The Oral Design Symposium began in New York, USA in 2000.
oral design group
oral design group
Geller did not create “oral design” primarily to form a group, as evidenced by the circumstances up to that point. “Oral design” was intended solely as a collective term for his ‘philosophy’ and “system” regarding his work, aiming to make the above concepts easier for dental professionals to visualize and to promote their adoption.
Two years after Geller proposed oral design, Giuseppe Zuppardi from Naples, Italy, asked him, “May I also call myself an ‘oral designer’?” He was the first to ask such a question. Geller's answer was simple: “Of course.”
Willi Geller and Giuseppe Zuppardi
Through such opportunities, people who agreed with Geller's ‘philosophy’ and “system” began to appear, and oral design naturally grew into a group in this way.
At the time, Geller's work included many assignments from overseas. Unlike today's digital age, these projects involved limited communication due to distance, creating a relentless race against time.
The pressure was immense—any failure in prosthetic form or color matching was unacceptable. This became a source of intense stress for him, and he was rarely satisfied with the results.
The quality of work produced under these conditions was never on par with what he achieved when working in a relaxed state. This directly contradicted the philosophy of “oral design” he championed. For these reasons, Geller often thought, “How wonderful it would be if oral design members were in every country, handling the work there on my behalf.” It was precisely at this juncture that Giuseppe Zuppardi offered to join oral design.
When Geller talks about the founding of the oral design group, he always mentions the episode involving Giuseppe Zuppardi.
While this event was certainly a significant turning point in the group's formation, I suspect it was also an occasion that filled Geller with immense joy and encouragement.
Considering the circumstances of dental technology at the time, I imagine Geller's state of mind: the headwinds from dentists leading up to the launch of oral design, the resulting sense of isolation, and other hardships. The emergence of a dental technician from another country who shared his vision must have been...
Ruud Sipsさんが最初にグループに参加しましたか?
2) ルードさんの記憶違いですか？ （1993年の間違い？）
以下は彼のテキストです：
しかし、私たちはこの鮮やかな半透明の天然磁器を信じていました。
当時、Drijfhout 社はこの新しい磁器を販売していました。
当時、私はオランダでこの磁器の生産を開始するのを手伝い、クリエーションの新しいバッチでも良い結果を示しました。
その時、私たちは新しいバッチをテストし、その時は緊密に連絡を取り合い、チューリッヒ (ウィリー・ゲラー氏) とプフォルツハイム (ギルバッハとアンドレアス・コピエッツ) に旅行しました。
定期的な相談と経験の交換のため。
その結果、マスター ウィリー ゲラーがイニシアチブを取り、オーラル デザインを設立しました。
これが最終的に、この優れた製品と組織のオーラル デザインにつながりました。
これにより、マスター ウィリー ゲラーとの強い絆が生まれました。
Geller advocated for oral design while giving numerous lectures and conducting hands-on courses.
Many people from the dental field gathered around him, and his professional network of colleagues and friends expanded rapidly, regardless of his own intentions. In contrast, among the students attending his hands-on courses, few dental technicians emerged who could consistently produce good ceramic crowns.For this reason, Geller began to wonder, “Perhaps I'm not very good at teaching dental technology?” It was probably about seven or eight years after starting these activities when Geller suddenly realized something: “There are so many skilled technicians around me!”
This realization allowed Geller to continue conducting his courses and lectures with pride. For him, this discovery was truly remarkable. The oral design group has now grown significantly, with 142 members from 35 countries (as of December 2025). This group is unique; recently, it has included dentist members, and the dental technicians themselves have become a gathering of diverse talents. oral design is a group of elite dental technicians. Geller is the essential figure, the tamer who controls this group of elite professionals.
Geller doesn't elaborate much on this point, but the oral design group is united not only by a collective of surface-level techniques, but also by a profound desire and aspiration to eliminate discrimination based on nationality, race, religion, occupation, and other factors.
The Oral Design Group has now become international, and we have grown to the point where Oral Design members alone can hold lectures.
・The 1992 Oral Design Meeting in Rome, hosted by Violi,
・On April 25, 1998, a lecture was held inviting Oral Design members, hosted by Gilbach.
Geller had experienced the success of the technicians' lecture at the 2nd Ceramic Symposium held in 1982. Consequently, the lecture series he envisioned would be realized through our efforts.
A scene from the party following the lecture hosted by AMNN GIRBACH on April 25, 1998.
During the same period, members of Oral Design from around the world were gathered at Jensen's booth at the Midwinter Meeting in Chicago, USA. Each had their own table and conducted demonstrations according to a schedule, in an experimental format akin to an Oral Design symposium, as we were requested to do.
A scene from Jensen's Lab Day around 1995. Chicago, USA.
As we advance these activities, each member of oral design becomes aware of one another, providing positive stimulation. We find joy and pleasure in gathering together, and this collective of individual technicians grows into a powerful, conscious group.
The process of growth possesses a beautiful momentum.
Around 1998, during a group meeting, Jason Kim proposed, “How about we start organizing our own lectures from now on?!”
At that moment, memories of Mr. Hasse (former president of Quintessence Publishing), the organizer of the “2nd International Symposium on Ceramic,” came flooding back to Geller. This linked with the idea, leading to the rule being established: “We will organize it ourselves.” This decision propelled us forward another step.
oral design : Numerous symposia held around the world
Since then, Oral Design has hosted and organized the Symposium and hands-on courses roughly every two years, accumulating experience. By 2022, we had held ten events worldwide, all well-received.
However, not every symposium achieved financial success. This reflects both the capabilities of the host country's organizers and the dental culture present. We acknowledge these failures as experiences and learn from them.
Through these activities, the oral design group can truly feel connected to its many members worldwide. No matter where we go in the world, there is always someone from the group present. This is the result of the network Geller built by continuing oral design activities, and recently, the spread and development of social media has made it easier to connect across countries.
Back in 1984 when Geller first introduced “oral design,” who could have imagined this group's existence?! People naturally gravitated toward the concept Geller championed, and the group grew organically. This also signifies the global dental community's recognition of Geller's philosophy and his approach to aesthetics.
Thus, by 2025, “oral design” has grown into a group of 142 members across 36 countries. The “network of people” that defines oral design's scale is not something built overnight; it is our invaluable asset, cultivated over many years.
oral design group