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Endo Tribune Asia Pacific Edition

Endo News ENDOTRIBUNE Asia Pacific Edition No. 3/201520 In early April, specialists and other dental professionals from the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions will be gather- ing in the Jordanian capital of Amman for the 18th time to at- tend the scientific congress of the Asian Pacific Endodontic Confederation (APEC), which will be held under the theme “Next generation endodon- tics”. Dental Tribune Asia Pacific had the opportunity to speak with Dr Ibrahim Abu Tahun, President of APEC and Assistant Professor of Endo- dontics at the University of Jordan’s Faculty of Dentistry, about the congress and the current state of the specialty in his home country. DentalTribuneAsiaPacific: Political tensions in the region remain high, particularly after the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris earlier this year. How is the current security situation in the country and especially in the capital? Dr Ibrahim Abu Tahun: The travel warnings released by Western foreign offices did not include Jordan or any part of it at any stage. Our country has officially condemned this crime and Their Majesties the King and Queen of Jordan led world leaders in the march against terrorism in Paris. Decades of political stability, moderation and tolerance under His Majesty’s wise leadership have made Jordan an oasis of peace and one of the top ten countries worldwide in terms of security. Could you give us an accu- rate view of the current status of endodontics in Jordan? There is a general surplus of dentists, both general practition- ers and specialists, entering the Jordanian market each year. The totalnumberofregistereddentists with the Jordanian Dental Associ- ationattheendof2011wasslightly over7,000,and10percentofthese were specialists. The kingdom currently prides itself on having thehighestnumberofhighlyqual- ified dental professionals with postgraduate qualifications com- paredwithanyothercountryinthe Middle East. Many of them have been trained in Western Europe, North America and Australia. Is endodontics therefore a recognised specialty in your country? In the past, Jordanian endo- dontists were members of the Jordanian Society of Conserva- tive Dentistry and had to practise under the umbrella and regu- lations of the Jordanian Dental Association. 2007 saw the estab- lishment of the Jordanian Endo- dontic Society. Endodontics is of the eight dental specialties recognised by the Jordan Med- ical Council, which is the highest medical authority responsible for the organisation of the med- ical profession and specialisa- tion in the country. Since then, endodontics has experienced significant progress in Jordan. Ranked number one in scien- tific research in the Arab world and 30th overall worldwide, the Jordanianeducationalsystemat- tracts a large number of foreign students. It is also home to many foreign universities’ campuses. The country is the region’s top medical tourism destination, as rated by the World Bank, and fifth intheworldoverall,havingevery- thing from highly skilled doc- tors to state-of-the-art facilities. Clinics here cater for all dentistry needs. Plans are currently under- way to make it a regional hub for the training of medical staff in the Middle East and North Africa. How many visitors do you expect for the APEC congress? Around 1,000 participants are expected to attend this large international event. Organised for the first time in our part of the world, the 18th APEC conference is going to attract dentists from all over the Arab world and the entire Asia Pacific region. What are the main topics, and who is the conference aimed at? The theme of the conference is“Nextgenerationendodontics”. The scientific programme, with emphasis placed on Asian Pacific experience, provided by speak- ers from the respective coun- tries, will have two parallel ses- sions with world-leading experts in the field, original clinical and scientific research posters, as well as pre- and post-congress hands-on sessions, covering the recent advancements and issues in the field. Our aim is to be a leading provider of evidence-based con- tinuing endodontic education for the entire dental team and anyone with a general interest in endodontics. How do you think the con- gressisgoingtoaffectendodon- tic treatment and diagnostics in the future? Such international meetings always constitute a platform for scientists and practitioners to update their knowledge and interact with the latest endo- dontic innovations worldwide to improve their knowledge and answer the ultimate question: where do we stand? In addition to the scientific programme, what can par- ticipants look forward to in Amman? This pioneer endodontic event in the Asia Pacific region is intended to connect colleagues from around the world to gener- ate and update knowledge and foster friendship. A wide range of dental products, including in- struments and other equipment, will be on display by our industry partners. It is a great pleasure and honour to welcome participants to the country where some of the earliest chapters of human civil- isation were written. Travelling toJordan,withitsrichheritageof biblical and historical sites, will provide visitors with a unique opportunity to enjoy the warmth and hospitality of our country and its people. Thank you very much for the interview. ET “...endodontics has experienced significant progress in Jordan.” AD Dr Ibrahim Abu Tahun “Our aim is to be a leading provider of evidence-based endodontic CE” An interview with APEC President Dr Ibrahim Abu Tahun, Jordan

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