SDFDS Annual Meeting 2023 – Sydney, Australia
The 2023 Annual Meeting of the Section Defence Forces Dental Services (SDFDS) took place in Sydney Australia from 21 to 24 September 2023 following a four-year physical hiatus.
A Welcome Reception was held on 21 September 2023 at the Yallamundi Rooms of the iconic Sydney Opera House where 98 delegates and accompanying persons from 19 countries were welcomed by Chair of the SDFDS Executive Committee, Colonel Stephen Tanner (USA). A golden opportunity to reacquaint with old friends and make new ones, it was indeed refreshing to meet in-person once again post-pandemic. Attendees enjoyed canapes amidst music played by a jazz ensemble of the Australian Army Band - Sydney.
The Scientific Programme was held over two days at the spectacular Anzac Memorial, a heritage-listed war memorial, museum and monument located in Sydney’s Hyde Park. A total of 20 presentations were heard, covering a wide range of topics relevant to the provision of military oral health services and its future capability development. These included the methods in which different nations would best utilise their manpower, resources and equipment according to varying contexts, updates on technological advances, the development of clinical protocols and processes, quality assurance, standardisation, forensic dentistry and more via the sharing of experiences, case reports, clinical and epidemiological research findings and public health measures to ultimately benefit our military patient population. An open discussion forum on the initial training and development of Military Dental Officers was also held.
Delegates were also afforded the opportunity to attend the moving 11.00am daily Remembrance Ceremony at the Memorial as well as a short tour and the chance to visit the museum on site.
On the final day 24 September 2023, delegates were honoured to receive a visit by FDI President-elect, Dr Greg Chadwick, who gave an address about the FDI’s current commitments and answered questions from the audience. Following the Scientific Programme, nominations were submitted and elections held to appoint the new members of the SDFDS Executive Committee. Congratulations are owed to the following in their new appointments: Chair; CAPT (N) Nanda van Klink (Netherlands), Vice-Chair; COL Stephen Tanner (USA), Secretary; COL Jefri Razak (Brunei) and Executive Officer; COL Catherine Prineas (Australia). Committee positions remaining unchanged are: Treasurer; BGEN Jean-Pierre Picard (Canada), Africa Representative; MAJ Ibrahima Badji (Senegal), Asia Representative; LT GEN Satish Iyer (India) and South East Asia Representative; BGEN Normah Samsuri (Malaysia).
The Cultural Day was arranged on 23 September 2023 which began with an open-air bus ride to the iconic Bondi Beach followed by a visit to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair for a group photo against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour. Lunch was hosted onboard a boat cruise from Circular Quay to Kirribilli followed by a walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge back to the city, prior to the FDI World Dental Congress Opening Ceremony held on Saturday evening.
All delegates received souvenir cups and challenge coins as a memento of the event and a formal group photograph was taken on the steps of the Anzac Memorial on the final morning of the Meeting.
The SDFDS Meeting of 2023 was generously sponsored by Aseptico, represented by Mr Stefan Gefter and Mr Greg Wisbey and Mr Matt Cowmeadow from its Australian distributor Wisbey Dental, who provided a deployable suite of equipment for display during proceedings.
The SDFDS and all in attendance extend their deepest appreciation and gratitude to the Australian Local Organising Committee who had indeed hosted a thoroughly well-organised, fruitful and memorable event.
