[Rare diseases in dentistry and oral medicine : Report on the 2017 first national congress]

On November 25, the first national congress for rare diseases in dentistry and oral medicine under the auspices of ACHSE e. V. and Orphanet was held in Muenster. With speakers from the field of medicine, dentistry, politics, patient advocacy groups, self-help groups and persons concerned, a platform for exchange between physicians and patients on an equal footing was offered to the participants. At the end of each of the 12 lectures, more than 300 national and international guests discussed the various issues and perspectives related to the topic of rare diseases in dentistry and oral medicine. Besides the different presentations focusing on dentistry, neuropediatrics, and human genetics, the existing centers for rare diseases, sources of information, European reference networks, and the national action plan for people with rare diseases were the subjects of intensive discussion. The patient perspective was also considered. From now on the congress shall be held in Muenster biennially.