Section of Defense Forces Dental Services
Defense Forces Dental Services provides a global forum for the exchange of ideas, innovations and concepts relevant to dentistry in the defense forces.
Executive Committee
SDFDS ANNUAL MEETING 2025
Join us for the SDFDS Annual Meeting 2025 in Xi’an, China on 5-8 Sept 2025!
We invite all our military dental professionals worldwide to attend what promises to be an exciting and eventful meeting!
With the support of the SDFDS Executive Committee, the meeting will locally be jointly organised by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) Stomatological Committee and The Third Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University (formerly known as School of Stomatology, the Fourth Military Medical University).
The Section of Defense Forces Dental Services (SDFDS) was established in 1904 as the military section of the World Dental Federation (¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý), providing a global forum for the exchange of ideas, innovations and concepts relevant to dentistry in the defense forces.
The Members of the Executive Committee are nominated and elected at the SDFDS Annual Meeting by attendees once every 3 years, with the next election due in 2026.
The SDFDS Annual Meeting is typically held over a 4-day period immediately prior to the ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý World Dental Congress. Following a Welcome Reception, delegates attend a 2-day Scientific Programme comprised of presentations from international military speakers and an open forum discussion covering a wide range of important topics such as Innovations in Military Dentistry, Strategizing Service Delivery, Ensuring Operational Readiness, Optimizing Clinical Care and Operational Military Dentistry. The meeting also often incorporates visits to the host nation’s military dental service facilities and places of cultural interest.
Attendees benefit from the professional interaction with their military dental peers, sharing with others their common and diverse experiences in the delivery of oral health care in military settings. The meeting provides an opportunity, too, for participants to attend one of the world’s largest gatherings of dentists at the ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý World Dental Congress.
We invite you to join us to gain knowledge, get connected and be inspired!
1900-2004 ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý Section of Defence Forces Dental Services
- Name
¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý Section of Defence Forces Dental Services
- ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý Constitution
- Objectives
(Article III) "The objectives of the ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý shall be to represent the profession of dentistry on a voluntary, non-governmental, international basis; to arrange an Annual World Dental Congress and to establish and encourage international programmes which will advance the science and art of dentistry and the status of the profession of dentistry in the interest of improved oral and general health for all peoples."
- Sections
(Paragraph 3.8 of Regulations)- Paragraph 3.8.1 "Sections are groups of individuals with a common occupation or special interest in a specific area of dentistry"
- Paragraph 3.8.2: "A Section of the ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý may be established by the Council."
- Paragraph 3.8.3: "The Section Executive shall be elected at the annual meeting of the Section and the election of the Executive shall be ratified by the Council. All members of the Section Executive shall be members of a Regular or Association Member Association of the ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý or be Individual Members of the ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý. Bylaws of a Section shall be approved by the Council and the Sections shall report and be accountable to the Council."
- Paragraph 3.8.4: "Possible costs for the respective Sections shall be estimated and submitted to the Finance Committee."
- Objectives
- Role and Responsibilities
The role and responsibilities of the Section of Defence Forces Dental Services are:- To provide a world forum for the exchange of ideas, innovations and concepts within the areas of Defence Forces Dental Services.
- To recruit and retain Members of the Section, to interact with these Members and to facilitate communication between the Members of the Section.
- To develop and propose educational programmes for the Annual World Dental Congress and for other ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý Conferences.
- To develop and submit draft ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý Statements to the council and to regularly update such Statements.
- To provide reports and papers for consideration for publication in the publications of the ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý and/or on the ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý's website.
- To interact with other international and national organisations on behalf of ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý, as agreed.
- To provide expertise in the area to the Council.
- To submit a proposed budget for the activities of the Section annually.
- To report to and interact with the Executive Office throughout the year.
- To provide at least one written report to the Council annually.
- Membership
Any individual who is a Regular Force Officer, Reserve Officer, Retired Officer or who has an interest in an affiliation to military dentistry may become and be a Member of the Section.
- Annual subscription
In accordance with the unanimous vote of the SDFDS membership (Vienna 2002), and as approved by the ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý Executive Director, it was decided that a tuition fee equivalent to $50 USD will be imposed on all military delegates to the annual SDFDS meeting.
- Executive
- The Executive of the Section consists of a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson and four Members, who shall all be Members of a Regular or Associate Member Association of the ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý.
- Nominations for the positions on the Section Executive may be submitted by Member Associations and by the Members of the Section. (Provided the proposed new wording of paragraph 3.8.3 of the Constitution is approved by the General Assembly, the following text applies):
- The Members of the Executive are elected at the Annual Meeting of the Section for a term of three years and may be elected for only one additional three-year term. The elections are to be ratified by the Council. (If the current wording of paragraph 3.8.3 of the Constitution remains unchanged, the following text applies):
- On the recommendation of the Section, the Members of the Executive are appointed by the Council for a term of three years and may be appointed for only one additional three year term.
- On the recommendation of the Section, the Members of the Executive are appointed by the Council for a term of three years and may be appointed for only one additional three year term.
- The Members of the Executive are elected at the Annual Meeting of the Section for a term of three years and may be elected for only one additional three-year term. The elections are to be ratified by the Council. (If the current wording of paragraph 3.8.3 of the Constitution remains unchanged, the following text applies):
- Business meetings
A business meeting of the Section may be organised by the Executive at the Annual Word Dental Congress for discussions about membership, budgets, programmes and activities of the Section, regarding the Executive and any other business.
- Ammendments of Bylaws
The bylaws of the Section may be amended by the Council - after consultation with and on the recommendation of the Section.
