year Meeting Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, was the host of a historic EDSA and IADS joint meeting that took place on the first week of March 2009.

About hundred students from countries all over Europe and the world attended this fantastic event. Ljubljana turned out to be a great spot for these meetings, as this “dragon city” has all the facilities of a modern capital, and yet it has preserved its small-town friendliness and relaxed atmosphere.

Three-day sessions were very productive as always, we had five working groups and we even welcomed a new member to our big EDSA family – Georgia. Magazine working group decided that each country should send an article for the upcoming issue, so they would have to choose some of the best to publish. This year’s Annual Theme was trying to set a new standard in anatomy learning with electronic atlases of the human body with increased focus on the head and teeth. One of the working groups’ decisions was to start looking for sponsors and interested students for a joint EDSA/IADS Volunteer Work in Ghana. The Prevention Program was due to start soon so the work began immediately.

Delegates were once again invited to send their countries’ Dental Guides and EVP Packages as the new website should be up and running very soon. We got a new webmaster, a dental student from Romania, and he promised to do his best so the website could be put online. The new EDSA logo was chosen and introduced on the meeting. Executive Committee tried to contact other student organisations with varied amount of success. The Ex-Co also informed all of the meeting attendees that EDSA has applied for FDI membership and we should be expecting a positive answer soon. Among other decisions made, we’d like to point out

one news of great interest - Leeds (United Kingdom) was chosen to be a host city for the spring 2011 meeting.

During one of the sessions, Professor Ivana Miletić, from University of Zagreb-School of Dental Medicine, held a lecture on “Minimally invasive treatment plan“. Dr Tatjana Ransom also joined us to tell a few words about Colgate and their long-term goals, ideas and development.

We need to mention the well-known EDSA social life regardless of where the meeting is being held. The meeting in Ljubljana was probably the most “sociable” because we had IADS joining us. They introduced us to their Exchange Fair and we introduced them to our EDSAvision and EDSA Olympics. The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) did an amazing job taking us to a different club in Ljubljana every night and organising a trip to Škocjan Caves and the city of Piran.

To summarise, we were left with just one word – amazing!

Thank you to the LOC for an amazing week in Ljubljana and we can’t wait to seeing all of you again in Helsinki.

Anja Mikuš & Mihovil Gregurić Bajza EDSA delegates School of Dental Medicine University of Zagreb, Croatia

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 4

EDSA Minute

7∑14 March 2010 Bucharest, The Place To Be! 45th EDSA Meeting and 8th EDSA Congress EDSA gathers two times a year for its meetings. EDSA Congresses are even more seldom, once in two years. That is why we are so proud and honored that, in March 2010, Bucharest will be hosting the 45th EDSA Meeting and the 8th EDSA Congress.

Known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Époque buildings and a reputation for the high life (which in the 1900s earned its nickname of “Little Paris”), Bucharest, Romania’s largest city and capital, is today a bustling metropolis.

The theme we have chosen for the 8th edition of the EDSA Congress is “Career Opportunities for Young Dentists”, which will bring up topics of high interest such as research, specializing in a certain field of Dental Medicine, owning versus working for a private dental clinic and jobs for dentists in oral care companies. Lectures and workshops will be held by important international figures of the dental field.

Romanian legend has it that the city of Bucharest was founded on the banks of the Dambovita River by a shepherd named Bucur, whose name literarily means “joy.” His flute playing reportedly dazzled the people and his hearty wine from nearby vineyards endeared him to the local traders, who gave his name to the place.

EDSA and Bucharest already has previous history. In March 1997, the 19th EDSA Meeting took place in Bucharest. It was the meeting where the articles of the EDSA constitution were adopted with substantial revisions. Now, after 13 years, EDSA returns to a modern Bucharest, that in our days is experiencing a cultural and economical boom.

In the 15th century, the princely court of Vlad Tepes (thought to have been the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula) was established here and by the end of the 17th century, the city had become the capital of the province of Walachia. In 1862, Bucharest became the capital of Romania. Remodeled, in the late 19th century, by French and French-trained architects, the city features large neoclassical buildings, fashion-

EDSA Minute

able parks, and even its very own Arc de Triomphe on the elegant Kiseleff Rue, an avenue longer than the famed ChampsElysees and home to the city’s mansion district.

Bucharest is laden with historical charm - from the streets of the Old City Centre, which are slowly being restored, to the grand architecture of the Royal Palace and the lush green of Cismigiu Park. The city also claims a large number of museums, art galleries, exquisite Orthodox churches and unique architectural sites.

Bucharest’s buzzing cultural scene - 37 museums, 22 theatres, concert halls, opera house, 18 art galleries, jazz clubs and hip nightclubs - will certainly keep you busy. Every two years, Bucharest is host to the George Enescu International Festival, a prestigious cultural event named after the famous Romanian musician and composer. Renowned orchestras, conductors and soloists perform at the Romanian Athenaeum, a hall with acoustics comparable to Milan’s La Scala.

Nicolae Ceausescu’s legacy, including the Parliament Palace (formerly called the People’s Palace), which at 3.76 million square feet stands as the world’s second largest building after the U.S. Pentagon, provides an interesting introduction to the dictator’s megalomaniac vision.

It took 20,000 workers and 700 architects to build the colossal Parliament Palace. The building boasts 12 stories, 1,100 rooms, a 328-ft-long lobby and four underground levels, including an enormous nuclear bunker.

When construction started in 1984, the dictator intended it to be the headquarters of his government. Today, it houses Romania’s Parliament and serves as an international conference centre. Built and furnished exclusively with Romanian materials, the building reflects the work of the country’s best artisans. A guided tour takes visitors through a small section of dazzling rooms, huge halls and quarters used by the Senate (when not in session). The interior is a luxurious display of crystal chandeliers, mosaics, oak panelling, marble, gold leaf, stained-glass windows and floors covered in rich carpets.

Participants to the 45th EDSA Meeting and 8th EDSA Congress in Bucharest will have the chance to see all these and even more and to keep themselves up to date with the career opportunities young dentists have in the present times.

Between 7-14 March 2010 Bucharest is THE PLACE TO BE!

Cristina Rizea Chairwoman of LOC cristinadianarizea@yahoo.com Faculty of Dental Medicine University of Farmacy and Medicine „Carol Davila” Bucharest, Romania

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 7

EDSA Sponsor

Powerful Partnerships With Dental Industry How Philips Sonicare demonstrates commitment to oral care education for a lifetime of oral health Philips Oral Healthcare – makers of the market leading sonic toothbrush – Sonicare – is renowned for bridging the gap between scientific advancements and technological breakthroughs and has demonstrated a long-term commitment to integrating the latest academic and clinical expertise and consumer insights into new product development, resulting into the most innovative at home oral care solutions for dental professionals and their patients.

