Medical personnel, such as doctors, are high-risk jobs, especially during a pandemic because they have to deal directly with patients. When it comes to dentists, the level of risk is very high because their method of examination is related to the patient’s oral and dental health. As such, the 2020 DREAM (Dental Research Exhibition and Meeting) was held with the theme “Multidiscipline Intercollaboration in New Normal Era” to update dentists’ knowledge regarding how to treat patients and what protocols and recommendations should be taken for practices during a the COVID-19 pandemic.

DREAM 2020 is a biennial routine activity organized by the Dentistry Study Program, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FKIK), Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY). Unlike the 2018 DREAM which was held offline, with a target of thousands of participants, this year, DREAM was held both online and offline with a maximum limit of 200 offline participants. DREAM 2020 also collaborates with ICOSI which was held some time ago in terms of research and paper conferences. The event was held for 3 days from Thursday (05/11) to Friday (06/11) for online sessions, then Saturday (07/11) for the offline session at Hotel Royal Ambarrukmo, Yogyakarta.

According to drg. Iwan Dewanto, MMR., Ph.D, Chief Executive of DREAM 2020, this activity is the first activity held during the pandemic period and also the first offline activity held by the Indonesian Dentists Association (PDGI) throughout Indonesia. “Of course, we have permission and recommendations from the DIY COVID-19 Task Force team, the Health Office, and also from UMY. We were also directly monitored by a team from PGDI, and we were tapped a guide for PDGI’s next offline events,” he said when contacted by the Bureau of Human Relations and Protocol, Saturday (07/11).

There were two sessions in DREAM 2020, namely a seminar session and a hands-on session which includes a “practicum” session. The seminar was filled with 11 presenters who came from Indonesia, especially UMY, and also from other countries such as Malaysia. The hands-on session was filled by 10 presenters who were divided according to their fields. In addition to gaining knowledge, the implementation of DREAM 2020 can also help dentists to get receive SKP (Professional Credit Unit) to be used in renewing their practice license. (ays)