After having organized our very First International Conference of the Pakistan Prosthodontics Association (PPA) in Lahore in October 2012 in which I was nominated as the President Elect of the PPA (Report in JPPA 2013; 01(01): 49-60).1 With this I was assigned the task of holding the Second International PPA Conference in Peshawar. Knowing about the tremendous difficulties of holding an international conference in Peshawar, the Capital city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as Chairman of the PPA conference 2013 and Chair Scientific Committee PPA Conference 2013, I invited colleagues and postgraduate students so as to constitute a representative Organizing Committee of the PPA Conference 2013. We had the blessings of Dr. Abdus Samad Bangash, the most senior prosthodontics teacher from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who kindly consented as the Patron of the PPA conference. I am highly grateful to Dr. Syed Nasir Shah (Co-chair Conference & Co-chair Scientific Committee), Dr Asif Ullah Khan & Dr. Hazrat Mir (Chair & Co-chair Registration Committee), Dr. Muhammad Fayyaz & Dr. M. Sartaj Khan (Chair & Co-chair Management Committee), Dr. Fahimullah Khattak & Dr Akbar Badshah (Chair & Co-chair Hospitality & Accommodation Committee), Dr. Muhammad Raza & Dr. M. Ali Chughtai (Chairman & Co-chair Publications & Conference Conduct Committee). Dr. Munir Khan & Dr. Majid Zia (Chairman &Co-chair Premises & Exhibition Committee). With these in the front line, there were many postgraduate & undergraduate students and Dental House Officers who actually implemented the practicalities involved with tremendous contributions. All the necessary security protocols and reinforcements at all the premises and venues were ensured for our learned Pakistani and international guest speakers from Europe.
We also had the support of all the Vice Chancellors in the University Campus including the Vice Chancellor of the Khyber Medical University Peshawar and the Directorates of Administration of the University of Peshawar, Islamia College Peshawar, Agriculture University Peshawar, and Pakistan Forest Institute Peshawar.
The conference opened with a day-long scientific program by Professor Dr. Najib ul Haq, Dean Peshawar Medical & Dental College, Peshawar. This was followed by the introductory Remarks by Dr. Fazal Ghani, Chairman PPA Conference & President Elect PPA. Professor Dr. Najib –ul- Haq, Dean Peshawar Medical & Dental College emphasized on the role of research in bringing positive changes and improvement in our health-care system. This whole day was reserved for presentations of the postgraduate prosthodontics students.
The Chair, Co-chair and Secretary for the first scientific sessions respectively were; Dr. Shah Muhammad Ghaus of the Dental Section, Ayub Medical College (AMC) Abbottabad, Dr. Bashir (AMC) and Dr. Asif Ullah Khan of Khyber College of Dentistry (KCD) Peshawar.
The next student session’s Chair, Co-chair and Secretary were; Dr. Muhammad Raza of the Peshawar Dental College (PDC) Peshawar, Dr. Faisal Pasha of the Women Medical & Dental College (WMDC) Abbottabad and Dr. Hasan Naveed of the WMDC Abbottabad. The third scientific session’s Chair, Co-chair and Secretary were; Dr. Jawad Ahmad Kundi (SBDC, Peshawar), Dr. Shakeel ur Rehman Khattak (SBDC, Peshawar) and Dr. Murad Ali (SBDC, Peshawar).
All presentations were found excellent with the conference Hall full of participants and delegates all the day. There were presentations that covered removable partial denture (RPD) design, mouth preparation for RPD, fixed prosthodontics, occlusion, bruxism and dental esthetics including several very nice presentations on shade selection for patients’ prostheses. Three best presenters / speakers were identified by the judges. Parallel to the three scientific sessions held on the day, the participants also enjoyed and showed keen interest in the dental industry trade stalls held on the occasion.
The Second day of the conference The Chief Guest was Mr. Asad Qaisar, Honorable Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. In this session, “Life Time Achievement Awards” were conferred on 12 eminent and senior prosthodontics teachers and clinicians with interest and contribution in the specialty in the country. The Awards were conferred on; Dr. Abdus Samad Bangash (Retired Professor &HoD Prosthodontics, KCD, Peshawar), Dr. Gohar Zaman Babar (Retired Professor &HoD, Prosthodontics & Dental Material Sciences, KCD, Peshawar), Professor Dr. Altamash (Dean, AIDM, Karachi), Dr. Ahmad Jan (Dr. Jan & Associate Dental Surgeons, Peshawar), Brig. Dr. Abdul Basit (IIDC, Islamabad), Dr. Abdul Rashid Malik (Retired Professor & Prosthodontists, Islamabad), Brig. Retired. Dr. Kabir Ahmad (Ex-HoD, Prosthodontics AFID & currently HoD Prosthodontics, IIDC, Islamabad), Maj. Gen (R). Noor Husain (Ex-Commandant, AFID, Rawalpindi & FMCMD, Lahore)), Col. Dr. Asad Abdullah Zaidi (Ex-HoD Prosthodontics & currently HoD Prosthodontics, Margalla College of Dentistry, MIHS, Rawalpindi), Professor Dr. Tariq Zaman Ahmad (Ex-HoD Prosthodontics & Principal DMCD, Lahore & Dean of Dental Faculty, UoL, Lahore), Professor Dr. Nazia Yazdanie (Ex-HoD Prosthodontics & Principal, DMCD, Lahore & currently Dean PG Studies &HoD Prosthodontics, FMCMD, Lahore) and Professor Dr. Muhammad Zulfiqar (Ex-HoD Prosthodontics & currently Principal, Multan Medical & Dental College, Multan).