One of the ways in which this is manifested is through the organisation of educational symposia, containing lectures to present state-of-the-art academic research which advances dental professionals’ understanding of patient behaviour and the many microbiological, genetic and lifestyle factors influencing periodontal disease. Many of the findings which emerge from these sessions are translated

by Philips into commercially relevant new technologies for the patients.

This culminates each year in a European “Emerging Trends in Oral Care” symposium where the most contemporary thinking in oral health research and science is presented to the most influential, opinion-leading dental professionals. The resulting conclusions enable them to go back to their practices or academic institutions motivated to introduce new and novel methods for patient treatment and maintenance.

In North-America, and in some European countries, Philips Oral Healthcare has assigned Professional Educators to provide research-based, interactive and practical continuing professional development seminars for dental professionals working in clinical practice. Organisations can request a tailored programme for its staff and the course is then customised to meet the needs of the group. This year the programme menu includes four core topics: biofilm managment, dental implant maintenance, prevention and prophylaxis and motivational interviewing.

The Company has also developed web-based learning to share information and its website features a ‘Sonicare in action’ slideshow which is a quick, visual reference source to enable dental professionals to show and explain to their patients, their colleagues and their student how the brush improves oral health today, tomorrow and beyond. The teaching aid highlights the latest findings and advances both in oral healthcare and technology.

To help Dental Professionals communicate more effectively with their patients Philips has developed ‘Patient Profiles’ - a set of patient and practitioner materials which can be used in the waiting room or chairside to focus patient responses according to their oral health condition and profile.

A cast of ‘Patient Profiles’ has been created; each represented by a character with a common dental condition. The aim of the profile is to help patients understand that they are not alone with their condition or need, and help them identify with the character which represents it. The first four profiles feature Mr Palmer who has gingival inflammation, Emily and Sarah who have orthodontic braces, Rachel who has undergone cosmetic dentistry for those patients interested in the benefits of whiter teeth and Tony who is healthy, and who reinforces Philips’ mission to explain the difference

EDSA Sponsor

between power toothbrushing and manual toothbrushing. Further additions to the series will be published later in the year which build into a resource library of typical cases, including implants and hypersensitivity.

A set of the materials can be provided for the practice waiting room and Patient Profiles are also available as customisable dental consultation sheets which can be personalised by the dental professional and are available as free downloads via www.sonicare.com/dp

Early start Philips has recently taken one significant incremental step in its commitment to a lifetime of oral health with the introduction of a new Sonicare - Sonicare for Kids - aimed at children aged 4 to 10 years, which according to company spokesperson Petra Verstappen is “a kid-friendly power toothbrush that supports paediatric patients through every brushing phase and provides better results at each stage of brushing development”.

The new brush is based on the core Sonicare technology but incorporates a number of innovative new elements to enable superior plaque removal in children as young as four. To ensure compliance, experts in child ergonomics have designed the product to make sure that its ‘user interface’ – the way the product is used, held and interacted with – is as effective and enticing as possible for a child to use.

The advantages of Sonicare for Kids from the Dental Professionals’ perspective are manifold. First and foremost they can now offer their patients Sonicare technology which they know and trust and is clinical proven to achieve better oral health results in children. The kid-friendly features are designed to increase compliance for better long term brushing habits and help kids to brush for longer and more thoroughly whilst the clever ergonomics help kids handle with toothbrush more effectively, making it less technique-sensitive to encourage better brushing results. Ultimately Sonicare for Kids is designed to help youngsters transition to a ‘grown up’ Sonicare and set up good lifetime of brushing habits

You decide how your brush should look To support the launch of Sonicare for Kids, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and Philips Sonicare recently unveiled an innovative educational programme targeted at children’s oral health called ‘Healthy Smiles: A family guide’ which aims to help parents achieve a lifetime of good oral health in their children.

The programme was created to help educate and empower parents to take a more active role in their children’s oral health from an early age.

You can also find out more information all the products and professional education programmes mentioned in this article by visiting www.sonicare. com/dp

EDSA Science

A Word From Wiley-Blackwell Editors

How To Write, Submit And Publish An Article In A Scientific Journal In dentistry there are 55 journals with an impact factor. The impact factor is a measure (although debated) of quality of the journal. It reflects how many times articles in that journal are cited in other researcher’s articles. If it is a good article then many other researchers will use it as a reference for their own work. The problem is that it is not the individual article that has the impact factor, so about 50 % of the articles in a journal accounts for more than 90 % of the citations. In clinical research it is a problem because the impact factor is based on citations from the two previous years - clinical studies often run for longer times so the number of citations is fewer.

Göran Dahllöf DDS PhD, Professor of Pediatric Dentistry Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Editor-in-chief, International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry

Publish or perish is a mantra well-known to researchers all over the world, also in dentistry. What it really says is that results of a scientific project do not exist until they have been published. If a research group does not publish they will have difficulties attracting more funding for their research.

Finally for the individual researcher it is important to publish for the future university career. It is also important to publish and in good journals (I will come back to that).

This article deals with publication of science in dentistry. You will know why you never can trust abstracts from scientific meetings. I will also discuss from my personal perspective how an editor of a scientific journal works and how you as a student can contribute to a scientific journal.

In the PubMed database from National Library of Medicine accessed 25th of June 2009 there were 351 604 articles with Dental as search word.

During the last 12 months 7471 articles were added. That makes you reflect on how many scientific papers you read every day or week. Sometimes there are more than 10 years between new editions of textbooks in dental subjects. With the fast accumulation of knowledge nowadays, it is even more important to complement your learning from textbooks with new scientific articles. Usually scientific journals accept original research papers, review articles, short communications and some journals also accept case reports. The original research papers can either be from clinical research or from basic science. You may know that the quality of research differs

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 10

and that there are institutions that have submitted guidelines on how to evaluate the quality of a study. The most well-known is the Cochrane Collaboration (www.cochrane. org), an international non-for-profit organization, providing up-to-date information about the effects of health care. They also have online training resources for quality assessment. In Sweden, SBU, the Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care (www.sbu.se) does the same. All reports have summaries in English. A new report on dental lasers for hard tissue ablation was published in 2009. Please go to these websites to learn more about quality of research studies and their evaluations.

Scientific publication in dentistry In dentistry there are 55 journals with an impact factor. The impact factor is a measure (although debated) of quality of the journal. It reflects how many times articles in that journal are cited in other researcher’s articles. If it is a good article then many other researchers will use it as a reference for their own work. The problem is that it is not the individual article that has the impact factor, so about 50 % of the articles in a journal accounts for more than 90 % of the citations. In clinical research it is a problem because the impact factor is based on citations from the two previous years - clinical studies often run for longer times so the number of citations is fewer.

In dentistry, 2009, Periodontology 2000 has the highest impact factor, 3.493, followed by Journal of Clinical Periodontology with 3.193 and Journal of Dental Research with 3.142. Periodontology 2000 publishes only review articles and they are cited more often.

