today Australian Dental Congress

welcome02 ADC Brisbane 2015 Giving shape to the landscape, the river twists through our city. Brisbane boasts a warm and wel- coming personality. In recent years, we have worked hard to consolidate this friendly reputation through our Brisbane Greeters programme. These are locals with a passion for sharing their local knowledge and introducing you to our home. WithourstrongproximitytoAsia, Brisbane has an international feel. We recently hosted the G20 summit, ensuring further global recognition of our city. It is also passionate about digital innovation. We were the sec- ondcityintheworldtoappointachief digital officer. Complementing this is our strong culture of entrepreneur- ship as demonstrated by our start-up culture,ourstrongretailoffering,and our culture of food and fine dining. Festivals as diverse as BrisAsia and the Brisbane Comedy Festival punctuate our calendar, and the city hosts the internationally recognised AsiaPacificScreenAwards.Thisyear, the Asia Pacific Cities Summit, one of the region’s premier business and civicforums,willtakeplacehere.This provides a platform for governments and businesses to identify a common agenda, improve city governance, and promote trade and investment opportunities in the entire region. We are looking forward to welcom- ing you to our cosmopolitan and tropical city. Welcome toAustralia’s new world city Message from the Right Honourable,the Lord Mayor of Brisbane,Councillor Graham Quirk It is with great pleasure that Iwelcomealldentists,theirfamilies, staff and other persons associated with the dental profession to the 36th Australian Dental Congress in Brisbane. The theme for the congress is “Thefutureishere”.Themainspeak- ers will be discussing whether the future is here or whether further innovation and development are possible. The overall slogan for this con- gress and indeed all congresses since 2010 is “Educating for dental excellence” and this underpins the core business of the congress: the scientific programme. The Scientific Program Division, chaired by Prof. Ian Meyers, has arranged a contemporary and com- prehensive programme featuring three overseas keynote speakers who will present unopposed on the opening day and at the final session on Sunday. In addition to this, there will be papers by local and inter- national presenters. With four con- currentsessionsandadiverserange of topics to choose from, there is something for everyone. In addition, there are pre-con- gress courses at three venues and 20LunchandLearnsessionsoneach of the three days, providing regis- trants with the opportunity for a more personal learning experience. There are extended programmes for dental assistants, practice man- agers and other members of the dental team too. A comprehensive accompanying persons’ programme has been or- ganised to provide a broad range of activities catering for all interests. There is also an accompanying per- sons’ lounge for meeting and relax- ation. Dr Marcus Tod, Chairman of the EntertainmentDivision,hasarranged a not-to-be-missed welcome recep- tion on the Wednesday evening and a spectacular entertainment event for Saturday night. The scientific programme is important, but the socialeventsprovideanopportunity to renew old friendships and make new ones. All of this is taking place in the Brisbane Convention and Exhibi- tion Centre, an award-winning and world-class venue. It is adjacent to the South Bank precinct with its numerous cafés and restaurants and, of course, its beach with life- guards.Forthosewithmorecultural interests, there is the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queens- land Museum, the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art. The latest congress information and updates are available at the congresswebsite,www.adc2015.com, as well as via the congress app. I hope that you enjoy the scien- tific and social programmes and ex- periencethehospitalityofBrisbane. There is something for everyone Welcome message from Dr David H.Thomson,chairman of the local organising committee for the 36th Australian Dental Congress Having been actively involved in the health care business for over 30 years, Melbourne-based practice managerGarySmithiswellawareof the shifting demands practitioners are facing today. Increasing service levels, changing expectations of pa- tients, and achieving a competitive edge through up-to-date technology and procedures place increasing pressure on health care profession- als in terms of both their time and resources, he said. In his ADC men- toringsession,titled“Awork/lifestyle balance approach”, on Saturday, 28 March, Smith will address daily stressors and overall strategies to achieve a satisfactory work–life balance. today international had the opportunity to talk to him about this subject, and why new technology might not necessarily help reduce the burden. today international: Mr Smith, has the dental business changed much, and what are the main challengesoftodaycomparedwith the past? Gary Smith: The changing ex- pectations of patients are one of the greatest challenges the in- dustry has faced over the years. Patients’ demands are increasing, along with their expectations of the level of service to be provided. The acceptance of the level pro- vided by dental practitioners at times may differ from the level of service the patient actually ex- pects, however. The intrusion of government’s and health insurers’ requirements has changed over the years, and I believe that the provision of services will become more compli- cated as a result of further involve- mentofthesetwogroups.Ofcourse, one of the greatest challenges re- mains the running of a small to medium enterprise. This, as well as the increasing red tape and making a profit, will always pose a chal- lenge. Are practitioners today more likely to neglect their work–life balance in favour of patients? This depends on the age group of the practitioners and whether they are owners or contractors. Veterans, baby boomers and Generation X practitioners generally struggle with work–life balance and have a tendency to put their patient first. Generation Y practitioners in con- trast are very much aware of their work–lifestyle balance. Manydevelopedcountriescon- tinue to see an increase in the de- mand for dental care; what about Australia?Andisthereadisparity regarding the coverage of dental health care between rural and urban areas? There appears to be a shortage of qualified dentists, but it is all about thedistributionoftheprofessionals. There is indeed a disparity between the urban and the remote rural areas, and it usually needs a very special person to set up a private business in remote places. This can be a substantial financial and time commitment. Gary Smith “Itisverydifficulttoescapefromyourprofessionalstatus” An interview with Gary Smith,Melbourne Dr David H. Thomson Graham Quirk

today Australian Dental Congress

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