Islamabad: The 3rd international conference of Pakistan Prosthodontics Association was held at the Jinnah Auditorium of National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Islamabad. The theme conference of the conference was “Emerging Trends in Prosthodontics.” This mega event of the Pakistan Prosthodontics Association (PPA) was attended by over 600 participants including senior and junior level prosthodontists of the country in addition to prosthodontic faculty of different colleges, residents, house surgeons and undergraduate students. The main attraction of this conference was its rich scientific program. International speakers from various parts of the world attended the event as guest speakers. Prof. Dr. Atilla Sertgoz PhD and currently working in the Department of Prosthodontics at Marmara University College of Dentistry, Istanbul, three speakers from UK, namely Dr. Riaz Yar from Hale Barns, Dr. Zulaikha Burki from St. Guys’ and Thomas’ Hospital London and Dr. Habib Rehman of Eastman Dental Institute London, two speakers from Saudi Arabia including Dr. Iyad Ghoniem from Jeddah and Dr. Rashid Habib from King Saud University Riyadh and last but not the least, one speaker Dr. Mohammad Abdalla Al-Rabab’ah from the University of Jordan, Amman, making it a truly international conference. The preconference workshops were organized under the expert guidance and facilitation of the international speakers. The grand opening ceremony of the conference was formally inaugurated by the Chief guest Lt Gen Azhar Rasheed HI(M), Surgeon General , Medical Services Inter Services. The proceedings started with recitation of the Holy Qur’aan followed by the National Anthem. The chief guest in his address not only thanked the organizers but also appreciated their efforts in organizing the event and hoped that the conference would fulfill its role in professional development of the dentists. He also highlighted the role of his department in promoting medical education. Commandant Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry (AFID) Brig. Waseem Ahmed delivered the welcome address. He extended his gratitude to all international speakers and emphasized the importance of the conference in relation to continued professional development of the participants. Prof. Col. Azad Ali Azad, the President of PPA and chairman of the conference, delivered his address to the audience, providing details of the conference and the workshops. He also presented a historical background on prosthodontists in Pakistan and how the PPA came into being. Key note lecture on the conference theme was delivered by Prof. Dr. Nazia Yazdanie, the dean of Postgraduate Studies and Head of Prosthodontics at FMH College of Dentistry Lahore. She gave an overview about the past, present and future of prosthodontics in the country and quoted different local and regional studies in relation to her topic. After her lecture, conference mementos were distributed among the chief guest and Prof. Dr. Nazia Yazdanie. A gala dinner was organized at the beautiful location of Pak China Friendship Center. The event started with a beautiful cultural program highlighting the various cultural factions of the country. It received tremendous applaud from the audience. After a grand dinner, a musical program was presented which was highly appreciated especially by the younger participants. At the end of the day’s proceedings, the elimination round of quiz competition was held in the main auditorium hall, with teams from 9 different colleges of the country participating. The competition was attended by a number of students who remained busy in bucking up and supporting their respective teams during the questions. At the end of this round, the top 4 teams were selected for the final round.
In the evening, a recreational trip followed by dinner was organized for the prosthodontic faculty and the international guest speakers at the famous La Montana Restaurant in Pir Sohawa area. Everyone enjoyed the night sky and night view of the capital city from the Margalla Hills. A few of the speakers could not make it to the conference due to the developing political situation in the capital city. After the scientific sessions, the final round of quiz competition was held and after a tough match, at last, the team of CMH Lahore Medical and Dental College Lahore won the first prize of 30,000 Rs. Second position went to Sharif Medical and Dental College Lahore with a cash prize of 20,000 Rs. Team from Sardar Begum Dental College Peshawar stood third and were rewarded with a cash prize of 10,000 Rs while a consolation prize of 5,000 Rs. was given to the fourth team from FMH College of Dentistry Lahore. All teams received much applause and appreciation from the audience. Afterwards, the official closing ceremony was held and the Chief guest on the occasion was Dr Raza Bhatti and Syed Mohsin Director NUST. After the formal addresses by Prof. Col. Azad Ali Azad (conference chairman and president of PPA), Maj. Dr. Qayyum Akhter (general secretary of the conference) and the chief guest, conference mementos and shields were presented to the chief guests, the commandant AFID and Prof. Dr. Nazia Yazdanie. Afterwards, the conference sponsors were also appreciated and a representative of the platinum sponsor company Glow Pak International was given the dais to present his views on the conference. After a formal vote of thanks by the chairman of the conference, the ceremony ended with the National Anthem.