The role of the editor The editor’s role is to decide which papers are going to be published in a scientific journal. The journal that I am editing The International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry has 1.072 as impact factor. We received 347 submissions last year. Out of these 56 were accepted for publication. This means that only 17 % of the papers submitted were accepted. It also means

EDSA Science

that I read at least one scientific paper every day of the year. balance this, it is a real joy to read and then publish a really Reviews have the highest chance of being published followed good study. It is the most rewarding part of my job as editor. by original research, observational studies of randomized Abstracts at scientific congresses controlled trial. Case reports have the lowest.

Here is my first recommendation to young students: write You may have attended a scientific congress, either your structured reviews of meta-analyses (for information www. national dental association meeting or an international meetcochrane.org) instead of case reports. I will explain why. Most ing. At these conferences new science is presented. We also high ranking journals do not accept case reports and case reports are more often rejected by the editors than other types To contribute to a scientific journal is a good opportunity for of articles. For me personally, a case report is only valuable if learning because you have to be able to assess the quality of preit includes a long-term-follow viously performed research. And reading all the material gives you up. As a clinician I would like to show my patients and also paran in-depth knowledge of this particular field. I have also shown ents to children, evidence on the end result of treatment interven- you why you can not trust abstracts from scientific congresses. tions. In paediatric dentistry, this means when growth is finished. assume that these projects will eventually be published as full That requires long time follow-up, which students never can scientific articles. There are several problems with congress wait for, so only documentation of diagnosis of unusual cases abstracts; first they are not peer-review, which means that is not enough. they have not been subjected to any quality control. SecWhen I receive a manuscript, everything is online ondly, the space available is too limited for a detailed descrip(www.mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijpd). The first thing I do is tion of the material and methods. Thirdly, very few of them Furthermore, I have shown you that the highest chance for will be published as scientific publication in a scientific journal is to do a structured review articles. I have made a study 771 abstracts presented at of a research question. Not only old professors can contribute, but of the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry meetings in also young students. Good luck.

London 1979 and in Paris 2001.

Out of these abstracts, 27 % were published within 5 years after the meetings in 69 differto see that it has been written according to the instructions to ent scientific journals. Those selected for oral presentations authors, if not, I send it back. Then I send it out for review to were published more often compared to those presented as experts in the field. I send it to two or three researchers in the posters. The main reasons for not publishing the research same field. They will then evaluate the paper and send me a presented were lack of time of the researchers, not finished recommendation whether I should publish the article or not yet or poor research design. Therefore we should be very and also with suggestions to the authors on how to improve careful of research findings or new treatment suggestions that the paper. I then make the decision based on their reports. If only have been published as abstracts from a congress. both recommends publishing it may be an easy job, but if one recommends publish and the other reject then I have to make Conclusions the decision myself. As an editor I can also decide to publish articles that I know my readers are interested in. For example, To contribute to a scientific journal is a good opportunity for behaviour management, sedation, probiotics in caries learning because you have to be able to assess the quality prevention are popular subjects. It is not an easy job, because of previously performed research. And reading all the matesometimes authors become disappointed. Sometimes I have rial gives you an in-depth knowledge of this particular field. to reject good papers because we can only publish a limited I have also shown you why you can not trust abstracts from number. scientific congresses. Furthermore, I have shown you that the highest chance for publication in a scientific journal is to do a One of the problems I encounter is scientific misconduct. structured review of a research question. Not only old profesThere are mainly two forms, double publication of the same sors can contribute, but also young students. Good luck. research. Authors try to supplement their publication list with yet another paper, but using the same results again. The other is plagiarism; to steal from previously published articles by others and present the results as your own new results. I have encountered both during my 5 years as editor. You also read some poor science. I had a paper describing results on a connection between fluoride concentration in drinking water and IQ of children. 20 children in two villages were examined, in one village they had 2.5 ppm fluoride in the drinking water the other had 0.1 ppm. IQ was significantly lower in the village with 2.5 ppm. Of course this is nonsense; too many factors were uncontrolled for so the results do not make sense. To

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 11

EDSA Science

World Trends

Denticap: A New Approach To Dental Problems adhesion test, surface pH, swelling index, and drug-distribution pattern were carried out within the study. Tooth adhesive strength was proved to be good enough to hold Denticap attached to the tooth until it is taken off by using a little extra force. Percentage swelling of Denticap containing only polymer and the other containing amoxicillin trihydrate - lidocaine hydrochloride caused by liquid uptake upon the exposure to stimulated saliva varied from 56% to approximately 90% and might limit their usage unless it is reduced in further testing. Drug distribution, assessed by scanning electron microscopy, was uniform throughout the matrix. Cumulative percentage release of lidocaine hydrochloride and amoxicillin trihydrate in simulated saliva were 98% and 50%, respectively.

In vitro drug release studies showed the sustained-release patterns of the drugs in simulated saliva for at least 24 h.

Nowadays new pharmaceutical solutions for a wide spectrum of issues are frequently developed by researchers and pharmaceutical companies. Some of them never become approved or widely used, some become trend and some remain “the gold standard” for a number of years.

Following the trend of controlled-release delivery systems in dentistry, in this issue of our magazine I decided to focus on a recently reported novel formulation for application on a tooth affected by caries and treatment of periodontal disease.

The soft polymeric cylindrical mold containing antibiotic and analgesic, attachable on a tooth and named “Denticap” was developed by a group of researchers from the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology at Jadavpur University in India.

The formulation was prepared and evaluated in vitro for sustained drug release and thereby prolonged local action with the aim of overcoming disadvantages of currently available agents, such as slow onset, washing out by saliva and gastric irritation. As a result of this approach better acceptance among patients is expected.

Denticaps were prepared using corn zein, carbopol 934 P, gum karaya powder and poloxamer 407 at a ratio of 8:8:4:1, by mixing and solvent evaporation technique. The total amount of the polymer blend was 262.5 mg, while model drugs, amoxicillin trihydrate and lidocaine hydrochloride, were added in the amounts of 70 and 50 mg, respectively.

Different physicochemical evaluation studies such as tooth

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 12

Denticap is a new approach to deliver drug locally for a prolonged period and might have its indication in dentistry. Possible systemic drug actions were not evaluated yet. Samples stored in different temperature and humidity conditions as per ICH (The International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use) guidelines were stable. It is reported by the authors that further studies with those formulations are guaranteed to succeed.

