Aesthetic institute chases Middle East centre

The Rosenthal Institute for Aesthetic Dentistry could be opening its doors in Abu Dhabi, MED can reveal.

The Institute, which is part of the New York College of Dentistry, is in talks with the college over establishing a Middle Eastern branch.

New York University (NYU), home of the New York College of Dentistry, announced last year that it would be establishing a regional campus in Abu Dhabi, to open in 2010.

Speaking at the sidelines of a two-day seminar, held last month in Dubai, the Institute's director Dr Larry Rosenthal said he was hopeful the deal would be confirmed.

"We hope that it will come to fruition," he said. "NYU are pursuing the idea and there are discussions going on at the moment over what they want to do with education here.

The region's rising interest in cosmetic dentistry makes it an ideal location for a postgraduate centre focused on aesthetic training, he added.

The Institute currently lists facilities in London and Palm Beach alongside its US campus.

"I think it is the way to go. I absolutely believe that it would be successful and I would love to come here and teach," he said.

Around 100 delegates from the UK, Europe and the Gulf region attended the seminar on aesthetic dentistry, which was hosted by UK-based organiser, Independent Seminars.

Orthodontist Dr Neil Counihan, a speaker at the event, said he felt practice standards were improving in the emirate.

"The clinics, the specialists and the generalists have all raised the bar with regard to their treatment., he said. "We are now in a situation where, in the next few years, Dubai could become a centre of excellence that will compare with New York or London."