- AT THE PRESENT TIME THERE ARE NEW DEVELOPMENTS BOTH IN GENERAL DENTISTRY AS IN MORE SPECIALIZED FIELDS , SUCH AS IMPLANTOLOGY AND ORTHODONTICS . IT IS OF INTEREST TO NOTE THAT THERE ARE AT PRESENT SOME 150 DENTISTS IN ITALY PRACTISING ORTHODONTICS , USING THE PRODUCTS OF FOUR MANUFACTURERS WHICH ARE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN BUSINESS ON THE ITALIAN MARKET ;
- APART FROM NORMAL SALES METHODS , SUCH AS THE USE OF BROCHURES AND REPRESENTATIVES , THERE ARE THREE FORMS OF SPECIALIZED ACTIVITY IN PROMOTING DENTAL EQUIPMENT :
( A ) GENERAL EXHIBITIONS AND FAIRS , SUCH AS THE MILAN FAIR ;
( B ) LOCAL EVENTS KNOWN AS " OPEN HOUSES " HELD AT THE PREMISES OF A MANUFACTURER , OR A REPRESENTATIVE OR DEALER , OR EVEN AT AN HOTEL , WHERE POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS ARE INVITED TO INSPECT THE RANGE OF PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED BY A PARTICULAR FIRM ;
( C ) SPECIALIZED CONGRESSES AND EXHIBITIONS , WHICH EITHER COVER THE WHOLE RANGE OF DENTAL EQUIPMENT OR ARE LIMITED TO THOSE PRODUCTS USED BY PARTICULAR SPECIALISTS .
THE PRESENT TREND IS AGAINST THE USE OF EVENTS OF TYPE ( A ) ABOVE , IN FAVOUR OF THOSE OF TYPES ( B ) AND ( C ) ;
- THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF EVENTS OF TYPE ( C ) DURING THE 1960'S , ORGANIZED ON BEHALF OF DENTISTS' ASSOCIATIONS , INVOLVED MANUFACTURERS IN CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE , WHILE THE NUMBER OF VISITORS DROPPED STEADILY . THIS IS THE REASON WHICH CAUSED THE MANUFACTURERS TO SET UP UNIDI TO ORGANIZE AN EXHIBITION OF INTEREST TO THE PROFESSION AS A WHOLE .
- DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS FROM OTHER MEMBER STATES FREQUENTLY ORGANIZE CONGRESSES IN ITALY WHICH INCLUDE EXHIBITIONS .
AT PRESENT EXPO DENTAL IS THE ONLY EXHIBITION IN ITALY COVERING THE WHOLE DENTAL INDUSTRY , ATTRACTING ATTENDANCE FROM ALL BRANCHES OF THE PROFESSION . EACH EXPO DENTAL IS VISITED BY APPROXIMATELY 60 % OF ALL PRACTITIONERS AND DENTAL TECHNICIANS , WHO ARE THE POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS .
5 . THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE UNIDI DECISION ON THE EXPO DENTAL RULES RESTRICTED THE FREEDOM OF EXHIBITORS TO TAKE PART IN OTHER SIMILAR EXHIBITIONS IN ITALY TO A MUCH GREATER EXTENT . THE PROHIBITION IN FACT APPLIED TO THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING EACH EXPO DENTAL WHICH WAS , MOREOVER , AN ANNUAL EVENT . FURTHERMORE , THERE WAS NO EXCEPTION FOR THOSE EXHIBITIONS CONNECTED WITH SPECIALIZED CONGRESSES .
AS A RESULT OF THAT PROVISION , SOME OF THE FIRMS WISHING TO EXHIBIT AT THE EXPO DENTAL WHICH WAS TO TAKE PLACE AT GENOA IN OCTOBER 1974 WERE PREVENTED FROM TAKING PART IN THE EXHIBITION ATTACHED TO THE CONGRESS ORGANIZED BY THE EUROPEAN BEGG SOCIETY OF ORTHODONTICS AND HELD AT SANTA MARGHERITA LIGURE , ITALY , IN MAY 1974 .
IN A CIRCULAR TO ITS MEMBERS DATED FEBRUARY 1974 , UNIDI EXPLICITLY REMINDED THEM THAT THE RULES NOTIFIED TO THE COMMISSION WERE STILL IN FORCE FOR THE TIME BEING AND THAT ANY MEMBER