Message from the President

On behalf of the Japanese Society of Oral Implantology, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those involved in holding the 47th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Oral Implantology here in Sendai. The Tohoku region has been steadily recovering from the damage incurred during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Thus, our annual meeting will be held here in Sendai thanks to the earnest desire of the members of the Tohoku/Hokkaido Branch, that all our members have the opportunity to come see how far we have progressed.
　Articles of Incorporation states that: The object of the Society is to contribute to the advancement of scholarship and the enhancement of public health in Japan by promoting the understanding and acceptance of oral implantology through projects that encourage the sharing of information and the continued professional development of our members, including the exchange and dissemination of knowledge about as well as the publication of research on the theory and practice of oral implantology. The Japanese Society of Oral Implantology has taken on the important task of contributing to the maintenance and enhancement of public health in Japan through oral implant therapy. The theme of this year’s conference is “The Future based on Implant Treatments—Meet the Frontrunner.” The object of implant therapy is the replacement of lost teeth and their function as well as the recovery of chewing, enunciation and swiling, all of which can be expected to contribute to mental health, enabling patients to maintain their youthful vigor and lead highly satisfying lives. We also consider these things to contribute to patients’ total well-being, enabling them to live longer, healthier lives. As individuals live longer and longer, society must grapple with dementia and other issues related to aging, and dental treatment such as those to restore the ability to chew or swallow will figure prominently. Reducing the costs of nursing care and healthcare is already a significant national issue, as is the maintenance of public health overall. Implant therapy not only requires extensive knowledge and skill in dentistry but is closely linked with other forms of medical care. Implant therapy lies at the leading edge of both basic and clinical research into medical and dental treatment.
　Our role as professionals is to exhibit leadership in solving the problems we face and to provide the public with treatment that earns their trust. This is why the Society produces a great variety of events, from special lectures, symposiums, and a wide range of educational programs to general publications, posters, public forums, and exhibitions.
Oral implant therapy encompasses not just the fields of biomaterials, pathology, anatomy, and other basics of the medical profession but a complete range of clinical knowledge, including surgical procedure, periodontics, prosthodontics, radiology, and dental anesthesia, which is why discussions of the need for comprehensive medicine and medical treatment teams comprising experts from different professions can be so fruitful.
The 47th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Oral Implantology is organized by Chairman Keietsu Saigo, chief of the Tohoku/Hokkaido Branch of the JSOI, Assistant Chairmen Keiichi Sasaki, professor of Oral System Periodontology at Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, and Tetsu Takahashi, professor of Maxillofacial Periodontology at Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, as well as Executive Committee Chairman Shigeto Koyama, professor of Dentistry at the New Implant Center of Tohoku University Hospital, and Assistant Executive Committee Chairman Kensuke Yamauchi, professor of Facial Periodontology at Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry. It will be held from Friday, September 22, to Sunday, September 24, 2017, at Sendai Sun Plaza and Sendai International Center.
　On behalf of the JSOI, I would like to extend my congratulations and my thanks to everyone who is contributing to this large undertaking. I hope to see as many JSOI members as possible in Sendai as we each and every one continue our efforts to provide the public with high-quality and trustworthy oral implant therapy.