References: Mukherjee B, Roy G, Ghosh S. Development of Denticap, a Matrix Based Sustained Release Formulation for Treatment of Toothache, Dental Infection and Other Gum Problem. Curr Drug Deliv 2009; Apr; 6(2):199-207 Ghosh S, Roy G, Mukherjee B. Dental mold: a novel formulation to treat common dental disorders. AAPS PharmSciTech 2009; 10(2):692-702. Epub 2009 May 23

Maja Sabalić EDSA Magazine Co-editor majasabalic@yahoo.com School of Dental Medicine University of Zagreb, Croatia

EDSA Science

World Trends

16th International Student Congress Of Medical Sciences Groningen, The Netherlands 2nd-5th June 2009 - A Place To Be… In the beginning of June 2009 the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), the Netherlands, hosted the 16th International Student Congress of Medical Sciences (ISCOMS). This leading forum in worldwide biomedical research had more than 800 participants from almost all countries around the world.

Traditionally, student presentations are the key feature of the congress but they are certainly not the only one. Throughout the past year the LOC had worked hard to form a programme that is scientifically exciting. This year four very interesting speakers provided the ISCOMS keynote lectures. Two of them were the Nobel Prize winners Prof. Robin Warren (Australia) and Prof. Ferid Murad (The USA).

For the first time the ISCOMS have a dental plenary presentation session, poster and oral presentations and dental workshops. The participants in the dental part of the congress had the chance to visit the Dental Faculty of Groningen and share they educational experience. There were dental students and postgraduate students from Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Iran, Tanzania, The Netherlands, South Africa, Romania and Ukraine.

Of course ISCOMS had an extensive social programme. We used this opportunity to meet new people, to enjoy the spirit

of the Nienoord castle, to participate in the always successful Global Village Party, to meet in person some of the most brilliant medical scientists present days…

All of this was made possible by 27 students. Their dedication and enthusiasm gave the participants from all continents the chance to feel the spirit of Groningen and the Netherlands, to present their studies at one of the biggest medical student forums in the world, to meet new friends and culture, to share ideas, to build friendships and contacts for a lifetime.

I hope that next year the dental session will be even better and more representatives from other European countries will join the extraordinary atmosphere of UMCG! Thank you Groningen for giving me this experience!

Ekaterina Radoslavova President of Bulgarian Dental Students Scientific Association radoslavova.ekaterina@gmail.com Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University, Bulgar

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 13

EDSA Science

Students In Science

Implication Of Insulin ∑ Dependent And Insulin ∑ Independent Diabetes Mellitus On Oral Mucosa The research results were statistically analysed, and presented using graphs and tables.

These results were then compared with results from similar research. The results show higher incidence of changes of oral mucosa in patients with poorly regulated diabetes mellitus.

Candida albicans infection, varices lingue and lingua plicata were found in 76.7%, 43.3% and 33% of patients respectively. Cheilitis glandularis and exfoliativa were also found in 35% and 15% of patient respectively. 36.6% and 25% of patients had a positive result of vithroathesion test and status Fordyce.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease of abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water and electrolytes.

The activation of this compensatory mechanism occurs in endocrine glands and the liver when there is limited or absolute lack of insulin produced by the body. Diabetes mellitus is caused from a combination of both hereditary and environmental factors. Recent reports have classed diabetes mellitus into the group of autoimmune diseases. Increased complications are more frequent with duration of the disease as well as the level of metabolic regulation/ HbA1c.

tion, varices lingue and lingua plicata were found in 76.7%, 43.3% and 33% of patients respectively. Cheilitis glandularis and exfoliativa were also found in 35% and 15% of patient respectively. 36.6% and 25% of patients had a positive result of vithroathesion test and status Fordyce.

Conclusions: Morphological changes of oral mucosa in diabetics show connections between oral pathology and endocrinology. They are results of poor metabolic control and long duration of diabetes mellitus

Aim:

Key words:

The aim of the research is to establish a connection between the level of sugar control /HbA1c and duration of disease on changes of oral mucosa.

diabetes mellitus, HbA1c, oral manifestations of diabetes mellitus.

Materials and methods: The study took place over five months in 2008/09, in the Institute for diabetes mellitus Clinical Centar Sarajevo.

60 patients aged between 28 – 70 were examined and interviewed. All patients were divided in two major groups – patients with either Type I or Type II diabetes mellitus. These groups were divided into two further subgroups– good or badly controlled. The questionnaire was made and used for gathering information about the type and duration of disease, level of metabolic control, bad habits and oral medical status.

Examination of oral mucosa was carried out using an elementary dental set.

*** This scientific paper won the prize for the best scientific paper in session of the 50th Congress of students biomedical science, Serbia, May 2009.

Results:

Authors: Aleksandar Jakovljević Student of the fourth year of Faculty for Dental Medicine Sarajevo, B&H Mubina Omerović Student of the fifth year of Faculty for Dental Medicine Sarajevo, B&H

The research results were statistically analysed, and presented using graphs and tables. These results were then compared with results from similar research. The results show higher incidence of changes of oral mucosa in patients with poorly regulated diabetes mellitus. Candida albicans infec-

Menthor: Amira Dedić PhD Chief of Chatedra for Oral medicine and Parodontology of Faculty for Dental Medicine Sarajevo, B&H

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 14

EDSA Science

Students In Science

Microperforated Trays For Oral Treatments With Ozone Introduction & objectives: The International scientific community recognized ozone as one of the most powerful oxidants in nature. Its antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial capacity was also widely proved.

A microperforated tray was patented (ES: 200701858U) for ozone application in treatments such as incipient caries, tooth whitening and periodontal disease. The principal aim is to prove the major efficiency of the patented tray in comparison with present devices.

Materials & methods: A silicone microperforated tray contains an inner cabin and a connection to the ozone entrance. The tray contacts the whole surface to have an effect. Ozone will be obtained from medical oxygen at high concentrations.

Results & discussion: The results showed that higher ozone levels will be used in the future. It was also found that a wider zone should be treated more equally. There was also no risk of injury cause to the respiratory epithelium. International scientific community recognized ozone as one of the most powerful oxidants in nature. Its antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial capacity was also widely proved. A microperforated tray was patented (ES: 200701858U) for ozone application in treatments such as incipient caries, tooth whitening and periodontal disease. The principal aim is to prove the major efficiency of the patented tray in comparison with present devices.

Conclusions: Treatments with ozone will be more efficient in the future.

Higher ozone levels can be used in treatments. Aspiration is not required and the contact with the ozone for treatment is wider and more equal.

A.Torrado M. Abuin V. Lüdi J.C. Pérez B. Martin J.D Gónzalez-Bahillo School of Dentistry University of Santiago de Compostela Spain

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 15

EDSA Science

Students In Science

Study Upon Dental Students’ Attitude Toward Obese Patients Introduction: Obesity is a medical condition related to the reduction in life expectancy. We are witnessing the alarming worldwide extent of this disease. The associated pathology has assured the medical community of the necessity of implementing prophylactic programmes, aimed to reduce the prevalence of obesity. Precocious support and treatment are desired for obese patients and must be initiated by any doctor, regardless of their speciality. However, obesity is taken very seriously in the medical society as it has multiple aetiological factors, including both organic and habitual. Therefore, students in medicine must be given the complete package of information about the exact meaning of obesity and how it can be treated in order to enable them to give medical support on a scientific basis.

