Dr. Timucin Ari selected as IADH President Elect

The twenty-first International Association for Disability and Oral Health (IADH) Congress was held October 28-31, 2012 in Melbourne Australia. The IADH Congress, held every 2 years, brings experts special care dentistry together and features more than 200 oral and poster presentations. A wide range of health care providers from around the world were in attendance including dentists, doctors, psychologists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, speech language pathologists and social workers.

The IADH is an international association dedicated to improving oral health and quality of life for individuals with special needs. Dr. Timucin Ari has been an active member of the IADH for six years as the IADH Magazine editor. Having published 17 issues of the Magazine, the nomination committee elected to put Dr. Ari's name forward as a candidate. During the Congress in Melbourne, the council members of IADH voted Dr. Ari as the President Elect.

As President Elect, Dr. Ari is responsible for facilitating communication with members, contacting national associations to help promote oral health in special needs populations, encourage undergraduate core curriculum in special care dentistry to dental schools around the world, work with the scientific committee of the next IADH congress and assist the new editor of the IADH Magazine. His term as President will start at the 2014 IADH Congress in Berlin, Germany and will end in 2016 at the IADH Congress in Chicago, USA.

Dr. Ari has been involved with Special Care Dentistry for more than 12 years now. He first started working with this group of patients while completing his combined PhD Residency Program in Pediatric Dentistry in Turkey. Dr. Ari moved to Canada in 2010 and began working at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University.