Academic approach to the future of odontology in Slavic States

An annual conference “Odontology of Slavic States” was organized together with Belgorod Regional Public Organization “Stomatologicheskaya Organizatsiya” (“Odontology Organization”), Odontology Association of Russia and Regional Health Care and Social protection Department.

The conference united more than 400 theorists and practitioners fr om five countries. There are leading dentists from Russia, Ukraine, USA, India and South Korea Among speakers.

Belgorod State University is the central ground of the Forum because BelSU is the only university at the region which train dentists. According to director of BelSU Institute of Medicine Vladimir Kulikovskiy, its Odontology Department is well-known at the federal level.

“There are an Odontology Centre and its branches. It is a modern facility wh ere the qualified specialists can work, and students of Odontology Department can get an experience”, – he said.

Deputy Head of Medical Help and Healthcare Office of Regional Health Care and Social protection Department Irina Nikolaeva reminded that the conference is connected with the future 140^th Anniversary of BelSU. She considers it symbolic that one of the major universities of the country gathers the best specialists in odontology.

The most anticipated event of the plenary meeting was the speech of academic of RAMS Valeriy Leontyev. According to his estimation, the healthcare of Russia needs changes. He had explained that healthcare system doesn’t correspond to market relations in the country. Odontology has the same tendency because of corruption, specialists’ low wages etc. Valeriy Leontyev expressed an opinion that among other perspectives of national odontology is strengthening of state and private sector in odontology. Speaking to journalists, he noted that regional odontology suffers a great need in qualified specialists.

“We will have a real modern odontology in Russia only when there would be no difference between regional and Moscow odontology level”, – he said.