Chile

Chilean Induction Ceremony

On December 12, 2011, the Chilean Section of the Pierre Fauchard Academy held an induction ceremony at the Intercontinental Hotel in Santiago, Chile. Sixty people, including Region 7 Trustee Francisco Omar Campos and Academy President Joe Harris, attended to witness the induction of 14 new Fellows into the Academy.

The program commenced with renditions of the Chilean and American national anthems, followed by a very inspiration message by Chile's Section Chair Dr. Guillermo Moreno Zarate. The first of two exquisite classical musical interludes was preformed by Mr. Felipe Vidal of the Conservatory of Music, Universidad Mayor.

A Special Lifetime Achievement Award was then presented to Dr. Fresia Steinmann Rosemblut for her efforts and dedication to public dental health and projects in Chile.

Drs. Rosa Maria Alarcon, Marcia Antunez Riveros, Gianina Caneppa Martin, Julio Diaz Ramirez, Fernando Escobar Munoz, Alvaro Ferres Garrido, Cristian Harris Riveros, Agustin Hernandez Haz, Olga Ljubetic Gjuranovic, Danitza Pecarevic Munoz , Pedro Ramirez Arias, Rafael Romo Echaiz, Georgina Toro Urbina, and Bernardita Zuniga Oliva were then officially taken into the ranks of Fellowship. The PFA pin and flag bar was placed on the inductee's lapel by the doctor who sponsored him or her for Fellowship.

President Harris welcomed the new Fellows to the Academy and then gave an overview of the Academy (past, present, and future) and an explanation of what is expected of a Fellow of the Academy.

During the dinner that followed, a PowerPoint presentation was made regarding the PFA Foundation-sponsored philanthropic expedition to Chile's Easter Island. The participants had arrived just a week before the induction ceremony and were bubbling with enthusiasm and anxious to share tales of the adventure with their colleagues. Easter Island is off the coast of Chile and is accessible by a 5-hour plane ride. Its 5000 inhabitants are serviced by two dentists in clinics provided by the Chilean Rotary Club. The island residents suffer from many dental ailments, and the prevalence of rampant caries both the adult and adolescence populations is alarming.

The Pierre Fauchard Academy Foundation awarded a grant to the Chilean Section of the Academy to provide much-needed services to the islanders. Three endodontists, two maxillofacial surgeons, and four GPs, all Fellows of the Academy, spent 5 days on Easter Island providing dental services to the local population. Access to dental care is a given to most of us, but to the lovely people of Easter Island, the Foundationfunded project was sent by God.

We, the Fellows of the Academy, give a heartfelt congratulation to the Fellows of Chile and the PFA Foundation for a job well done.

India

The India Section of Pierre Fauchard Academy celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 2011 while the PFA International Section celebrated its Diamond Jubilee (75 years) in Paris on June 16, 2011, where the India Section was represented by the Secretary and three Fellows from India.

The Silver Jubilee celebrations of the PFA India Section started with a CDE Programme at 9:30 AM on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at Dr. A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences in Mangalore, India. The CDE Lectures were provided by Prof. Fellow Dr. Reena R. Kumar, who spoke on the topic "Nocturnal Bruxism Demystified" and by Dr. Santosh Ravindran, who spoke on the topic "Preventive Dentistry--The Future and its Profitability."

The Silver Jubilee 25th Annual Convocation and Awards Ceremony of the PFA India Section was held at Hotel Ocean Pearl, Mangalore, at 6 PM. PFA India Section Fellowship Certificates were awarded to 43 new inductees by the Chief Guest, Dr. Dibyendu Majumder, Principal of Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College, Kolkatta, and President of the Dental Council of India. The Silver Jubilee December 2011 issue of the Journal of PFA was released by the Guest of Honour, Sri. N. Vinaya Hegde, Chancellor of NITTE University, Mangalore. A monograph on "Radiographic Features of Common Important Benign Jaw Lesions" by Brigadier Prof. Fellow Dr. S.C. Anand VSM (rtd) was released by the Chief Guest.

The Chief Guest presented eight PFA Best Outgoing BDS Student Awards, five PFA International Senior Student Awards, two PG Student Awards, a PFA International Student Undergraduate Certificate of Merit to Ms. R. Chaithanya of Vishnu Dental College, Bhimavaram, a PFA International Certificate of Merit for 2010 to Prof. Dr. A.P. Chitre from Mumbai, and Special Silver Jubilee PFA International Certificates of Merit, in appreciation of 25 years of service to the India Section of PFA, to the Chief Editor, Prof. Fellow Dr. V.P. Jalili, and the Secretary and Treasurer, Prof. Fellow Dr. T. Samraj. One hundred fifty delegates attended the ceremony and the dinner.

