Dental Conference
There will be a total of 24 hours of conference lectures
This event will be a combined Dental and Medical Conference. Concurrent dental and medical streams will be run in separate rooms, with some combined multi-disciplinary conference sessions.
Current speakers and topics include:
- Dr Derek Mahony – Specialist Orthodontist
- Dr David Sykes OAM – Prosthodontist
- Emeritus Professor Laurence J. Walsh AO – Special needs dentistry
- Dr Tom Huang – Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist
- Dr Anastasia Georgiou – Oral Medicine and Pathology
- Dr Gwendolyn Huang – Paediatric specialist
- Dr Paul Ferris – Anaesthesia & Pain Medicine Specialist
- Dr Tom van Heumen – Periodontist
Dr Derek Mahony
Specialist Orthodontist
Derek Mahony is a world renowned Specialist Orthodontist who has spoken to thousands of practitioners about the benefits of interceptive orthodontic treatment. Early in his career Dr Mahony learned from leading clinicians the dramatic effect functional appliance therapy can afford patients in orthodontic treatment. He has been combining the fixed and functional appliance approach ever since. His lectures are based on the positive impact such a combined treatment approach has had on his orthodontic results and the benefits this philosophy provides from a practice management viewpoint.
After completing his Dental Degree at the University of Sydney Dr Mahony proceeded to the United Kingdom where he completed his Masters Degree in Orthodontics at the Eastman Dental Hospital, Institute of Dental Surgery, London. Further studies led to the successful completion of a Diploma in Orthodontics at the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. Dr. Mahony has also passed the Royal College of Dentists in Canada post graduate examination in the field of orthodontics.
Dr Mahony has passed examinations leading to a postgraduate qualification in Dentofacial Orthopaedics from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow. He has also attained his Membership in Orthodontics qualification from the Royal College of Surgeons, England.
Dr Mahony has been seeing an average of 250 patients per week for the last decade and has gained a vast amount of experience which he can pass on to clinicians so that they can come to appreciate the key elements of his combined treatment approach. He currently has over 3000 orthodontic patients in active treatment and has been a key note speaker at the International Orthodontic Summit meetings, the International Association of Orthodontics meetings, and the American Association of Functional Orthodontics meetings. He is considered by some to be the “next leading lecturer on functional/fixed orthodontics.”
Dr David Sykes OAM
Prosthodontist 
Specialist Prosthodontist OAM, BDS (Lond), MDS (Syd), LDS RCS(Eng), FRACDS, MRACDS (Pros) Dr Sykes is a specialist prosthodontist working in Sydney with a particular interest in implant dentistry. He has been involved in implant treatment almost from its introduction in Australia and has considerable experience in treating the complex restorative case. Dr Sykes is a Senior Clinical Associate at the University of Sydney teaching on the postgraduate prosthodontic programme and the Diploma in Oral Implantology. He has lectured in the area of restorative dentistry and prosthodontics with a special interest in implants and medico-legal issues. Dr Sykes has served on the Councils of the Australian Dental Association (NSW Branch) and Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, the Dental Board of NSW and the Advisory Panel for Dental Protection Ltd. Dr Sykes is currently a Board member of the Australian Dental Council.
- Medico-legal aspects of dental implants.
- Managing the ageing patient or is it Supervised Neglect
Emeritus Professor Laurence J. Walsh AO
Special needs dentistry 
Emeritius Professor Laurence J. Walsh AO is a registered specialist in special needs dentistry.
Laurence received his undergraduate education in dentistry at The University of Queensland and then undertook a PhD in immunopathology. He started his postdoctoral education at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, and undertook his executive education at the Stanford University Graduate School of Management and at Harvard University.
His research interests are in advanced technologies such as lasers and biomaterials, and in dental microbiology. Laurence was Professor of Dental Science and the research grouip leader for advanced materials and technologies in the UQ School of Dentistry from January 2000 until his retirement in December 2020. During his retirement he remains active in hands-on research work and in supervision of research students.
- “Friendly photons – pushing the boundaries of what light can do in dentistry”
- Low tide – handling the patient with a dry mouth
- Teeth or titanium?
- The root problem
- Insights into the epidermis
- Nanometals and novel antimicrobials in the era of antibiotic resistance
Dr Tom Huang
BDSc (Hons I), DClinDent (DMFR)
Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist
Tom graduated from The University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Dental Science. After working in both the private and public dental sectors, he undertook a three year full time specialist training program at the University of Queensland and graduated with a Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry specialising in Dento-Maxillofacial Radiology. It included training at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane Private Hospital and at the School of Dentistry.
Tom currently consults at Envision Medical Imaging in Perth, Western Australia. He has held positions of visiting lecturer, clinical supervisor and external examiner for the DClinDent (DMFR) program at the University of Queensland, School of Dentistry. Tom has also presented topics in radiology and radiography internationally and continues to have research interests in Cone Beam Computed Tomography. He is also the Australian regional director for the International Association of Dento-Maxillofacial Radiology (IADMFR) and the secretary/treasurer of the Australian Academy of Dento-Maxillofacial Radiology (AADMFR). Tom has published papers in peer-reviewed journals and is a contributing author of the Atlas of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (Wiley-Blackwell, 2017).
