Professor Kichibee Otsuka, President

I am pleased to announce that the 21st General Meeting of the Japanese Association for Dental Science will be held for three days from November 14 to November 16, 2008 at Pacifico Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, under the theme “Set yourself the goal of oral health! – Dental practice: Toward the future.”

In today's society characterized by the availability of increasingly sophisticated and complicated information, aging, and a declining birthrate, the environment surrounding dentistry faces new and diverse challenges. As many professionals in the field share the belief that dysphagia rehabilitation and dental care at the end of life are ways to improve quality of life of the elderly, particularly those who suffer from ailments, significant progress is being made in related research and treatment. Moreover, increased specialization in dentistry has sparked various moves, such as creating specialists in respective disciplines, making dental internship mandatory, and extending the training period for dental hygienists to three years, in response to the requirements of highly specialized dental medicine. With that backdrop in mind, all dental professionals are expected to provide dental health care for the future under shared vision and values, with the goal of going beyond oral health and benefiting the overall physical health of our fellow citizens.

For the convenience of all participants, the Organizing Committee of the General Meeting has decided to hold scientific programs and the 11th Japan Dental Show at the same venue. During the General Meeting, an open forum will also be held for the general public as an opportunity to learn more about dental health care.

Let this General Meeting be an impetus to sustain innovations in dental medicine and dental health care, and one that is truly meaningful to all participants. To that end, your support and presence would be very much appreciated.