Forty-some dentists participated in last week’s annual dental conference, an event organized for the past 16 years in Saint Barth by Dr. David Grodberg and Dr. François Chlous. Most of the participants this year were from the United States, but there have also been dentists from Canada, Austria. Sweeden. Norway, France and Germany in the past.

Gary M. Reiser DDS was the special guest speaker this year, on the subject of “Planning & Surgical Treating Site Specific Restorative Based Periodontal Problems.” Reiser is an Associate Clinical Professor of Periodontology at Tufts University and director and Chairman of the American Board of Periodontology, with a private practice in Swampscott, Massachusetts.

As usual, many of the dentists came with their spouses or partners for the week, allowing for such social occasions as a wine tasting at the Wall House, a tradition started last year, and the gala dinner, which took place in the enchanted garden setting of the Le Tamarin.

Planning for the 2010 conference is already underway, and will be held from January 18-22, 2010. The guest speaker will be Barry Zweig, DDS Professor and Vice-chairperson of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He is also Director of the New Jersey Dental School Center for Implantology. Details can be found at http://www.stbarthdental.com/  Smile! (reprinted form St Barth Weekly  January 30, 2009)