CDA Essentials 2019 • Volume 6 • Issue 7

17 Issue 7 | 2019 | CDA at W ork “With over 30,000 participants from around the world, the ADA FDI World Dental Congress was one of the largest and most- attended joint dental meetings in recent history,” said Dr. Kathryn Kell, FDI president. The FDI Congress consists of a Scientific Program, Trade Show Exhibition, World Oral Health Forum and Parliamentary Meetings. At the latter, over 300 FDI delegates representing national dental associations debate oral health issues that impact global dentistry. Dr. Alexander (Sandy) Mutchmor, CDA president, led the Canadian delegation at this year’s meetings. CDA primarily attends the FDI World Dental Congress for three strategic purposes: to influence international policy statements on oral health, to gather intelligence and information on trends and issues in global oral health, and to build alliances with like- minded national dental associations and other groups. Along those lines, CDA participated in the annual meeting of the Perth Group which brings together representatives from seven countries (Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Japan, South Korea, USA and Canada). The CDA delegation also attended a series of bilateral meetings with the leadership of other like-minded national associations. The Parliamentary Meetings convenes voting delegates from FDI member countries for discussion on official FDI policy statements. Among the policy statements considered this year were Access to Oral Healthcare Among Vulnerable and Underserved, Antibiotic Stewardship in Dentistry, and Infection Prevention and Control in Dental Practice. The final versions of all 2019 policy statements will be available on the FDI website, once finalized. The CDA delegation also participates in the FDI elections for council and committees and the position of FDI President-Elect. This year, Dr. Jack Cottrell, CDA past-president (2005–06) of Port Perry, Ontario, was one of three candidates in the running for this prestigious position. When the voting was completed, Professor Ihsane Ben Yahya of Morocco was elected to the position. “CDA congratulates and thanks Dr. Cottrell for his many years of service to the FDI as a Council Member for 6 years and as Treasurer for two terms,” says Dr. Mutchmor. “Jack has made valuable contributions to enhancing the standing of FDI from a strategic, governance and financial perspective.” ADA FDI World Dental Congress A Snapshot of Global Oral Health The 2019 FDI World Dental Congress took place in San Francisco, California, in September, in conjunction with the American Dental Association (ADA) annual meeting.