2019: Brisbane, Australia

House of Delegates Business Meeting

Brisbane, Australia, 15 - 17, August 2019

It may have been a long series of flights to get to Brisbane Australia – but it was definitely worth it! How beautiful, friendly and clean Australia is!

The week started off with 2 days of meetings for the Board of Directors, discussing the final details for the House of Delegates meeting, the Opening Ceremonies, the Closing Ceremonies and so much more!

The delegate events kicked off with a Welcome Reception on Monday evening, August the 12th, to allow everyone to meet and catch up with some new and familiar faces, with a spectacular view of the city from the top floor of the hotel.

In total, 24 countries were represented along with a number of Observers and Individual Members at the House of Delegates meeting and events. There are 34 country members in the IFDH, with some repeat delegates and many attending for the first time.

There were also a number of observers from made up from individual members, member associations and translators. The room was filled to capacity! Once the meeting starts it finds its rhythm and business was completed with efficiency and good humor, with all members taking an active part in the proceedings.

President Robyn Watson presided over the day and a half of meetings. Significant highlights included the voting of the new board, a presentation of the new Strategic Plan by Executive Director Peter Anas and President Elect Corrie Jongbloed-Zoet, including goals set for 2019+, a new Mission and Vision, an update from Ireland on plans for the 2022 ISDH in Dublin, reports from all the committees and presentation of the bids and voting for the 2026 ISDH. Milan, Italy became the chosen venue for 2026.

We thank NSK for sponsorship of our Tuesday evening Delegates dinner at the beautiful Gallery of Modern Art, again with an incredible view of the river, the skyline and the famous ferris wheel. This was another chance to socialize with member countries and discuss issues that were of interest to the worldwide dental hygiene profession.

On Wednesday evening delegates attended an optional event at the Outback Spectacular a show transporting our members on a journey to the heartland of Australia featuring true Australian characters, a transformative arena, mesmerising animals and immersive technology. A good time was had by all, including all the songs on the bus ride back to the hotel!

 

A Wonderful Learning Experience at ISDH

With 1,200 participants from more than 35 countries, numerous oral presentations and 94 posters from around the world, the 2019 International Symposium on Dental Hygiene in Brisbane, Australia was another great success!

This symposium brings together dental hygienists, and other oral health professionals, from around the globe. It provides an important forum for the sharing of knowledge, the building of understanding, and the discussion of issues related to oral health.

As always, the Opening Ceremonies, with its parade of flags presentation, similar to the Olympics, was an awe-inspiring event.

The feedback from participants, exhibitors and sponsors has been very positive with many delegates commenting “the quality of lectures was extremely high and clinically relevant”, all around the theme LEAD, through Leadership, Empowerment, Advances and Diversity.

The goal of the symposium was to uncover the vital role dental hygienists play as primary healthcare providers through the exploration of evidence-based and innovative approaches. This was achieved through the presentation of approximately 50 oral sessions and 80 posters (including 50 ‘rapid fire’ poster presentations).

Not only did the symposium deliver on scientific content but networking opportunities were also highly rated. Sponsors and exhibitors played a huge role in making the event a success with over 40 exciting and informative trade displays.

Australian wildlife was also on show, with handlers roaming around the exhibition. Delegates could touch, get up close and personal and get photos with the animals. The food on offer throughout the symposium also had an Australian focus and used traditional Australian ingredients.

Social Responsibility Programs Presented

For the first time IFDH presented a Social Responsibility Workshop on Friday afternoon. Leading off the seminar was renowned researcher and Professor, Murray Thomson, from New Zealand. This was followed by presentations from 17 countries’ Social Responsibility programs. Thank you to Chair Wanda Fedora (incoming President-Elect) for chairing this committee and organizing an inspiring program. See the book detailing all 17 programs. Also, a big thank you to sponsors DentsplySirona, Colgate and Curasept for their key involvement.

Several Awards Presented

 

Once again, Mayumi Kaneda of Sunstar Global presented the Sunstar Dental Hygienist Awards to some outstanding and well deserving dental hygiene colleagues at the Gala Dinner venue overlooking the beautiful waterfront.

Other awards were presented by outgoing IFDH President Robyn Watson at the closing ceremony to deserving sponsors and the Organizing Committee and Scientific Committee, who have contributed to the IFDH.

The new IFDH Board of Directors was installed and newly-elected President Corrie Jongbloed-Zoet gave thanks to the attendees and presented Robyn Watson with a ceremonial gavel.

Along with photos of many of these events, look on the IFDH Facebook page for many photo memories of this wonderful event.

The IFDH Board of Directors thanks the Local Organizing Committee from the Dental Hygiene Association of Australia for presenting such a professional symposium and social activities that were enjoyed by all.

International Symposium On Dental Hygiene 2019

IFDH looks forward to its next International Symposium on Dental Hygiene in Dublin, Ireland, August 10-13, 2022. See you there!

Click here to see lots of photos.
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