Dear colleagues,

With great pleasure and honor I invite you to participate in the Caria - Dodecanese Friendship Symposium, with title “Dentistry as Medicine of the Mouth and Teeth: 2500 Years After Hippocrates”  which will be held in the hospitable and cosmopolitan Rhodes on October 10 - 12, 2025. This is an important scientific and cultural meeting, dedicated not only to the promotion of dental science, but also to the strengthening of the bonds of collegiality and mutual appreciation between dentists in Greece and Turkey.

The scientific program of the symposium is shaped with the practical and clinical support of the general dentist in mind, while at the same time it is enriched with topics that promote the idea of ​​Hippocratic Medicine - medicine that serves man holistically, with respect, prudence and knowledge. We will have the opportunity to attend interesting lectures, exchange experiences with colleagues from the neighboring country, and participate in a fruitful scientific and cultural dialogue.

The important contribution of the School of Dentistry of the National University of Athens, which with its prestige and scientific experience, substantially enhances the content and value of the organization. Special mention and warm thanks are due to the Chairman of the Scientific Program, Professor of Stomatology of the National University of Athens, Mr. Nikitakis Nikos, for his significant contribution to the formation of a program of high standards.

We will have the opportunity to attend interesting lectures, exchange experiences with colleagues from the neighboring country, and participate in a fruitful scientific and cultural dialogue.

At the same time, during the days of the conference, a rich dental exhibition will be open, with the participation of leading companies in the field, offering us the opportunity to learn about new products, technologies and innovations that can enhance our daily clinical practice.

Rhodes, with its unique historical aura, natural beauties and international identity, is the ideal setting for this gathering. The social program that we have prepared will give us the opportunity to enjoy the local hospitality, to get to know the cultural identity of the island up close and to create relationships beyond the professional level.

I warmly invite you to support this effort with your presence, to honor the Friendship Symposium with your participation and to contribute with your presence to strengthening the bonds of scientific cooperation and friendship between our peoples.

With colleague greetings,

Nikos Diakogeorgiou

President of the Dental Association of the Dodecanese
Member of Council Hellenic Dental Federation

Dear colleagues and friends,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 2^nd Friendship Dental Congress Caria-Dodecanese, which will take place on October 10-12, 2025 in the magnificent island of Rhodes. Rhodes is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Greek islands, with a unique historical and cultural identity, which has for centuries served as a “hub” allowing communication and interaction among people and civilizations, as well as a unique place where the values of humanism were cultivated throughout time, particularly as they are connected with Medicine and the importance of preserving and restoring human health.

The 2^nd Friendship Dental Congress Caria-Dodecanese, which justifiably transforms gradually into a tradition, is inspired by the history and common cultural heritage of the two neighboring regions and honors the very essence of scientific and collegial collaboration in the field of Dentistry: friendship, mutual understanding and support, and the pursuit of progress and development among colleagues, who share common values, traditions and scientific interests. Just as Rhodes has been a crossroads of ideas and civilizations, so too does the Symposium aspire to be a crossroads of knowledge, dialogue, and exchange of views and experiences among dentists from both sides of the Aegean sea. Warmest congratulations are therefore due to all those who envisioned and contributed to the organization of this Symposium, and especially to the President of the Dodecanesian Dental Association, Mr. Nikolaos Diakogeorgiou, and the members of the Organizing Committee.

Recognizing the importance of this endeavor, it was my honor and pleasure to accept the very kind invitation to undertake the coordination of the Scientific Program of the Symposium. Naturally, I turned primarily to academic teachers of the School of Dentistry of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). The participation of so many distinguished and experienced scientists and lecturers, including the renowned Professor Hare Gursoy from Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey, guarantees that the Symposium will offer significant knowledge, while simultaneously encouraging the active participation of all attendees. The topics were carefully selected, centering on enhancing the skills of the clinical dentist, as well as on the dissemination of new ideas and innovative practices that promote health and improve the quality of life of our patients. Furthermore, the title of the Symposium “Dentistry as Medicine of the Oral Mucosa and Teeth: 2500 Years after Hippocrates” aims to highlight the timeless significance of conceiving Dentistry as a distinct, yet inherently interconnected, scientific branch of Medicine, one that studies, prevents and manages the wide spectrum of oral, maxillofacial and dental diseases. At the same time, it seeks to remind us that the very foundations of medical science—the core principles and ideals of the Hippocratic tradition, upon which we are all globally trained as students, take our oath as graduates, and rely for inspiration and guidance throughout our scientific and professional lives—were born and shaped in this corner of the world.

I wish you all a most productive participation in the proceedings of the Congress, as well as an unforgettable experience in Rhodes, where today’s dental science will meet the history and roots of the medical tradition, and where collegiality and good neighborliness will be transformed into true friendship, reminding us that all those things that unite us are incomparably stronger than anything that could divide us.

With esteem and warmest regards,

Dean of the School of Dentistry, NKUA

Professor Nikolaos G. Nikitakis