2010 Oral Design Symposium in Yokohama

Following successful events in Minneapolis, Melbourne and New York, the international Oral Design Foundation held its fourth Symposium in Yokohama, Japan in October. It was organized in conjunction with the Quintessence 6th World Dental Meeting, which attracted some 4000 visitors from around the world.

The international Oral Design group, founded by Willi Geller and Giuseppe Zupardi 27 years ago, has declared the sharing of knowledge and experience in the fields of dental technology and dentistry as one of its main objectives. Admission into the group is exclusive and can only be obtained through personal invitation by Mr Geller. Today, the group consists of some 90 members from around the world and looks beyond ethnicity, gender or religious conviction. The love and devotion for dental technology and dentistry is at the centre of the group's interests and activities.

To maintain its commitment to provide top-class education, the non-profit organization frequently hosts symposiums with the help of industry sponsors as well as with their own funds. An Oral Design Symposium typically consists of one or two day lectures followed by a 2-day hands-on course with the "Maestro" Willi Geller. This year, 52 participants from all over the world booked the hands-on course in which Willi demonstrated his unique philosophy and shared the love for his work. Such a high attendance cannot be appropriately managed by one lecturer alone and so over 40 oral design members had traveled from near and far to lend a hand. Divided into groups, they were able to coach each participant individually and directly. This is the unique concept of the Oral Design Symposium! Not only do the course participants get the rare opportunity to learn from Willi Geller, but also to obtain further background knowledge through the exchange with other experts of the group and to improve existing skills and to perhaps identify potential for improvement in other areas.

The lecturing symposium, which attracted an audience of 1500 visitors, was organized by Yasuhiro Odanaka (Oral Design Tokyo). Apart from his own lecture which he presented in conjunction with Dr Yoshinori Nameta, further lectures were presented by Giuseppe Zuppardi, Naoki Aiba, Juergen Mehrhof, Dr Giuseppe Allais, Willi Geller, Takashi Takizawa, Kenji Uchimi and Tetsuro Kubo. On the last day and under the roof of the Quintessence 6th World Dental Meeting, the event organizers managed to offer the audience a unique treat, when the stage was shared by Willi Geller, Shigeo Kataoka, Makoto Yamamoto and Hitoshi Aoshima. After the first three lectures which comprised aesthetically beautiful ceramic restorations of the highest standard, the legendary Makoto Yamamoto presented his research on the often observed chipping phenomena on zirconia restorations. This lead to numerous questions and enquiries from the audience which were addressed by the lecturing panel which concluded the event.

The Oral Design Symposium in Yokohama was a great success and left deep impressions on lecturers and visitors alike, shaping a very positive impression of the land of the rising sun. We like to thank our industry partners Dekema, Cendres Metaux, Willi Geller Creation, FACT inc. Japan and Nobel Biocare for their ongoing financial support and help.

The next Oral Design Symposium will be held in London May 6-9, 2011. The organizers Richard Gidden, Niloufar Sotouhi and Johnny Won have placed strong emphasis on the integration of clinical dentistry and dental technology. To embrace a team-based approach and to show what is possible, six teams of technicians and clinicians have been invited to present together. Lectures comprise many modern topics including the advancements in CAD/CAM technology, modern implant procedures and concepts as well as minimal invasive, bonded restorations. Presenters include Michel Magne, Joachim Maier, Juergen Merhof, Willi Geller, Giuseppe Allais and Dr Stephen Chu from the New York University College. In addition to Willi Geller's two-day hands-on course, there will be another one presented by Dr Terry Douglas from Texas, covering the topic of Composite Resin Build-ups.