Klaus Wowereit Governing Mayor of Berlin The International Association for Disability and Oral Health (iADH) has been dedicated to enhancing the oral health of people with disabilities for more than 40 years now. The association is the leader worldwide in this area and has pioneered many important initiatives on improving dental care and prevention. Berlin is therefore honored to have been chosen as the venue for the iADH World Congress in 2014, and I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all of the participants coming to Germany’s capital city for this congress. As a congress venue, Berlin offers an ideal setting for an international gathering like yours. For one thing, Berlin’s first dental treatment center for people with multiple se- vere disabilities recently opened in the Neukölln facility of our municipal hospital corporation Vivantes. In addition, our city has many other institutions that underscore its re- putation as a health care capital, including the Charité, as a flagship of modern research and treatment, and a broad spectrum of hospitals and dental practices. I am confident that your international congress will send a strong message on the sustainable improvement of pre- ventive efforts worldwide. And I am just as certain that this meeting in Berlin, thanks to the participation of interna- tional experts with a vast range of experience and exper- tise, will give new momentum to your work to improve dental care for people with disabilities. In this spirit, I would like to wish all the participants a safe trip to Berlin, a successful congress, productive exchanges with your colleagues, and a wonderful stay in our city that you will long remember. Klaus Wowereit Governing Mayor of Berlin wELcomE To BERLiN | Verena Bentele Federal Commissioner for Matters relating to Disabled Persons Dear attendees of the 22nd iADH World Conference, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you all: to all dentists, physicians in other fields, people working in the health care system and all specialists who deal with people with disabilities and their special concerns. Allow me to share a personal experience with you: In 2012, for the first time ever, I was at a dental clinic in Munich that specialises in providing dental care for people with disabi- lities. I was met at the door by a dental assistant, the rooms were described to me, the information material was read to me. As a result, I had a clear picture of the situation even before treatment began. For blind patients, just this first part of a doctor’s appointment is a challenge in and of itself. During the course of my treatment, the dentist thoroughly explained each of the next steps and took the time to an- swer all my questions in detail. He fully met my needs du- ring my treatment. And this is precisely where the key lies, I believe: The desire and also the ability to take the patient’s needs and challenges into account during dental treatment. Time is one of the most important aspects of any visit to the doctor, especially for people with mental disabilities or multiple disabilities. In my view, treatment without trust is impossible. We must continue to work on this together in the coming years, all over the world and also here in Ger- many. I am therefore particularly pleased that you will be bringing together your knowledge and expertise, talking about new methods of treatment and discussing ways of linking the different fields of science and medicine in Berlin this year. According to a study from Germany, people with disabilities are far from always having access to all medical practices, not just to the premises but also to the examina- tion furniture, or access to important information and to communication with the medical personnel there. Through the valuable work you are doing at this conference, you are creating access to information for all interested par- ties and, in the process, enabling improvements in the pro- vision of dental care in Germany and throughout the world. I thank you all for your dedication and wish you a commu- nicative, informative and enriching event. Your Verena Bentele Federal Commissioner for Matters relating to Disabled Persons 22nd iadh congress iNTERNaTioNaL aSSociaTioN FoR diSaBiLiTY aNd oRaL hEaLTh 3