Dental News - Genetics a focus at the European Orthodontic Society Congress in Nice

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Genetics a focus at the European Orthodontic Society Congress in Nice

This year's European Orthodontic Society Congress is being held in Nice la Belle, or “Nice the Beautiful". (Photograph: DTI)
Dental Tribune International

Dental Tribune International

Wed. 19. June 2019

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NICE, France: The 95th European Orthodontic Society (EOS) Congress is taking place this week, from 17 to 22 June, at the Nice Acropolis Convention Centre in the city of Nice in southern France. Affectionately known as Nice la Belle, or “Nice the Beautiful”, the charming city on the French Riviera is an ideal backdrop for EOS 2019, the organisers say. The event includes a three-day scientific programme, a trade exhibition, symposia, poster sessions and a networking programme.

The scientific programme at EOS 2019 focuses on four key topics in orthodontics: genetics and orthodontics, occlusion stability and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), lingual orthodontics, and free topics. “Genetics is a field of research and progress for the future of orthodontics,” commented EOS 2019 President Prof. Olivier Sorel in the lead-up to the event. He explained that “many unanswered questions will find their solutions in genetic research, including the question of growth potential and its prediction”. He said that due attention will be given to the four main subjects by keynote speakers, who will also share their own experiences of these areas and present new data. Numerous keynote lectures will cover a range of topics, and the moderated free topics sessions, which have become a popular fixture at EOS congresses, are expected to animate discussion and draw out the creative spirit of orthodontic practice.

As attendees from around Europe and as far afield as the US and Australia began to gather in Nice, one of the topics of enthusiastic discussion was this year’s Sheldon Friel Memorial Lecture, which will be given by American orthodontist Dr Lee W. Graber. In his paper, titled “Quo vadis orthodontic treatment: A glance to the past, a focus on the future”, Graber will present on the past, present and future of orthodontics, using references from dental, medical and social sciences literature to propose a future concept of orthodontic treatment, including the social framework in which it will be practised. The Sheldon Friel Memorial Lecture honours the Irish orthodontics pioneer Prof. Sheldon Friel, who became the first Professor of Orthodontics in Europe in 1941 when Trinity College Dublin in Ireland created a professorship for the alumnus and lecturer.

The children’s choir of the Nice opera kicked off the opening ceremony with renditions of “L’Ode à la joie”, from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and the official European anthem; Edith Piaf’s “La vie en rose”, the congress’s anthem; and “Le Coeur des gamins”, an extract from Bizet’s Carmen.

Sorel, who is also head of the orthodontic department of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes in France and President of the Société française d’orthopédie dento-faciale [French society of dentofacial orthopaedics], came on stage to welcome the attendees. While honouring past members of the EOS committees, he also introduced the current committee members: Dr Olivier Mauchamp, chair of the congress organising committee; Prof. Susan Cunningham, honorary secretary of the EOS council; Prof. Fraser McDonald, honorary treasurer of the EOS council; Dr Marie-José Boileau, chair of the congress scientific committee; and EOS President-elect Prof. Bärbel Kahl-Nieke, among others.

Following on Sorel’s welcome, Prof. Emmanuel Martinod, head of the thoracic and vascular surgery department at the Avicenne hospital in Paris, presented his novel approach to trachea reconstruction, for which he was acclaimed in San Diego in the US last year at the American Thoracic Society conference. His procedure employs segments of the patient’s own arteries to graft the trachea, gradually transforming into a new, functional organ.

After the opening ceremony, the trade exhibition commenced , giving attendees the opportunity for an early look at the product showcase during the welcome reception, while enjoying a glass of a fine wine and a view of Nice from the terrace of the convention centre. An impressive programme awaits congress-goers today and in the coming days.

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