Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We waited, we hoped and we prayed. We put forth our maximum effort in planning and organizing our international congress on the paradise Mediterranean Island of Sardegna, Italy, an extraordinary setting that’s second to none, to bring you the best that international dentistry has to offer.

However, with less than 4 months before the planned meeting date, the virus, its variants and the uncertainty of its future path have led us to conclude that they’re still too many questions left unanswered for us to invest further time, effort, energy and money necessary for the success of such an important event.

The health, well-being and welfare of our participants, sponsors and staff is of paramount importance to us thus we have decided, that in the best interest of all of us, to postpone the AIO International Congress 2021.

The new confirmed dates of the AIO International Congress and annexed exhibition will be June 9-11, 2022.

The congress will still be held in the same outstanding location with an even richer edition of “Focus on the Gender Shift in Dentistry”.

The cost of the event will remain unchanged until December 2021 giving participants time to plan their travel taking in, if one wishes, side trips to Rome, Florence or even Venice. We truly look forward to seeing you next year in Sardegna to provide you with our warmest welcome and an even bigger and better meeting than ever before.

Dentistry has changed dramatically over the last decades. Aside from new technologies, procedures and materials one of the most important changes we have witnessed is in the gender shift in the profession, where the number of women practicing dentists is steadily increasing and where in many countries women now make up from 50% to 70% of the total number of dental students. Dentistry is well on the way to becoming a female dominated profession.

Nonetheless it’s surprising that the percentage of women lecturers in dentistry remains relatively low. This has led to the creation of numerous groups and organizations focusing primarily on women in dentistry.

The theme of the AIO International Congress, “Focus on the Gender Shift in Dentistry 2022: A New Perspective or a Future Challenge?” will explore this trend. Does there actually exist a difference in perspectives, visions and challenges experienced by men and women in dentistry? How will this inevitable gender shift impact the future of the profession?

The stage will be set for these issues to be addressed from June 9th – 11th, 2022 in one of the most beautiful settings in the Mediterranean, on the enchanting island paradise of Sardegna, Italy, at the Chia Laguna Hotel and Resort, winner of the 2019 World Leading Beach Family Resort at the World Travel Awards.