The International College of Dentists (ICD) hosted its second Stakeholder Day in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The event and celebratory dinner took place on the campus of Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and was supported by a donation from industry partner Henry Schein.
Stakeholder Day is a key event of the ICD Global Oral Health Leadership (GOHL) Institute, which was established in December 2024 in partnership with Henry Schein. GOHL aims to support leadership in global oral health and encourage meaningful discussions to promote collaborative and sustainable public-private solutions.
Stakeholder Day provided an opportunity for GOHL 2025 delegates to engage with thought leaders, innovators, and activists in oral health and beyond, while also promoting the GOHL Institute’s goals of fostering a global community of practice, leading systems change through evidence and innovation, empowering transformational leadership, connecting sectors, and catalyzing cross-sector impact with interested collaborators.
The event kicked off with two panel discussions moderated by Dr. Marko Vujicic, Chief Economist and Vice President of the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute, and Dr. Greg Chadwick, President of FDI World Dental Federation and Dean of the East Carolina University School of Dentistry.
They discussed evidence-based advocacy and policy in challenging environments, interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve system-level change, and actionable steps through innovation and sustainability.
“I believe we are at the beginning of a ‘golden age’ of oral health globally. Ten years ago, we did not have convincing evidence that investing in oral health would improve pregnancy outcomes or reduce healthcare costs for people with diabetes. Today, the value proposition for oral health is very strong, and we did not have that ten years ago.
A lot of the momentum for oral health has to do with economics. Our ability to demonstrate that investing in oral health has an economic payback is critical at the policy level,” Dr. Vujicic said in his keynote address.
“The ‘golden age’ opportunity for oral health doesn’t fit with the existing funding and service models. So I think oral health leaders need to address this paradox – fundamentally refocusing oral care.”
The event ended with a dinner that allowed for conversations among oral health changemakers. The keynote speaker was Dr. Hugh Silk, a family physician in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine, who gave a fascinating speech about leading the way for change through curiosity, creativity and love, and how he integrates oral health into overall health to benefit more patients.
Dr. William Giannobile, Dean of the Harvard School of Dentistry, also addressed the guests and expressed his honor to be part of such an important collaborative project.
“As we all know, the academic, educational and research fields are facing huge challenges right now, so it is more important than ever to see a project dedicated to global oral leadership,” said Dr. Giannobile.
“One of HSDM’s visions is to transform access to healthcare and advance scientific research to prevent and find treatments for oral diseases and conditions; and one of our missions is to truly nurture a diverse community of global leaders in research, education, and clinical innovation to truly bridge medicine and oral health.”
The Stakeholder Day showcased GOHL’s vital interdisciplinary approach while challenging current norms and inspiring actionable change in oral health worldwide. The event was attended by distinguished guests from across the oral health community, including GOHL Class of 2025 representatives from 10 countries, ICD Fellows, and industry and academic luminaries.
“What is truly remarkable, and I’m sure we all feel it, is that now is the time. It has never been more important to have a forum like this,” said Andrea Albertini, CEO of Global Distribution and Technology at Henry Schein.
We need an open and honest dialogue between public and private stakeholders, educators and practitioners, policymakers, and patients because no single sector – be it government, large corporations, or academia – can tackle the enormous challenge of expanding access to care and proactively advancing healthcare systems alone.”
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