About EAOM

It is a great honor, which comes with a tremendous sense of responsibility, to address my message to all of you as the new President of the European Association of Oral Medicine (EAOM). Having been actively involved in EAOM for many years, I have had the good fortune to personally know and interact with most of my predecessors. I can honestly say that I feel like “standing on the shoulders of giants” and I am totally aware of the great importance, as well as the many challenges, of the task to lead our Association, continuing to realize and expand the vision set by previous Presidents and truly exceptional and exemplary figures of our discipline, such as the late Professor Crispian Scully.

In addition to my personal commitment to lead our Association to the best of my abilities, I also feel extremely fortunate to know that I can rely on the support of an amazing newly elected EAOM Board, which includes immediate Past President Prof. Marco Carrozzo (a very inspiring and successful President, whom I am really proud to succeed), former EAOM Treasurer and now EAOM President elect Prof. Michael Escudier, EAOM Treasurer Prof. Stefano Fedele and EAOM Secretary General Assist. Prof. Jairo Robledo Sierra.

Furthermore, all six newly elected Regional Representatives share the same basic principles of academic excellence, hard work ethics, enthusiasm and commitment, which guarantees that, me as President and all of us as members of EAOM, can be confident that the administration of our Association continues to be in good hands.

I am totally convinced that our Association has tremendous potential. Our recent 14th Biennial EAOM Congress in Gothenburg, Sweden, one of the most successful and well attended meetings in our history, was a testament to what EAOM and its members are capable to achieve; I am sure that everybody who had the opportunity to attend this outstanding meeting would like to join me in congratulating the EAOM Gothenburg 2018 local organizing committee and its Chair Assoc. Prof. Bengt Hasséus for a work very well done. In less than two years, another exciting EAOM Congress will be held in Oporto, Portugal; the commitment and experience of the EAOM Oporto 2020 local organizing committee, led by Profs Antonio Mano Azul and Luis Monteiro, along with the unwavering support of the entire EAOM Board, promise that this conference will also meet and ideally surpass the very high standards set in Gothenburg!

During the last 4 years, I served the Association as Secretary General and, under the strong and effective leadership of Prof. Sklavounou (2014-2016) and Prof. Carrozzo (2016-2018) as well as an amazing assembly of very talented and experienced EAOM Board members, I had the opportunity not only to closely witness but also to energetically participate in all major recent EAOM projects, such as the amendment of the Constitution, the new EAOM Website, the Position Papers, the improvement of EAOM Diploma examination, the formation of specific Committees etc. Most, if not all, of these aforementioned EAOM initiatives are “work in progress”, which, no matter how successfully addressed so far, can be further improved. Therefore, one of the major goals of my Presidency would be to build on the previous work done and experience gained, in order to effectively continue to develop and materialize the ongoing projects. At the same time, new specific goals and objectives will be carefully established, following thorough consideration of the ever evolving priorities and challenges.

Although certainly not a new idea, significant emphasis will be given on the development of EAOM-endorsed and broader Oral Medicine-related activities in each one of the EAOM Regions. The well thought-out structure of our Association (with separation into five Regions, each one including a number of neighboring European countries, as well as a sixth Region representing the rest of the world) gives many opportunities for regional activities, which can have common or similar themes (set and coordinated by the EAOM Board). The outcomes of the regional activities will be eventually presented and synthesized at a more global level, to the benefit of the whole membership. At the same time, each Region can focus on establishing and promoting the dynamic participation of all included countries and, by doing so, not only increase the number of EAOM members, but also identify opportunities and challenges associated with Oral Medicine in each country specifically. These combined and synergistic actions will work both ways: they will facilitate the development of Oral Medicine in each country and Region, while they will also promote the idea of a global Oral Medicine community with common fundamental standards and principles, related to practice, research and education, including specialty training.

I can only promise that, in the next two years, the new EAOM Board will invest all the necessary time and effort to lead the Association to further growth. To achieve our goals, we will need the support and active involvement of all our membership. I am very confident that all of you will embrace this effort.

With my best wishes,