New Treasurer
Ottawa, Canada, 01 March 2025 – Col Genevieve Bussiere replaced Brigadier-General (BGen) Jean-Pierre Picard as Treasurer for the SDFDS Executive Committee. She is currently the Director Dental Services (July 2022) and Chief Dental Officer (October 2024) of the Canadian Armed Forces. BGen Jean-Pierre Picard recently retired from military service and served as Treasurer for the past 6 years: we express our sincerest appreciation to him for his contributions during his tenure. We wish him all the best in the next chapter of his illustrious career as Executive Director leading the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) Centre of Expertise, serving as the Professional and Technical Authority for the CDCP.
Brigadier-General Jean-Pierre Picard’s Change of Appointment as Canadian Armed Forces Chief Dental Officer to Colonel Genevieve Bussiere; Reviewing Officer is the Surgeon General / Director General Health Services at Canadian Armed Forces, Major-General Scott Malcolm.
Brigadier-General Picard after his address during his military retirement ceremony.
Message of Condolences
Indonesia, 27 January 2025 –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;On behalf of the Executive Committee and Members of the SDFDS, we express our deepest condolences to the family and staff at The Indonesian Naval Dental Institute, Ladokgi R. E. Martadinata on the recent passing of drg. Liem Tjing Kiat at the age of 94 years. His dedication and contributions to military dentistry, particularly as the founder of The Indonesian Naval Dental Institute, Ladokgi R. E. Martadinata, has left an enduring legacy that will continue to inspire generations of military dental professionals in the future, not just in Indonesia but in the wider military dentistry community worldwide. May his soul rest in peace.
drg. Liem Tjing Kiat, Founder of The Indonesian Naval Dental Institute, Ladokgi R. E. Martadinata
SDFDS ANNUAL MEETING 2024 – Istanbul, Turkiye
The Annual Meeting of the SDFDS was held in Istanbul, Turkiye from 09 to 12 September 2024 prior to the ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý Annual World Dental Congress. A Welcome Reception was held on 09 September 2023 at the Ahali Tesvikiye Restaurant in Istanbul where 61 delegates and accompanying persons from 21 countries were welcomed by Chair of the SDFDS Executive Committee, Capt (Navy) Nanda van de Kraats-van Klink from the Netherlands.
The Scientific Programme was held over two days at the Istanbul Congress Center. A total of 24 presentations were delivered across 5 themed-sessions, namely; Innovations in Military Dentistry, Strategising Service Delivery, Ensuring Operational Readiness, Optimising Clinical Care and Operational Military Dentistry. An open discussion forum on the contemporary topic of ‘Incorporating Digital Dentistry into Military Dentistry’ saw active engagement by many participants eager to share their experiences and learning for the benefit of all. A presentation and product display was held by Aseptico USA as sole sponsor for the meeting, showcasing their latest deployable dental equipment.
During the Cultural Day, delegates took a Ferry Cruise on the Bosphorus to Anadolu Kavagi, a charming fishing village on the Asian Shore. After a traditional seafood lunch, delegates hiked to the hilltop of the Byzantine Yoros Castle ruins and were rewarded with spectacular views of the Bosphorus and the Black Sea. The day ended with a tour of the Spice Bazaar and the Blue Mosque in Sultan Ahmet Square.
The SDFDS Executive Committee extends their deepest appreciation to all the delegates for attending the meeting and those that had contributed in making the event such a fruitful and memorable success! The meeting ended with a presentation by representatives of PLA China as the next host nation, followed by the Closing Ceremony. We look forward to meeting everyone again at SDFDS 2025 in Xi’an China!
Delegates of the SDFDS Meeting 2024 at the Istanbul Congress Center, Turkiye
Delegates at the Scientific Programme
PAST SDFDS ANNUAL MEETINGS
- 2022 – Sydney, Australia (Online)
- 2019 – San Francisco, USA
- 2018 –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 2017 –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Madrid, Spain
- 2016 –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Poznan, Poland
- 2015 –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Bangkok, Thailand
- 2014 –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;New Delhi, India
- 2013 –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Istanbul, Turkey
- 2012 –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Hong Kong, SAR
- 2011 –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Mexico City, Mexico
- 2010 –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Salvador de Bahia, Brazil
- 2009 –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Singapore
- 2008 – Stockholm, Sweden
- 2006 – Xi’an, China
- 2005 – Montreal, Canada
- 2004 – New Delhi, India
- 2003 – Sydney, Australia
- 2002 – Vienna, Austria
- 2001 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
SDFDS ANNUAL MEETING 2025 – Xi’an, China
We invite you to attend the SDFDS Annual Meeting from 05 to 08 September 2025 in Xi’an, China. It will be held immediately prior to and in conjunction with the 2025 ¾ÛÐÇÌåÓý World Dental Congress which will take place from 09 to 12 September 2025 in Shanghai, China, a 2-hour flight from Xi’an.
The venue for the Scientific Programme will be the Sofitel Xi’an on Renmin Square Hotel, 319 Dongxin Street, Xi'an, 710004, China.
The invitation letter is attached below.
If you wish to attend the meeting, kindly complete the Registration Form attached below and send to the SDFDS Secretary at sdfd.services@gmail.com, cc to the LOC Secretariat at AFMUSDFDS@163.com, no later than 05 August 2025.
If you wish to deliver a presentation at the meeting on a topic relevant to any aspect of military dentistry, kindly complete the Abstract Form attached below and send to the SDFDS Secretary at sdfd.services@gmail.com, cc copy to AFMUSDFDS@163.com no later than 30 June 2025.
For further inquiries, you may contact COL Jefri Razak, the SDFDS Secretary, or COL Catherine Prineas, the SDFDS Executive Officer, at sdfd.services@gmail.com.
The Local Organising Committee has also established a dedicated website for the event as per the link below:
For general queries, you may contact the SDFDS Executive Committee via email at: sdfd.services @gmail.com