Aim: This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the perception of obese patients by looking at their medical and social condition. The attitudes of the obese patients (empathy or on the contrary, unprofessional judgemental attitude) from the dental students’ perception was analysed, taking into account their medical defined point of view.

Materials and methods: We have surveyed a representative group of dental students from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”- Faculty of Dentistry, in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th year of study. At this point, they have accomplished the Nutrition and Food Hygiene course, Internal Medicine and General Surgery courses and clerkships at “Sf. Ioan” hospital in Bucharest (the most prestigious clinic of bariatric surgery in Romania).

The survey took place between the 5th and 21st of May. It consisted of 15 single choice questions and 3 “fill-in” tasks.

Respondents were asked, on condition of anonymity, to mention personal data such as age, sex, weight, height and year of study.

The valid answers have been interpreted on a statistical basis, which led to the construction of graphs revealing the most popular answers among the students.

the surgical option for obesity treatment is likely to be efficient (54%), students seem confused in choosing the optimal surgical technique, probably because of their lack of information about each technique’s indications. From a professional, social and emotional point of view, students show sympathy, as they do not manifest any feeling of discrimination towards obese people. 74 % of students expect themselves to be well trained to recognize clinical signs of obesity by the time they graduate. Moreover, most of them are willing to refer an obese patient to a specialist (64%), as they are trained as a doctor to treat such medical conditions (58%). A nutritional and diabetes specialist proved to be recommended as the best choice for a referral (59%) for obese patients. Systemic complications can arise from obesity, which could interfere with treatment in the oro-maxillo-facial region. 44% of students said, as future dentists, would carry out investigations before treatment to prevent any problems occurring.

On the contrary, 39% of students said they would skip this step.

Conclusions: Dental students should be well trained and prepared to recognize severe diseases and associated oral lesions, in order to prevent both systemic and oro-maxillo-facial complications of obesity. In addition, they should be able to advise, conceal and direct obese patients to qualified specialists in order to stop the evolution of obesity, and even start the remission of this medical condition.

Future dentists are the most sought after people in the medical field when patients have problems. These problems can include eating, speaking, severe pain in the oro-maxillo-facial region or altered aesthetics.

Key words: obesity, dental students, empathy, judgmental attitude, survey.

Results: 386 questionnaires were filled out by students, with 150 of them being in the 3rd year of study. When it comes to the main cause of obesity, 58% of the students incriminated the loss of nutritional control and a sedentary life. This fact was emphasized by the high percentage (46%) of the students who believe that a balanced, well-conducted lifestyle would not lead to this severe pathology. The main benefit that should motivate an obese person to lose weight is considered to be the improvement in their quality of life (78%). Although

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 16

Author: Dr. Octav Ginghina - General Surgery Resident - “Sf. Ioan” Hospital Bucharest, Lecturer in General Surgery at Faculty of Dentistry - “Carol Davila” Medicine and Pharmacy University in Bucharest Co-authors: Flavia Calburean - 3rd year dental student / Mariana Caramida - 3rd year dental student / Cristina Bute - 3rd year dental student / Diana Cacoveanu - 3rd year dental student

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF

PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY The Official Journal of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry and the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry publishes papers on all aspects of paediatric dentistry: preventive, restorative and orthodontic treatment for children, behavioural management, and aspects of community dentistry related to children.

ISI Journal Citation Reports® Ranking: 2008: 42/55 Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine Impact Factor: 1.072

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EDSA Motivation

EDSA Interview

Have You Ever Thought About Working In The United Kingdom Once You Graduate?

Chris Barrow & IDH Information: www.coachbarrow.com • www.idhgroup.co.ukIn an interview with Chris Barrow, director of Integrated Dental Holdings (IDH) Private & Specialist Division, James Belcher asks what opportunities there are for recent dental graduates from the European Union to work in the UK…

JB: What do you think the UK has to offer a dentist from the EU? CB: Apart from excellent pay (the average salary for a dentist in 2008 was £106,000) the UK offers a welcoming and friendly environment in which to live, free healthcare & education and is incredibly varied in terms of where you wish to live; whether it be in one of our vibrant cities, in the countryside or along the coast.

JB: You mentioned that IDH are looking to Europe for dentists – are there any ways in which IDH can help EU dentists who wish to come and work in UK? CB: Indeed! IDH have very good systems in place to help foreign dentists with things such as clinical qualifications and familiarisation with the UK dental system as well as providing a clear pathway that integrates them into the company, into the community and provides ongoing support.

JB: What type of people are IDH looking to employ?

CB: Growth in the UK is coming primarily from private dentistry – which is focussed on providing an excellent customer service experience. So in terms of people IDH are looking for, we don’t want dentists just to drill, fill and bill but to offer a high standard of dentistry with a real focus on great service.

I call this customer service DNA – I don’t think it’s something you can ‘get’, it’s just something you’re born with. That’s in part why IDH sponsor organisations such as EDSA, to build relationships with bubbly, bright young dentists who like to get involved and have something extra to offer.

JB: As an employee of IDH, how far can you go in terms of your career?

Chris Barrow has worked for over 15 years as one of the UK’s highest profile dental business consultants before joining IDH as director of their new Private & Specialist Division in 2008.

IDH is one of the biggest dental groups in the country, owning and operating over 250 practices and employing more than 850 dentists.

JB: What is the state of the job market for recently qualified dentists in the UK at the moment?

CB: I feel that the job market for dental graduates is great at the moment. Despite the financial downturn, the demand for dentistry is increasing and there’s a shortage of dentists in the UK. With this skill shortage, IDH, and the profession as a whole, will be looking more and more to Europe in order to fill the gap.

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 18

CB: As far as you like! We have created a specialist and private division which will be able to make use of specialist training if that’s a route you’d like to pursue or you could even work within the management team at IDH if the business side of dentistry is something that interests you.

James Belcher EDSA Delegate BelcherJL@Cardiff.ac.uk Cardiff Dental School Wales, UK

EDSA Motivation

GYDS officially became a full EDSA Member

EDSA Presentation

GYDS ∑ Georgian Young Dentists Society The Georgian Young Dentists Society (GYDS) was founded on November 14th, 2008. The principal founders are Tbilisi State Medical University students, the representatives of the Faculty of Stomatology. The previous name for the organisation was the Georgian Dental Students Association, which changed in 2005. The reason for the change is to join the young doctors and residents. GYDS unites the dental departments with students from nine universities in Georgia. GYDS has 400 students who are members. However, many other students who are not members participate in submitting projects in the field that they are interested in.

GYDS is a full member of International Association of Dental Students (IADS). We have had great success in promoting our organisation. On March 1-7,Ljubljana, in Slovenia, held the 43rd EDSA meeting. The president of GYDS, Ana Gibishvili, reported on our organisation and the projects we carry out.

