IFUNA history Chapter No 4.
Barcelona 2010: IV. International Congress Oct. 10-14t
Like in 2008, José Duran offered to host the IFUNA Congress again in 2010, then with the title: From Prevention to Functional Appliances:
Barcelona is always a beautiful city, be it during the day (left) or at night (right):
Barcelona during the day.
Barcelona at nicht
And we do not even have to mention Barceloneta, which was built for the workers of the 1888 World Fair, or Antoni Gaudi’s famous cathedral. Our photos below show left the Congress and IFUNA Presidents shaking hands, and right, one of the distinguished speakers.
Presidents shake hands.
One the speakes
Our increasing number of lecturers reflects the increasing success of IFUNA:
Over 50 speakers from 20 countries
Prof. Himuro from Japan, front row 2nd from right, introduced in a beautiful presentation the planned following congress venue 2011 in Hiraizumi, Japan, a famous UNESCO world heritage site.
In a way, functionalism had come a full circle: About 100 years before, Viggo Andresen had started removable orthodontics with his loose fitting elastic appliance, and against all fashionable trends, there are again and again orthodontists, dentists, speech therapists, hygienists and dental technicians who believe the in old “holistic” concept and try to do something else than cosmetics. As usual, there were many opinions, and the nice part of our group showed again, that the different approaches are accepted and nobody tries to unify us, or make us follow one opinion: The beauty of differences – and the group of has no problems with that. We IFUNA members are truly open-minded, it seems.
With the best wished to all of you, Barbara Bimler.
IFUNA history Chapter No 3.
Turin 2009: III. International Congress Oct. 1-4th
Our third congress took place in Turin at the Dental School in Lingotto under the late
Prof. Pietro Bracco, who died at 79 years at September 4th, 2020. But in 2009 he welcomed 250 participants. In Italy, functionalism has a long good tradition and till today, there are new developments.
Historical view of the FIAT Lingotto building with the test track on the roof (1928) left – From Wikipedia. Today – right – renovation by Renzo Piano.
The opening took place in the over 500 year old Auditorium of the Turin University with a tremendous lectern where short speakers like your author were hardly visible.
Luckily, most speakers were taller:
IFUNA Turin speakers and some spouses, the president in the front in the center.
The sought-after “Ifuna Award” went to John Mew for his battle of over 60 years for the horizontal growth, and posthumous to Aurelio Levrini for his great book “Masters of Functional Orthodontics” which showed to many dentist the first steps into functional orthopedics: Without this book there would be no IFUNA. It was a very emotional moment, and Wilma (left) summed up our feelings: “I believe in this technique”.
Wilma Simões
The Red Arch
Prof. Dr Bracco and his team made us feel at home in Lingotto. Most visitors remembered the Red Arch from the 2006 Olympics in Torino. For the following year 2010, the place was not decided, but in 2011 Prof Himuro wanted to organize it in Japan. Now the Ifuna members have really something to look forward to.
For sure the food will be as good as in Italy! B.
IFUNA history Chapter No 2.1:
Mexico March 2008: 2 International meetings
There were in fact two events in Mexico in 2008 besides the 2. congress of IFUNA, a terrific start for IFUNA which opened it into the Americas. First, we met with Michael Gorbonos and Rick Ito in Toluca for some lecture at the UAEM, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México. Now, the “estado de México” is not at all the United Mexican States but one of its federal states, with the capital Toluca situated some 60 km from Mexico City. On 4th March 2008, the three of us were giving a “Simposio Internacional de Ortopedia Maxilar””, attendance fee $ 200, 00. See Fig. 1.
The next meeting from March 8th through 10th was the “Congreso internacional de Ortopedia functional de los Maxilares” about “orthopaedic Functional Treatment in Children, Juveniles and Adults”. From the participants in Paris, there came as speakers B. Preston, R. Ito, M. Gorbonos, M. Nagai, B. Bimler, and E. Carrena, and the new speakers G. Johnson from USA, F. Magni and A. Deregibus from Italy, Rebeca Fernandez from Cuba, and Fernando Rios Gomez and Patricia Deydén from Mexico, see Fig. 2. Here, the fee was $ 1,300,00, but in the national currency, and the proceedings went to the benefit of handicapped children. The organizer was Dra. Irma Oviedo Hernandez, see Fig. 3 in the middle between my father and myself, in 1997 in San Miguel de Allende. The congress took place in the auditorium of the Dental Association of the Federal District,
Afterwards, the participants had a chance to visit the famous National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, Fig. 4:
This year 2008 was certainly a brilliant start! We were very proud, and I think, correctly so, as the annual congress was still up and coming in Barcelona, Spain. We were already looking forward to meet again. The nest photos show the
From left, Dr. Nagai and her translator, Dr. Deregbius, Dr. Magni and Dra Fernandez.
The next chapter will deal with the annual meeting in Barcelona.
Best Regards to all, Barbara Bimler, Germany.