--Submitted by Dr. T. Samraj, Secretary, PFA India Section

Nepal

As part of the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the PFA India Section, an International Conference was jointly organized with the Orthodontic and Dentofacial Orthopedic Association of Nepal. The Conference took place at Kathmandu, Nepal, November 15-16, 2011. The Conference included 120 participants from four countries with 16 speakers from India, U.A.E., and Bangladesh and 19 speakers from Nepal. A Special Convocation was held the evening of November 15, 2011, at which time seven Fellows from Nepal and six Fellows from India were admitted. The Convocation was followed by an entertainment program and dinner.

Japan

The Japan section of the Pierre Fauchard Academy met on the afternoon of October 29, 2011, in the Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel. It was the 42nd Annual Meeting of the PFA Japan Section. Eighty people were in attendance. Nine new Fellows were inducted into the Academy: Dr. Toshimasa Ouhara, Dr. Toshitsugu Inubushi, Dr. Nobuto Sakamoto, Dr. Hisako Nanasawa, Dr. Jun Hikita, Dr. Masatsugu Nagasaki, Dr. Katuhiko Kuramae, Dr. Yoshiro Fujii (absent), and Dr. Hirokazu Matsuzaki ( absent). PFA International President Dr. Joseph C. Harris and his wife, Ana, along with Past President of the Korean section Dr. Kim Jong Won and his wife, attended the ceremony. The meeting was facilitated by the Executive Chairman, Dr. Yasuo Suga. The Chairman of the meeting, Dr. Minoru Yamamoto, gave an opening address followed by presentations by Japan Section Chair Dr. Keishi Matsumoto and PFA International President Dr. Harris. The President of the ICD Japan, Dr. Megumi Amano, also congratulated the Japan Section. A Changing of the President ceremony was conducted by Dr. Kiyoshi Ohura. Vice-President Dr. Fumio Sato gave the closing address.

A fine scientific lecture and cultural lecture were provided. Dr. Yasunori Sumi from the Division of Oral and Dental Surgery, Department of Advanced Medicine, on the topic of "Coherence Tomography System and Its Clinical Application," and Mr. Okabe Kaien, The Shingon Sect Chizan-ha Sect General Affair President and The Osu-kannon pipe master, spoke on the topic of "It lives to the truth."

The next meeting will take place in Sapporo on September 29, 2012.

Romania

On December 8, 2011, the new Romanian Section of the Pierre Fauchard Academy held its inaugural meeting at the Intercontinental Hotel. The meeting started with a Scientific Session that consisted of three lectures. Two of the presenters are founding Fellows of the Romanian Section, Drs. Mariana Pacurar and Christina Bortun, and the third speaker was the newly inducted Dr. Veronica Mercut. Dr. Pacurar spoke about orthodontic treatment and its cause and effects on the temporomandibular joint in adolescence and young adults. Dr. Bortun spoke about FEM analyses of strength for complete dentures made by "Eclipse Resin System" and Dr. Mercut ended the session by speaking on the topic of bruxism.

The second part of the meeting was a round table discussion entitled "Dental Medicine and the Global Economic Crisis: American, West-European and East-European Perspectives" moderated by PFA Region 1 Trustee José Dahan, PFA Belgium Section Chairman Christiann Colpaert, and PFA Romanian Section Chairman Dr. Corneliu Amariei.

Following the round table discussion was the induction ceremony for new Fellows: Dr. Veronica Mercut, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Craiova; Dr. Radu Septimiu Campian, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca; Dr. Carmen Stela Hanganu, Faculty of Dental Medicine, "Gr. T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Associate Professor in the Department of Community Dentistry; Dr. Oleg Dobrovolschi, private practice; Dr. Tiberius Tirca, private practice; and Dr. Petrut Gheorghe Tomescu, private practice and Vice-President of the Prahova County Dental Council.

The new inductees represent an even mix of the public and private sectors of the Romanian dental community. These separate and functional sectors have steadily evolved since the demise of the Ceausescu communist regime in 1989, and there is no better representation of how the private and public dental institutions have faired since communism than the work of Dr. Armariei, of the Faculty of Dental Medicine of Ovidius University Constanta, and Dr. Dobrovolschi, owner of the Donit Association.

The Ovidius University Constanta Social Dental Clinic aids the Romanian dental patient population that lacks the finances to obtain dental services. The University has three dental clinics totaling 150 chairs. The Romanian dental school system encompasses 6 years of training. The first 2 years are general sciences, while the final 4 years are focused on theoretical and practical dental training. Fifth- and sixth-year dental students are responsible for providing treatment to the patients of the Social Dental Clinics. The vast majority of patients seen at the clinics are geriatric and people in the 5- to 18-year-old age group. Theoretically, all children have government dental insurance; however, the reimbursement rate is so low (100-200 Euros per month for ALL patients served) that very few dentists accept the Bismark system-based social insurance.