At the numerous stalls, on display were; the modern dental technology and equipment including dental materials, dental accessories including ; digital CAD-CAM milling machines and optical scanners and imaging accessories for the precise and prompt fabrication of dental prostheses.
The scientific sessions were enriched with presentations and ‘Keynote Lectures” of eminent national speakers. The Chair, Co-chair and Secretary of the next session were; Dr. Zubair Durrani, a renowned consultant in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Rahman Medical Institute (RMI) Peshawar, Professor Dr. M. Saleem (KCD) Peshawar and Dr. Fahimullah Khattak (PDC, Peshawar). The next keynote lecture in
the session was a presentation based on the clinical work of Harold M. Shavell (Chicago, USA) presented by Dr. Fazal Ghani.
The last session of the day-2 started with its chairman as Dr. Tahir Ali Khan of SBDC, Dr. Muhammad Rizwan Memon of the Institute of Dentistry at Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS) Jamshoro Hyderabad as Co-chair and Dr. M. Sartaj Khan of SBDC as the Secretary.
On 28 September 2013, the “PPA Conference Dinner Cum Cultural Show” was held. More than 900 delegates attended this event. The chief Guest on the Occasion was Mr. Shahram Khan Tarakai, Minister for Agriculture, Science & Information Technology Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On the stage chairs were arranged for seating Professor Dr. M. Ozcan of the Zurich University Dental School Switzerland and Honorary Secretary European Prosthodontics Association (EPA), Mr. Shahram Khan Tarakai Minister for Agriculture, Science & Information Technology Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Professor Dr. Cees de Baat, Radboud University Dental School, The Netherlands and the Past President of the European Prosthodontics Association (EPA) and Dr. Fazal Ghani, President Pakistan Prosthodontics Association (PPA). A brief function for the Launching of the first issue of the journal of the Pakistan Prosthodontics Association (JPPA) was also held on the occasion.
The three “Best Student Speakers” were; Dr. Samia Manzar (First), Dr. Ehtisham Khan (Second) and Dr. Aamna Mansur (Third) all from the Department of Prosthodontics, Khyber College of Dentistry Peshawar. Among the others who were presented Conference Crests were; Mr. Tariq of Tariq Dental Laboratory Pesh awar, Professor Dr. Najib –ul Haq (Peshawar Medical & Dental college Peshawar), Mr. Ghulam Noorani (Gandhara University, Peshawar), Professor Dr. Cees. de. Baat, Professor Dr. Mutlu Ozcan, Professor Dr. Nazia Yazdanie, Dr. Mahmood Husain, Dr. Muhammad Rizwan Memon, Col. Dr. Azad Ali Azad, Professor Dr. Asif Ali Shah, Professor Dr. Sajid Naeem, Professor Dr. Abdul Mueed Zaigham, Dr. Tehmina Asad, Dr. Salman Ahmad, Dr. Fahimullah Khattak, Dr. Muhammad Raza, Dr. Muhammad Ali Chughtai, Dr. Muhammad Sartaj Khan, Dr. Munir Khan, Dr. Akbar Badshah, Dr. Hazrat Mir, Dr. Sheema Shakir, Dr.Shafiullah Khan, Dr. Sajid Ali and many more. Professor Dr. Cees de Baat and Professor Mutlu Ozcan were next invited to the podium to give their remarks on the PPA Conference 2013.
Day-3 of the conference was reserved for two symposia and the last post-lunch session wholly dedicated for the keynote lectures of the international invited speakers. The Chair, Co-chair and Secretary of the first Symposium on implant prostheses were; Professor Dr. Nazia Yazdanie (FMCMD, Lahore), Professor Dr. Sahmim Akhtar (KCD, Peshawar) and Dr. Asif Ali Shah (DMCD, Lahore).
The second symposium entitled: “Understanding & Responding to The Challenging Situations”. The Chair, Co-Chair and Secretary of the symposium were; Dr. Tehmina Asad Tareen of the Dental Section, Bolan Medical college (BMC), Quetta (Baluchistan), Dr. Muhammad Fayyaz of the Dental Section AMC, Abbottabad and Professor Col. Dr. Azad Ali Azad of the AFID, Rawalpindi. The symposium started with the lecture of Professor Dr. Cees de Baat. He spoke at great length and depth on the “Effect of Poor Oral Health on General Health in the Frail Older People”. Dr. Baat also enlightened the participants with another lecture on “Causes of Pain in Complete Denture Wearing People”
The last session of the day and of the PPA conference was very special one. It was reserved for the very important keynote lectures of Invited International Guest Speakers who were senior professors in their
universities at The Netherlands and Switzerland and senior officers of the European Prosthodontics Association (EPA).
Following the main conference events, the next two days were reserved for holding the three hands-on workshops. On Monday 30 September 2013, two workshops with hands-on sessions were held. The facilitators for these workshops were; Professor Dr. Mutlu Ozcan, Department of Dental Materials, Prosthodontics and Dental Hygiene at the Zurich University Dental School, Switzerland, Dr. Fazal Ghani, Department of Prosthodontics Khyber College of Dentistry Peshawar and Dr. Syed Nasir Shah, Department of Prosthodontics Sardar Begum Dental College Peshawar. On Day-5, hands-on sessions were held by Dr. Fazal Ghani and Dr. Syed Nasir Shah about the course of events, procedures and about the efficacy and indications for the MDI System. They appreciated all the physical and financial supporters who contributed to the tremendous success of the PPA conference in Peshawar.
