15th Congress of the World Federation for Laser Dentistry (WFLD 2016)

It is an absolute delight to host the 15th Congress of the World Federation for Laser Dentistry (WFLD 2016) in Japan. 

The World Federation for Laser Dentistry (WFLD) is an organization of academic societies with an aim of promoting oral health through developments in laser dentistry and dental care, and is comprised of 54 member countries worldwide. In addition to academic activities, the WFLD is also committed to educational activities in countries around the world, such as through training and lectures, for the purpose of disseminating safe and appropriate directions for the use of dental lasers. 

The predecessor of the current WFLD is the International Society for Laser in Dentistry (ISLD) which was established in 1988. On August 5-6 of that year, the world’s first International Congress of Laser Dentistry was held in Tokyo, at which Hajime Yamamoto, professor emeritus at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, was appointed as the ISLD’s first president. The society has since been active as an international organization for laser dentistry. Later, the 8th ISLD Congress / 14th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Laser Dentistry (JSLD) were held in Yokohama on July 31 – August 2, 2002, under the leadership of Isao Ishikawa, professor emeritus at Tokyo Medical and Dental University. WFLD 2016 marks the third congress to be held in Japan, and the first in 14 years. JSLD has also served as a full member of the WFLD. 

The WFLD holds an international congress at a major city in the world once every two years. On this occasion of hosting the 15th Congress of the WFLD in Japan, we have adopted a theme of “Light to brighten the future” in an effort to move ahead from existing laser dentistry and dental care, and to look at new developments by extensively incorporating “light” into diagnosis and treatment. The planned program includes: 1. invited lectures, 2. symposiums, 3. workshops, 4. oral sessions and poster sessions, 5. exhibitions, and 6. seminars. The congress will bring together laser specialists in engineering and medical fields, including dentistry, from countries all around the world to deliver presentations on their latest scientific knowledge. It is hoped that the congress will also be an opportunity for further advancement of academic research activities and clinical improvement, as well as herald the beginning of new development of medical devices and new expansion of the industry in Japan.
We are sincerely looking forward to seeing all of you at the WFLD2016 in Japan.