(Vienna, 08 October 2019) Katrin Bekes, Head of Pediatric Dentistry at the University Clinic of Dentistry Vienna was elected President of the German Society for Paediatric Dentistry (DGKiZ) at its Annual Meeting.
This year's 26th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Paediatric Dentistry (DGKiZ) took place under unusual circumstances. For the first time, the expert association met in Vienna rather than in Germany, namely from 26 – 28 September 2019. The Congress was chaired by Katrin Bekes, Head of Pediatric Dentistry at the University Clinic of Dentistry Vienna. Around 360 dentists and specialist visitors converged on Palais Ferstel, to discuss current scientific and clinical themes in paediatric dentistry.
The aim of the DGKiZ is to promote research, teaching and practice in the field of paediatric dentistry, including primary prevention. It currently has more than 1,700 members. During the Annual Meeting, Katrin Bekes was appointed as the society's president. She had already served as its General Secretary since 2008. She is now the youngest president in the history of the DGKiZ.
About Katrin Bekes
Katrin Bekes originates from Hattingen on the Ruhr, Germany. She studied dentistry at the University of Halle-Wittenberg, where she then initially worked as a research assistant at the University Clinic for Preventive Dentistry. She then transferred to the paediatric dentistry section, where she took over as Senior Doctor one year later. In 2014, she was invited to take over the Chair of Pediatric Dentistry, Oral Medicine and Orthodontics at the Medical University of Vienna and she took up the post in April 2015. Since then, she has been Head of Pediatric Dentistry at the University Clinic of Dentistry Vienna. It is the first Chair in paediatric dentistry in Austria. Three years ago, she also set up the specialist outpatient clinic for mineralisation disorders (molar incisor hypomineralisation) at the University Clinic of Dentistry, which is also the only one of its kind in Austria. Bekes it is already Vice President of the Austrian Society for Paediatric Dentistry and Austrian Councillor at the European Academy for Paediatric Dentistry (EAPD).