After a vote by EDSA members, I`m proud to say that the GYDS became a full member of EDSA. We have also been adopted by the organisation of Georgian Stomatologist Association (GSA), and have close contacts with the companies like Colgate, Lacalute and so forth. Our organisation also collaborates with Georgian National Dentists’ consorcium whose

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 20

organisation unites popular surgeons of Georgia. With the organizations mentioned above, GYDS have accomplished projects that are interesting for students and residents.

In order to become the member of this society, one should be interested in GYDS’s various project. Our aim is to maintain the high standard of scientific and practical work of dental students in Georgia at the regional, republic and international level. This can involve participating in national programs and projects of healthcare, and keeping the rights of dental students in Georgia. By establishing and expanding our relationships with national and international organisations, we can improve the dental culture in our organisation. We have regular meetings via the internet to unite the dental students to arrange meetings, conferences, seminars, discussions and lectures for the dental students.

On May 27th 2008, our organisation held the dental students congress for the first time in Georgia. Due to the huge success, it has now become a tradition. The organisations involved were GYDS, GSA, TSMU and Colgate. The congress was divided into two parts: “Implantology” (lead by professor Herman Shnorbakh from Germany) and “Stem Cells” (lead by

EDSA Motivation

professor Zurab Kakabadze from Georgia). Prof. Kakabadze leads newly created laboratory which satisfies the European standards. They focus on scientific research about stem cells in which students can take part in this very interesting event.

Students had the opportunity to submit scientific essays, in which the committee selected the three best pieces of work for awards. This gives the students the chance work harder and become more motivated. Our organisation helps students to work in clinics as volunteers, observe new and interesting cases, take part in differential diagnosis and to write about their interesting clinical cases. One subject at the conference was “Interesting clinical occasions in dental practice”.

In February 20th - 23rd 2009, a young dentists’ seminar was held in Bakuriani entitled “Bakuriani 2009”. Organisers of the event included TSMU, self-government of TSU, GSA and Colgate. 80 students and residents took part in this seminar from many universities including TSSU, TSU, Gr. Robakidze University, BSU and Petre Shotadze Tbilisi medical academy.

Lectures were presented by TSMU professors Irina and Shalva Zarnadzes on general management, dental management, searching and governing finances and the cycle of governing projects. After the three days of “Bakuriani 2009”, students were able to take pleasure in skiing on the marvelous mountains. Following the lectures, competent judges assessed many projects and selected three, which were interesting and accomplishable. These projects were financed by the self-governments of universities.

One of these projects, organized by GYDS, TSMU and Gr. Robakidze University, was the “Dental Celebration – Golden Tooth” held on May 20th 2009. The competition consisted of medical questions, diagnosing and composing treatment plans and a debate about local medical problems. A committee assessed the answers and crowned the winner of the “golden tooth” (picture 6) Another project is the Georgian Dentists’ Associations’ V International Congress held on July 11th - 13th. Many popular professors from other countries congregate at the congress in Batumi (a beautiful town by the seaside) every year. Our organisation has actively taken part in this congress for the last 3 years. Many Professors attend from various countries such as Italy, Germany, Holland, Azerbaijan, Ukraine. We invite students and doctors from all countries to take part in this congress and experience our hospitable and beautiful country.

Mariam Orjonikidze Tbilisi State Medical University Georgia

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 21

EDSA Motivation

Social Activities

EDSA European Visiting Programme - Belgrade, Serbia 2009 On the 21st – 26th of April 2009, the Faculty of dentistry Belgrade, Serbia and Faculty of medicine Ljubljana, Slovenia took part in an EDSA Visiting Programme (EVP). Five students from Ljubljana: Špela Berginc, Neja Jurjec, Lana Kambič, Jerneja Potočnik and Bojan Vindiš attended the EVP and spent an unforgettable time in Belgrade.

Wednesday The adventure started at 7am at the Belgrade train station, after a 9 hour long ride from Ljubljana. We were welcomed by our guide, Vukašin Kilibarda, who took us straight to our hostel. The hostel was located inside one of the largest student campuses in Belgrade, ‘Studentski grad’, where we managed to get some short beauty sleep. Later on, we went to the Dentistry School building complex, where we met the rest of our hosts: Marija Begović, Dina Dabić, Bogdan Lisul and Dragan Urošević. First, they took us to the Radiology diagnostic centre, a very contemporary and up-to date department located right next to the Faculty of Dentistry. We were quite impressed by the modern and state of the art technology they are using routinely in their daily practice. Afterwards,

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 22

they showed us the Prosthodontics Department and Department of Conservative Dentistry. Here, we were able to see the organisation and the course of clinical work of students during their final years at the faculty. We also had the opportunity to meet the Professor of Prosthodontics, Prof. Dr. Todorovic, who has welcomed us in a nice and relaxed atmosphere, as if we were old friends who met a long time ago. A bit exhausted we ended our flying visit at the faculty and headed directly to the restaurant across the street called Maska (the Mask).

It is a very popular place to eat or just to hang out and relax with other students. It is definitely worth a visit, especially if you don’t want to miss the chance of trying the best caesar’s chicken salad in the world! Later that day, we ended up holding beers in the Čorba rock café, named after Bora Đorđevič - Čorba, it’s owner and notorious frontman of a Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba.

Thursday It was another early start, which began by heading directly to the Dentistry school building complex. Our first visit was to the Paediatric dentistry clinic, where we met with Dr Radovic,

EDSA Motivation

at the restaurant Šešir moj (Hat of mine). Our final stop was at the Kalemegdan citadel which is a testament to Belgrade’s 2,500-year history- a must see landmark. The view of the remains of centuries-old defence walls, churches, tombs and Turkish baths is remarkable. It also offers a breathtaking view over the river Danube and river Sava. There was a Military museum as well, currently exhibiting artefacts from the recent NATO bombing campaign.

Saturday This was our last day in Belgrade, which meant it was time to buy some souvenirs and some designer products to return to Ljubljana with. However, we spent the rest of the day in coffee houses in the city centre, chatting and reminiscing of the great times of the previous days. The final and closing act of our visit in Belgrade was experiencing one of the greatest attractions that Belgrade has to offer - party on the raft. who took us on a tour around the clinic. It was especially interesting to see the new faculty facilities such as an operating room where dental procedures for disabled and non-cooperative children are carried out. A visit to the Departments of Periodontics and Oral and Maxilofacial surgery followed right after, but was unfortunately quite short as Prof. Stamenkovič, the dean of faculty, was already expecting us. At the Dean’s office, we also met the Vice-Dean who discussed various topics, such as forthcoming Erasmus project in Belgrade, and of course had a group photo so the event finds its place in the photo album. However, the day passed quietly and a crazy evening at Jazbina bar was already taking over. It’s a place where dancing is obligatory and the body is struggling to follow the rhythm of Serbian folk music after a couple of traditional drinks, like appetiser rakija.

