A goal of the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry (IAPD) is to provide scientific meetings to further exchanges of scientific information. By improving the scientific education of those who provide oral health care, treatment and prevention improves as well. This is one way to improve the dental health of children. It is unfortunate that many of those most needing the education cannot afford to travel from their countries to obtain continuing education.

In 2001 the Board of The International Association of Paediatric Dentistry recognized the need for an educational outreach program for less wealthy nations. Consequently, the project Dentists for All Children (DENFAC) was designed to assist university teachers in those countries.

At the Hong Kong Congress, the Board and Council of IAPD recognized the need to increase education to practicing dentists who provide care for children in less wealthy nations. Both administrative bodies approved the concept of IAPD Regional Meetings. Similar to the DENFAC project, IAPD members will volunteer their services and sponsorships will be required for other expenses. Hence, we now have two educational outreach programs.

An IAPD Regional Meeting is envisioned to be a 2-3 day affair and it will feature several speakers. These Regional Meetings can be independent of any other meeting, in other words a stand alone meeting, or they can be attached to a local, national or another type of societal meeting. They will be in a lecture format rather than a hands-on program. Briefly, this is how to have a regional meeting:

• A host nation contacts the Secretary General requesting a Regional Meeting.
• The host nation has to be a National Society member.
• The planned meeting needs to attract an audience of at least 100 persons who were not previously IAPD members.
• IAPD will cover air and hotel expense for speakers.
• The cost to participants is the price of an IAPD individual membership. Thus for the cost of an individual membership, participants receive one year IAPD membership with journal, admission to the meeting and all other privileges of membership.
• The host nation receives funds to offset their expenses.

The Regional Meetings are designed to be a win-win situation for both the host and our organization. Education is provided to the host. IAPD is strengthened through increased membership. There are many more details but this briefly describes the new outreach program. Interested persons should contact Professor Gerald Wright, Secretary General by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it