(Vienna, 20 November 2025) Katrin Bekes, Head of the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at the University Clinic of Dentistry Vienna and Professor of Paediatric Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine at MedUni Vienna, has been elected as the new President of the Austrian Society for Paediatric Dentistry (ÖGKiZ). This election marks the first time that the same person has headed both the German Society for Paediatric Dentistry (DGKiZ) and the Austrian Society for Paediatric Dentistry. This dual presidency underlines Katrin Bekes' special scientific and professional expertise and her central role in the further development of paediatric dentistry in German-speaking countries.
The ÖGKiZ aims to promote science, teaching and practice in the field of paediatric dentistry, including primary prevention. Katrin Bekes was unanimously elected at the board elections, which were held as scheduled at the general meeting on 10 November 2025 in Vienna. She will take on the responsible role of president of the society for four years. She previously served as vice-president of the society for eight years and played a key role in shaping its professional orientation.
About
Katrin Bekes comes from Hattingen an der Ruhr, Germany. She studied dentistry at the University of Halle-Wittenberg, where she initially worked as a research assistant at the University Polyclinic for Conservative Dentistry. After moving to the paediatric dentistry section there, she took over as senior physician a year later. In 2014, she was appointed professor of paediatric dentistry, oral and maxillofacial medicine at the Medical University of Vienna and took up the position in April 2015. Since then, she has headed the paediatric dentistry department at the University Clinic of Dentistry in Vienna. It is the first chair in paediatric dentistry in Austria. She also implemented the special outpatient clinic for mineralisation disorders (molar-incisor hypomineralisation) at the University Clinic of Dentistry of MedUni Vienna, which is also unique in Austria. Bekes is also Councillor for Austria at the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry (IAPD).