- Contemporary radiology in dentistry: What else is there apart from the cone-beam CT?
- Prescription of diagnostic imaging: What, why and when?
- Interpretive radiology: What is it? Does it influence anything?
- Imaging the temporomandibular joint.
Dr Anastasia Georgiou 
Dr Georgiou is a specialist in Oral Medicine and Pathology. Dr Georgiou qualified in dentistry at the University of Adelaide, before moving to Sydney to undertake specialist training in Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology.
She has worked as a Staff Specialist in Oral Medicine at Westmead Centre for Oral Health since 2003, and as a Clinical Lecturer for the University of Sydney.
Her areas of interest are mucocutaneous disease, potentially malignant oral conditions, facial pain and burning mouth syndrome, paediatric pathology and patient education.
- Systematic examination of the orofacial region and approach to assessing oral mucosal lesions
- Clinical Approach to the Differential Diagnosis and Management of White and Red lesions
- Clinical Approach to the Differential Diagnosis of Management of Ulcers and Pigmented lesions
- Potentially Malignant Oral Disorders and Update on Oral Cancer
- Systemic Oral Manifestations of Systemic Disease
- Oral Considerations for the Oncology Patient
Dr Gwendolyn Huang – Paediatric specialist 
Dr Gwendolyn Huang graduated from the Bachelor of Dental Surgery with a concurrent Honours Degree in Bachelor of Science (Dentistry) at the University of Adelaide in 2010. Dr Huang completed her specialist training at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide, and was subsequently appointed as a Paediatric Dental Consultant in 2017, until she moved back home to Melbourne in 2020 to take up a Consultant position at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, and to start her own private practice. In her spare time, she does remote dental work for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Dr Huang has been a past president of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry (ANZSPD) South Australian and Northern Territory Branch, and is now serving on the ANZSPD Victorian Branch committee. Dr Huang has volunteered in the central Andes Mountains of Peru and central Australia. She is looking forward to her next trip to the Northern Territory with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Dr Paul Ferris
Anaesthesia & Pain Medicine Specialist 
Dr Paul Ferris is a Pain Medicine Specialist. After 20 years working as an Anaesthetist, he moved on to the more challenging field of chronic pain in 2014. His anaesthetic skills have enabled him to quickly and efficiently adapt to interventional pain management.
Paul has undertaken advanced training in pain medicine at Westmead Hospital with a special focus on interventional treatments and multidisciplinary pain management. He went to Budapest to study for his Fellowship in Interventional Pain Practice, winning the prestigious Hassenbusch Prize by qualifying first in the world in the exam.
He has a Master of Pain Medicine after completing the demanding studies at University of Sydney. Only 10% of pain medicine specialists work in rural and regional communities. Dr Ferris has committed to bringing modern, state of the art pain medicine practices to the Shoalhaven and surrounding districts, now and into the future.
- TMJ dysfunction
- Diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain
Dr Tom van Heumen – Periodontist 
BDSc, FRACDS (GDP), DCD (Perio), MRACDS (Perio)
Dr Tom van Heumen is a specialist periodontist working in Sydney with a particular interest in digital implant dentistry. Tom graduated from The University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Dental Science in 2008. He obtained a Defence sponsorship for his studies and in 2006 commissioned as a full-time officer in the Australian Army. After several postings working in both the private and public dental clinics, he undertook a three-year full-time specialist training program at The University of Melbourne and graduated with a Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry specialising in Periodontics. His research thesis focused on the stability of peri-implant bone augmentation in the aesthetic zone.
Tom remains a full-time officer in the Australian Army and has undertaken numerous postings across Australia and deployed on several domestic assistance operations. Now at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he is the Senior Dental Advisor for the 48 Defence dental clinics across Australia and responsible for the clinical governance of dental services for all Defence members. Tom currently consults as a periodontist at HMAS Kuttabul, Navy Base in Potts Point, Sydney. He has held the positions of visiting lecturer and clinical supervisor at The University of Queensland and The University of Melbourne.
Tom is an active member of the Australian Dental Association, Australian New Zealand Academy of Periodontists, Australian Society of Periodontology and the International Team of Implantology. He has presented at national conferences on a range of clinical and military topics and continues to have research interests in peri-implant augmentation, impact of vaping on periodontitis and peri-implantitis prevention.
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Each of our continuing professional development programs is individually designed to address topics of current interest and is relevant to our professionals and their practices. The Academic Advisory Committee, comprising of medical professionals from across Australia will work with recognised and respected specialists to prepare a selection of presentations, workshops, case studies and panel discussions which will be specially prepared for our conferences.
Unconventional Conventions has been organising medical conferences since 1980, and takes pride in offering a comprehensive, stimulating and relevant academic program. We aim to ensure that the combination of lectures, workshops, and training activities make up more than 50% of daily activities during the main conference tour.
Many of our travel destinations provide an opportunity for local professional contribution and cultural exchange through workshops and structured visits to local clinics.
Our conference programs are prepared over a 12-month period and full details are available 3 months prior to the conference. Unconventional Conventions programs are suitable for RACGP and ACRRM CPD points. Dental programs are certifiable with the Dental Board of Australia. Specialists may apply for CPD points at their own discretion. No sponsors are involved in developing or supporting our conference program.