Lasers and dento-facial orthopedics: an interview with Samir Nammour

Abstract

Philippe AMAT, Jacques BERREBI, Franck HERVE. Professor Sam Nammour, you are the director of the European Masters Degree in Oral Laser Applications program. Because of your contributions to it, all its participants have awarded you with a bronze star prize. This honor presented within the framework of the European Life-Long Education and Training program, reflects the recognition throughout the continent of 3 cycle diplomas for dentists. Can you tell us about the modalities and objectives of this program? Samir NAMMOUR. The three universities of Nice, in France, of Aix-la-Chapelle in Germany, and Liege in Belgium, have, independently, been offering courses in the use of lasers in dentistry since the year 2000. Then one day we began to wonder why we should all be working, isolated, in our private academic fief-doms? Why couldn’t we pool our resources and present a single, more comprehensive, unified course? We presented this border breaching concept to the European Community, asking that the three universities be authorized to offer a common diploma to be called the European Masters Degree in Oral Laser Applications, (EMDOLA). After two years of joint teaching experience, we were delighted to learn that the European Community was ready to grant final acceptance of our project. We hope to continue offering the highest quality instruction that would unite the best potentials developed in each of the three participating institutions.