Our mission is to advance excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership in dentistry.
The American College of Dentists (ACD) is the oldest major honorary organization for dentists. Its members have exemplified excellence through outstanding leadership and exceptional contributions to dentistry and society. In response to serious problems facing the profession, the American College of Dentists was founded August 20, 1920, by the then leaders of dentistry to elevate the standards of dentistry, to encourage graduate study, and to grant Fellowship to those who have done meritorious work. The American College of Dentists is nonprofit and apolitical, and has long been regarded as the "conscience of dentistry."
The College has played a vital role in positively shaping the profession. Early accomplishments include being the first organization to promote what we today call "continuing education," organizing and incorporating the American Association of Dental Editors, and essentially saving the Journal of Dental Research during the Depression. The College is currently involved in a wide range of activities, nationally and locally, to accomplish its mission. These efforts include ethics summits, online courses in dental ethics, the Professional Ethics Initiative, an entry level ethics course, online leadership courses, leadership symposia, a multimedia dental history resource, resource materials for dental schools, a variety of award programs, and more.
ACD 2018 Annual Meeting and Convocation! Aloha
We’re looking forward to welcoming Fellows old and new to ACD 2018!
The ACD 2018 meeting will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, October 17-18, at the Sheraton Waikiki, 2255 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, Hawaii. Our program begins Wednesday afternoon with the Fellows Forum. Dr. Larry Garetto is facilitating this session, entitled “Recognizing and Managing the Ethical Dimension of Dental Practice Using Video Dilemma Cases.” We also have a morning Special Ethics course. The Regency breakout sessions and Meet & Greet complete Wednesday’s events. Thursday’s activities include the morning Business Meeting and Kevin Brown, our keynote speaker and author of The Hero Effect, shares ideas, strategies, and principles that will inspire and equip participants to show up every day and make a positive difference. At the heart of Kevin’s message is a simple yet powerful philosophy for life that drives every thought, every action, and ultimately every result we achieve both personally and professionally. Entertainment at lunch will be uniquely Hawaiian. The Convocation, and our evening reception and elegant dinner dance will follow. The Convocation speaker will be the Major General Thomas “Rob” Tempel, Jr., United States Army, Commanding General of U.S. Army Regional Health Command, 27th Chief of the United States Army Dental Corps, and ACD Fellow. Dinner will feature the Almost Paradise band. The meeting will officially begin at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 with the special afternoon session (registration will be open at 8:00 a.m.). We expect a large attendance, so plan ahead. Fellows can meet with friends, welcome new Fellows, and participate in a most memorable event. Don’t miss it!
PLEASE NOTE! New online registration procedures are in place for Honolulu. See details in the May issue of ACD News for a detailed description of the new online process. Online registration opened 14 February.
When: October 17-18, 2018 Where: Sheraton Waikiki Registration:ada.org/meeting; Registration Code: ACDHNL ADA Registration Fees: $115 until September 21, then $230
Dress for the meetings is Aloha Business and for the Gala it is Aloha Formal
ACD Schedule of Events
Wednesday, October 17
8:00AM-5:00PM—Registration Open
8:30AM-5:00PM—Gift Gallery Open
12:00-5:00PM—Cap and Gown Pick-up, Portrait Studio open
8:00AM-Noon—Ethics Course ($190); space is limited and pre-registration is required
1:00-4:00PM—Fellows Forum
4:00PM-5:30PM—Regency Breakout Sessions
5:30-7:00PM—Meet & Greet
Thursday, October 18
7:30AM-2:00PM—Registration Open
8:00AM-6:00PM—Gallery Open
8:00AM-7:45PM—Silent Auction Bidding Open
8:00-9:15AM—New Fellow Orientation and Annual Business Meeting of the College
9:15-11:15AM—Keynote Presentation
11:30AM-1:15PM—Luncheon ($65)
2:15—Candidate and Sponsor Line-up
3:00-5:00PM—Convocation
7:00PM-Midnight—Gala ($165)
Recent developments of the American College of Dentists include:
Ethics Scholarships
$10,000 for Ethics Degree
$10,000 Scholarships. We anticipate that one $10,000 scholarship will be awarded in 2018 to a Fellow enrolled in a graduate degree in ethics. The deadline for applications is February 1, 2018. The application is available online.
Questions? Contact:
Thirty-one ethics articles published in AGD Impact and authored by David Ozar, PhD and Donald Patthoff, DDS, MAGD are now available for viewing and download at Dental Ethics. AGD Impact is a publication of the Academy of General Dentistry.
A PDF of the slide presentation of Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE from his program in Denver, October 20, 2016, and entitled "Lead like Fred," can be downloaded here.
Eight ethical dilemma videos produced in conjunction with Indiana University can be viewed or downloaded from our Dental Ethics site. The videos are designed for dentists but are also very useful for dental students.
The American College of Dentists Foundation recently received a $1 million planned gift from Dr. Jerome B. Miller. The Foundation is extremely grateful to Dr. Miller for his extraordinary generosity.
The Information Brochure can now be viewed or downloaded as a PDF. The PDF version reflects its trifold layout.
Fellows can now make online donations to the American College of Dentists Foundation.
The ACD, primarily through its Sections, supports the Student Professionalism and Ethics Association, chapters of which have been established at over 30 North American dental schools. SPEA, as the organization is known, was founded in 2007 at U.S.C. It is student-run and has a purpose of increasing the overall level of ethics and professionalism. See their website or contact their for more information on starting a chapter at your local dental school.
The Members Only section contains a variety of useful resources; use the Members link on the menu. The latest addition is a summary of the Model Section Program, including an application. You can also pay your dues in this section.
A new, simplified, one-page nomination form is available. Contact our for more information.
Explore our website and learn more about the American College of Dentists.
$10,000 Scholarships. We anticipate that one $10,000 scholarship will be awarded in 2018 to a Fellow enrolled in a graduate degree in ethics. The deadline for applications is February 1, 2018. The application is 
link on the menu. The latest addition is a summary of the Model Section Program, including an application. You can also pay your dues in this section.