Dr. Amariei has dedicated his efforts to maintaining the solvency of the clinics so that these underserved populations will continue to receive top-quality dental work. The University dental program is composed of 300 dental students and 250 dental technician students who undergo 3 years of training. The school also has a dental hygiene program; however, this program is dormant because no potential students apply as a result of the low wages paid to hygienists in Romania.

Forty dental professors and 20 general medicine professors are on staff. Approximately 20% of the school's dental graduates continue their eduction to specialize in oral surgery, oral maxillofacial surgery, periodontics, prosthodontics, and endodontics. Because of European law, pediatric dentistry and public health are not considered specialties. As a means of maintaining the integrity of the admissions process, Dean Amariei rarely accepts students from outside of Romania.

Dr. Oleg Dobrovolschi is the owner of the Donit Association located in Brasov. This high-tech facility consists of 15 operatories that are manned by 14 doctors, many of which are specialists in orthodontics, endodontics, esthetic orthodontics, periodontists, and prosthodontics. All services are provided in the clinic under close collaboration between the entire staff. Dr. Dobrovolschi has the ultimate say in the final treatment plan and sequencing of the treatment; however, it should be noted that the environment is far from dictatorial.

Since it was opened 14 years ago, the Donit Association has treated more than 40,000 patients and placed more than 17,000 implants. Because of its stellar reputation and competitive fees, Donit Association is now at the top of the list for "Dental Tourism" in Europe and has become a destination location for patients from Germany, Ireland, and England.

Dr. Dobrovolschi is also the coordinator of a continuing education course series conducted at the Apollonia Hotel in Brasov, where 360 dental technicians and 127 dentists take practical and theoretical courses once a month for 3 days at 8 hours per day.

Both Drs. Amariei and Dobrovolschi believe that dentistry in Romania is entering a Renaissance period, and both are very proud to be at the forefront of a very bright future.

USA

Michigan

Pierre Fauchard Statue Presentation

During the Executive Board Meeting of the Michigan Dental Association on Friday, December 2, 2011, The Michigan Section of the Pierre Fauchard Academy presented a bronze statue of Pierre Fauchard to Michigan Dental Association's President, Dr. Connie Verhagen and Mr. Drew Easton, Executive Director of the MDA. The presentation was made by Dr. Joe Harris, President of the Pierre Fauchard Academy International and by Michigan Section Chair, Dr. Ed Hirsch. PFA Region 4 Trustee Cheri Newman also attended. The statue will be placed in a prominent position in the lobby of the Michigan Dental Association located in Okemos, Michigan.

Utah

On March 10, 2011, the majority of the members of the Utah Section of the Pierre Fauchard Academy convened for the Annual Business Meeting, which also serves as the unofficial kickoff of the Utah Dental Association Annual Meeting. Section co-chairs Richard O. Petty and Richard C. Engar were pleased to introduce many distinguished guests, who included past and current Utah Dental Association officers as well as the dean and assistant deans of the new dental school, which would soon open its doors in the Salt Lake City area.

New members inducted included two past Utah Dental Association presidents, J. Jerold Boseman and James Williamson, and an up and coming young dentist, Glenn A. Zeh. Dr. Engar also was pleased to bestow the 2011 PFA Distinguished Dentist award to a well-deserving Dr. Petty, who has served long and effectively as the Utah Section Chair and now Co-Chair.

Following the inductions and presentations, Dr. Engar turned the podium over to Dr. Richard Buchanan, who introduced his associate deans of what is now to be called the Roseman University College of Dental Medicine, nee the University of Southern Nevada School of Dentistry, which was scheduled to begin instruction of its first freshman class in August 2011. The Utah Section of the PFA was privileged to be the first organization to receive a firsthand progress report on this dental school.

In May 2011, Dr. Engar and Dr. Gary W. Lowder were pleased to present a scholarship courtesy of the Utah PFA Section to Sam J. Delahunty, a first-year RDEP student who completed his first year of dental school at the University of Utah and will be heading on to Creighton to complete his dental education.

Georgia

We are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Georgia Section of the Pierre Fauchard Academy this year. Our Georgia Annual Meeting on February 3-5, 2012, will have a beautiful new venue at Chateau Elan.

Karyn Stockwell and I represented the PFA Georgia Section at the 2011 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. The Section Chair meeting was very informative, and the Presidential Dinner was wonderful. It was an opportunity to meet many dentists from around the world and continue to build and improve our Academy.

Last year, the national Foundation of the PFA provided a scholarship to a dental student at Georgia Health Science University and gave generous support to our Georgia Mission of Mercy program.

Our Georgia section will be able to provide a scholarship to a student and honor one of our GHSU faculties again this year. Seventeen new Fellows were inducted into PFA Georgia section membership in 2011.

--Submitted by PFA Georgia Section Chair Robin Reich and PFA Region 3 Trustee Karyn Stockwell