Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

DENTAL TRIBUNE | January 2011 News 3A many, from March 22–26. In addition to the dental exhibi- tion, there will be a substantial specialists program supported by manufacturers, the German Dental Association and the Association of German Dental Technicians’ Guilds. Advance sales tickets are still available online on the Koeln- messe website (www.koelnmesse. de). DT Visitors of this year’s Internation- al Dental Show (IDS) in Cologne, Germany, should probably schedule more time to get their hands on the latest advancements in dentistry. After the record breaking show in 2009, the number of exhibitors has increased again due to more for- eign companies showing interest in becoming a part of the world’s larg- est dental trade fair, a representative from the organizer, Koelnmesse, told Dental Tribune. Overall, representatives of Koeln- messe expect more than 1,800 den- tal companies from 56 countries to attend the exhibition. Due to the high demand, Hall 2 will be opened for companies and visitors for the first time, the representative said. The additional requests for trade fair attendance mainly come from companies active within the fields of implant restorations and digita- lization. The number of companies exhibiting CAD/CAM system, for example, has increased by more than 40 percent compared to IDS 2009. “The great level of participation from all over the world is attribut- able to the fact that the International Dental Show is the leading trade fair for the entire international dental world,” said Oliver P. Kuhrt, execu- tive vice-president of Koelnmesse GmbH, when he summarized the exhibition concept. “No other event is able to present so many innovations and trends in such a unique range, both in breadth and depth.” According to Kuhrt, online busi- ness services will enable IDS visitors and exhibitors to get in touch with each other before the start of the show in March. The product catalog will also be revamped and presented with a new layout and improved search options. Owing to the growing popularity of mobile services, a free IDS app will be offered for iPhone, Blackberry and other mobile operating systems. Dr. Martin Rickert, chairman of the Association of the German Dental Manufacturers, said that despite the latest increase in trade exhibitors, IDS still remains an event that brings together dentists, technicians and all other dental professionals whose first priority is to maintain and advance oral health and the quality of life of patients worldwide. Also, research has shown that den- tistry has increasing potential for the early diagnosis of oral or systematic diseases, such as diabetes or cancer. “As manufacturers from the dental industry, we feel we are called upon here to provide dentists and dental technicians with everything that is necessary to achieve this goal,” Rick- ert said. The 34th International Dental Show will take place at the Cologne exhibition center in Cologne, Ger- AD IDS 2011: another record breaker for dentistry More than 10,000 dental profession- als attended the International Dental Show in 2009. (Photo/Provided by Koelnmesse, Germany) By Daniel Zimmermann, Dental Tribune International Group Editor