In conclusion, visiting Belgrade and getting to know some of our Serbian colleagues was a really great experience. Moreover, Belgrade is really an amazing city with lots of things to offer. The past and the present are curiously interwoven here,

Friday Today was our much-deserved day off which allowed us to finally have a decent sleep! We planned a sightseeing tour later that day. First we visited the famous Cathedral of Saint Sava, an orthodox church not far away from the Faculty, and the Belgrade version of Paris’ Montmartre. This is a cobblestoned bohemian district that was once the favourite gathering place of famous writers and artists, and today attracts up to 20,000 people every day to its many taverns, restaurants and nightspots. We experienced truly authentic atmosphere

where east and west mingle. It’s practical tolerance has made it a cosmopolitan city. Belgrade has always been tolerant of foreign influences, ideas, novelties and life styles, though its citizens are homely, fond and unobtrusive. Generally, Serbs are particularly open, friendly and direct, as our hosts from Belgrade were. Finally, we would like to thank all of our friends in Belgrade for the warm welcoming, all the attention and memorable moments!

Bojan Vindis Faculty of Dental Medicine University of Ljubljana Slovenia

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 23

EDSA Motivation

EDSA Legends

A Strong Friendship That Flourished In EDSA And Keeps Blooming. . .

This was supposed to be an article in which we would interview each other, but due to the lack of time and space, and the fact that we both talk too much, we decided to go with a slightly different approach. We will try to tell our EDSA story through a text made by merging our memories.

MARIA: Every time I get lost in my memories from EDSA, a wide smile is drawn on my face. I consider myself very lucky for having experienced the EDSA spirit to the full extent! At the meeting in Athens in February 2002, several delegates made their first steps. There was a lot of enthusiasm and it was obvious that a new EDSA “era” would begin. It is then when I first met Neda. They had told me that a Serbian would come who speaks very good Greek, but I could not

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 24

even imagine how good it could be! Until now, I wonder that maybe Greek is her first language! I have to admit that at that meeting, she surprised me with her intelligence and profound knowledge of history.

NEDA: Hahaha, thank you for your kind words Maria, but I must say you, like most of the Greeks I know, are prone to exaggerating. As Maria said, we met in Athens. It was my first EDSA meeting. Due to the flight schedules I arrived one day after everyone else. Frankly, I did not know what to expect.

Since I missed the first day, I had no idea that the majority of the people were also new to EDSA and attending their 1st meeting, too. This might be why we all got along so well.

There were no prejudice, no gossip, no rumors.

EDSA Motivation

MARIA: What is special about the meeting in Athens in February 2002? It is when the EDSAvision was born!

We had gone for dinner at a tavern one hour out of Athens by bus and on the way back, we started singing. After a while we came up with the idea of each country singing a song and in the end we would vote for the best one.

I still remember the laughter that night! We had so much fun that we decided to make it more formal and it was agreed that at the next meeting the 1st official EDSAvision night would be held.

NEDA: The meeting at which Maria and I became inseparable was the one in Ljubljana, Slovenia in September 2002. We both arrived for the DentEd meeting which was held few days before the EDSA meeting. The organizers put us in the same room, and the rest is history. Maria became one of my closest and dearest friends.

MARIA: The meeting in Ljubljana was definitely a landmark in our EDSA fairytale. Neda and I happened to share the room.

We started spending more time together and realized how well we matched without any effort! Some events helped us see that we could really trust each other and a strong friend-

ship started blooming! Since then, Neda has been one of my very best friends. She knows everything about me, my heart and my thoughts.

NEDA: We had such a great time. It was where the 1st official EDSAvision took place, and I must admit it was really fancy ... nothing like the ones after that (not that I didn’t like the ones after). Most of the ADEE professors were there, too. Maria was one of the stars of that evening. Not only did she perform with the Greek delegates, but also with Taha, a delegate from Turkey who won the contest. I don’t want to name names and spread rumors, but if you ever get hold of the tape from that evening be sure to have a look. You will laugh a lot.

MARIA: Please do not watch that video!

NEDA: Unfortunately, Maria did not come to the “aftermeeting” in Bohinj with us. She cried like crazy as she was entering a cab that was taking her to the airport. After a few meetings, we all got used to her being the most emotional EDSA family member.

MARIA: Speaking of family, Ljubljana was also the birthplace of the EDSA family! I do not remember exactly how it started but I recall the strong feelings of friendship and the fun we had all together! Somehow, I ended up being the “Mama”, I had an Irish husband (Mark Flynn), Irish kids (first Gav, later Alex and then Paddy), a sister (Neda), an Italian brother (Giovanni Pisoni) and a Spanish brother-in-law (David Puente Arias). Later on, after family meetings, more friends joined our joke and a whole family tree was built.

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 25

EDSA Motivation

NEDA: I cannot point out which was the best meeting for me.

All of them had their own charm. After Ljubljana, we met in Belgrade, Santiago De Compostela, Dublin and Cardiff. Being a faculty member, I continued my active involvement in the DentEd projects and ADEE, whose meetings were sometimes conveniently co-organized with the EDSA events. Thanks to that I have attended the meetings in Athens (2005) and Zagreb (2008) and the Global Congress on Dental Education in Dublin in 2007.

Maria and I continued meeting in Athens, Belgrade and finally in the USA. As I was organizing a visit, related to my PhD research, to a few Universities in the USA, I realized Buffalo was very close to one of the places on my list. Buffalo is where Maria is finishing her graduate studies (a combined Msc/specialty degree in prosthodontics) at SUNY at Buffalo, as one of the all-time favorite students there. An interesting fact is that one of the things that made them decide to take her into the programme was that they loved how she edited the EDSA Magazine.

After landing in New York, I continued my trip to Chicago, where I spent some time at the University of Illinois in Chicago, and after that I was bound for the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. Having spent some time in Cleveland, I have realized the weather there might be dubious (in snowed in the middle of April), but their database was amongst the best in the world for the research project I had in mind. This made me decide to do my PhD research in cooperation with this Department. Having finished my visit to

Neda Stefanovic is one of the people responsible for the integration of Serbian dental students in the EDSA. She had been involved in EDSA, and also DentEd Projects and ADEE, since 2002.

At the 30th EDSA meeting in Ljubljana in 2002, she was elected Secretary General.

She was the president of the Organizing Committee for the 31st EDSA Meeting and 5th EDSA Congress held in Belgrade, Serbia in the spring of 2003.

Right after her graduation from the Faculty of Stomatology University of

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 26

Cleveland, I took a bus and headed to Buffalo, where I met Maria (and of course, she was late).

It was an amazing weekend. She took me to the amazing Niagara Falls, where a well-known Serbian scientist, Nikola Tesla, built the first hydro-electric plant. She took me to a restaurant where “Buffalo wings” were first made, made me drink “bubble tea” and almost smuggled me to Canada.

