9th NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS' COLLABORATION PLATFORM MEETING
As a part of TDA 26th International Dental Congress 9th Neighborıng Countries Dental Assocıatıons Collaboration Platform Meetıng, which aims to increase scientific and economic collaboration and exchange ideas on the area of Dentistry between neighboring countries, which have geographic, historical, social, and professional and cultural ties with Turkey.
The Meeting attended by TDA President Dr. A.Tarık İşmen, Secretary-General K.Tümay İmre, Audit Commission Reporter Kıvanç Bektaş Kayhan and TDA Foreign Affairs Commission Members Prof. Dr. Taner Yücel, Prof. Nermin Yamalık, Prof. Dr. Hande Şar Sancaklı, Asst. Prof. Duygu İlhan and Asst. Prof. Uğur Ergin; also attended by World Dental Federation (FDI) President Prof. Ihsane Ben Yahya, Azerbaijan Association of Stomatology President Prof. Rana Aliyeva, Bosnian & Herzegovina Dental Association President Prof. Sedin Kobasilija and Secretary-General Prof. Nina Markovic, Bulgarian Dental Association President Asst. Prof. Nikolai Sharkov, Morocco Dental Association Secretary-General Dr.Nabila Alami Idrissi, Iranian Dental Association President Dr. Ali Tajerna, Member of the Board and Foreign Affairs Commission President Dr. Behnam Abbasian, Kazakhstan Dental Association of Stomatology Board Chairwoman Prof. Marina Kopbayeva, Cyprus Turkish Dental Association President Dr. Kaan Asvaroğlu, Chamber of Dentists Kosovo President Prof. Blerim Kamberi, Republic of Kyrgyzstan Association of Stomatology President Prof. Abibilla Kalbaev, Egyptian Dental Association President Prof. Maguid Amin Mohammed, Secretary-General Prof. Ahmet Farid Shebab, Lebanese Dental Association President Assoc. Prof. Ronald Yournes, Macedonian Dental Chamber President Dr. Marijan Denkovski, and Vice President Dr. Mrilind Selimi, Pakistan Dental Association Secretary-General Prof.Nasir Ali Khan, Uzbekistan Dental Association President Prof. Rakmatulla Nigmatov, Yemen Dental Association President Dr. Mohamed Salem Binhafid.
The Meeting was held with the following agenda.
1. Agenda
2. World Dental Federation’s (FDI ) definition of oral health and the effects of expanding dental health definition on dental education and professional practices.
3. Assessment of professional developments and activities of working groups.
• Activities of Immigrant Working Group
• Activities of Research and Education Group
4. Effects of immigration due to war and inner conflicts on dental health and the situation of immigrant dentists.
5. Professional matters, challenges, and agenda ve developments among the member countries.
6. Assessment of bilateral collaboration opportunities.
7. Determinating the working program and primary Professional subjects upcoming period.
8. Wishes and requests
9. Closing
In his opening speech, TDA President A. Tarık İsmen said, "As Turkish Dental Association, we are proud to host this platform, and with the attendance of our FDI President, it is significant that sharing the current challenges of our profession and our perspectives for the future in Istanbul, where the continents meet.
When I started the practice, the definition of dental health had no scope aside from “health of the teeth.”
Today, as President of a professional association, we have an utterly different vision.
Due to the ongoing war and civil unrest in neighborhood countries and its socio-economic effects, our country allowed nearly ten million immigrants in 11 years.
Social and economic reflection of this immigration manifested itself in the area of health as well. While the frequency of measles and viral infections such as foot and mouth disease increased, booster shots came into question. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has made its remark over the last three years, also profoundly affected dental health.
Our public worker dentists colleagues joined the filiation with great devotion.”
Ismen also said, "Our collaboration with FDI on Tobacco Cessation, the Workshop of Tobacco Cessation, will be held to educate the dentists. This is a community health service that we emphasize with diligence.
Once again, welcome to the meeting with Turkish Dental Association, which collaborates to set a precedent both in our region and in the world and to be a closer follower of developments and to be the creator of the innovations in dental health!”
President Ismen closed his opening speech by thanking Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) for their contributions.
At the meeting declaration of the Neighboring Countries Dental Association on the definition of oral health has been updated as follows:
World Dental Federation (FDI) defines oral health as follows:
“Oral health is ‘multifaceted and includes the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow, and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort, and disease of the craniofacial complex.”
It is obvious that this latest definition, while listing the important functions related to oral health, also highlights the importance of oral health both from a physical health and mental health perspective.
The Neighbouring Countries Dental Associations Collaboration Platform (NDACP) supports this latest definition of the oral health of FDI and encourages the promotion of this definition.
Participating members of the Immigration Working Group Assist. Prof. Duygu Ilhan, Azerbaijan Dental Association President, Prof. Dr. Rena Aliyeva, Bulgarian Dental Association President Asst. Prof. Nikolai Sharkov shared their study, which addressed the current immigration crisis’s tremendous responsibility on the related universal institution. It was also stated that to be able to influence decision-makers on a national and international level, real life stories can be conveyed with the meticulous study.
Also, in the same study, it is specified that there are two big risk groups: the immigrants who lack adequate dental health care and dentists who have to leave their countries and can not practice their profession.
The study of Education and Working Grupus addressed the importance of the level of education to be able to speak the same language. With this aim, it has been decided that various surveys focusing on the education systems of members’ countries will be taken.