But, this was not the end of our USA meeting. NYC was my first and final destination on this journey. A visit to Columbia University was a must. The next weekend, Maria came down to NYC, in order to celebrate Easter with her Greek relatives and me. This was a unique experience, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, revisited in Jamaica, Queens, where we had 1st row seats in the Greek Orthodox Church where Maria’s uncle is the priest, and then in New Jersey, where Maria’s greataunt made us eat “magiritsa” and “kokoretsi” at 4am.

The next day Maria left, but another EDSA reunion took place.

I met with Ana Branco, a former EDSA delegate from Santiago De Compostela. I was very grateful for another opportunity to reminiscent on the old EDSA days.

Thanks to today’s technologies, most of us are constantly in touch. We all continue to meet in small groups, and hope for a big reunion one day.

Belgrade, she enrolled into the postgraduate programme in Orthodontics at the same University.

Within her postgraduate studies she gained valuable research, practical and teaching experience.

In 2007 she obtained the Master of Sciences Degree.

She is currently a faculty member at the Faculty of Stomatology in Belgrade, working on her PhD thesis, researching the use of 3D CBCT imaging in orthodontics, in cooperation with the Department of Orthodontics of the Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA. Maria Protopapadaki first attended the IADS congress in Malta in summer 2000 and the EDSA congress in Sweden in autumn 2000. She officially joined EDSA in February 2002 in Athens, Greece as organizing committee and Greek delegate. She was then appointed as Magazine Editor and she was re-elected in that position in September

2002 in Slovenia and in 2003 in Spain. In September 2003, she was also elected as the General Secretary for the period 2003-2004. She has also participated in ADEE-EDSA meetings and the DentEd project. After her graduation from the Dental School of Athens, Greece, Maria enrolled in the Advanced Program in Prosthodontics and Master’s Degree in Oral Sciences at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, NY, USA. Currently she is finishing her third year and pursuing a Fellowship in Implants at SUNY.

EDSA Motivation

Ward van Dijk-on the left side

EDSA Legends

Ward Van Dijk Why did you decide to pursue a career of dentist, and how did you choose your specialty?

I choose for dentistry because I like the combination of helping people in need, having a practise and running it and being able to have a relationship with your patients. In my practise I do make long days when I am there and I do talk with my patients a lot about anything. They give me trust and together we can do nice dentistry. I did not do any specialisation, I am a general dentist.

What brought you to EDSA, and what kept you there?

I have been involved in EDSA (EDS in that time) for over 5 years. I came involved because of the nice people that were already involved from other countries and I stayed that long because many friendships developed in that time. We had great times and I do think back of many occasions a lot.

How would you describe your first experience with EDSA? To be honest I cannot remember that anymore it is more than 20 years ago.

What were the most important aspects you personally were looking forward to about EDSA Meetings?

Meeting my friends and have fun but at the same time exchange ideas and information.

What challenges did you come up during your time in EDSA and how did you overcome them?

We did two big projects at that time being the EDSA magazine and the first EDSA Congress in Amsterdam in 1992. The Netherlands was very much involved at that time having the head-office run by Pieter van der Geld and Gerrion Remijn in

EDSA Magazine • Autumn 09 • Page 27

EDSA Motivation

Nijmegen and the EDSA magazine mainly by Max Witjes from Groningen. I myself was one of the persons organising the Congress in Amsterdam, we had a committee involving more than 6 people for over a year. It resulted in a congress with nearly 1100 students from all over Europe. You can imagine that we faced some difficulties organising such a large congress, not expecting so many people. This also was a result of the friendship we had within EDSA with all students being active. From many countries busses were organised by the representatives and that made a big difference. The biggest problem we faced was the number of available beds for the price of 27.50 euro for three nights!! We had all youth-hostels booked for our congress. At the end everybody felt that it was a great success.

What difference do you find with the organization since the 90s?

For some years I kept in contact with friends from EDSA but after some years this faded. Sometimes I meet old friends at international meetings and we do have a very good time again. With my Dutch EDSA friends I still communicate and I meet them.

Do you think that your involvement in EDSA has helped you in any way with your current career development?

What traits or qualities do you feel you gain during your time in EDSA? Yes, specially running meetings with different countries having different needs. Problems in countries of the south were different then the north and it was always good to end up with a statement which everybody could agree on. But also it was good that people could learn that by supporting a statement you could help others in their fight or a problem even if this did not exist in their own country. And of course making international friends.

What are some aspects of your present position in the Dutch Dental Association that you like?

Being able to do something for the Dutch profession. Of course people that are already involved in committees during their study do have a certain blood that makes that they will appear at meetings from other organisations, not only dental.

After my graduation I worked for about six years at the faculty of dentistry in Amsterdam (ACTA) as a teacher and later as curriculum developer. I still felt it was great to stay in contact with the faculty and also with the students. In 2001 I decided to reflect on a position in the board of the Dutch Dental Association because it felt like a natural step to do, although I was still very young at that time. In the past the average age for a board member was at least 10 years older. Nowadays it is different, we have a board of four dentist and we are all in our forties. We still do encourage young dentist to do something for our association, the youth has the future so we cannot do without them. I am responsible for education, research, member activities, ICT, international activities and some more things. Because I had good relations with some all friends internationally it was reasonable for me to pick up that part and that is why I am involved in FDI, CED and ADEE. Once more it is great to see how many friends you can make and how many you can learn from others and other countries do encourage everybody within EDSA to have already now

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We did two big projects at that time being the EDSA magazine and the first EDSA Congress in Amsterdam in 1992. The Netherlands was very much involved at that time having the head-office run by Pieter van der Geld and Gerrion Remijn in Nijmegen and the EDSA magazine mainly by Max Witjes from Groningen. I myself was one of the persons organising the Congress in Amsterdam, we had a committee involving more than 6 people for over a year. It resulted in a congress with nearly 1100 students from all over Europe. You can imagine that we faced some difficulties organising such a large congress, not expecting so many people. This also was a result of the friendship we had within EDSA with all students being active. From many countries busses were organised by the representatives and that made a big difference. The biggest problem we faced was the number of available beds for the price of 27.50 euro for three nights!!

We had all youth-hostels booked for our congress. At the end everybody felt that it was a great success. good contact to your national association. The Dutch Dental Association invites the committees of students from all three dental schools once a year for a diner at our office. We talk about their ideas about the future of dentistry and about the education they get. At those meetings we make contacts for future dentist to be involved in work for the national dental association.

How do you see yourself five to ten years from now?

Difficult question, but I hope I will still be a dentist in my own practise but also be able to put some time in education or do anything for the Dutch dental profession nationally or internationally.

Emiliya Taneva EDSA President em.taneva@gmail.com Faculty of Dental Medicine Medical University Sofia, Bulgaria