American College of Dentists

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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.

Video Overview

The ACD Video provides an overview of the American College of Dentists. Click the button to the right to begin. The video has a sound track. Depending on your computer you may need to download QuickTime, which is free, to play the video. iPad users (and others with viewing problems) can view it on YouTube using the button ono the right. Our sincere appreciation is extended to the Sections and indidviduals who made the ACD Video possible through their donations to our Foundation. The video is Copyright © 2011-2012 by the American College of Dentists and all rights are reserved.

The College also has an Orientation Video that provides very useful and somewhat different information. Click the button to the right to play the orientation video. It has a sound track and you may need to adjust the volume. This is a flash video and may not play in some computers.

Recent developments of the American College of Dentists include:

Ethics Scholarships
$1,000 for Graduate Course
$10,000 for Ethics Degree

$1,000 Scholarships. The American College of Dentists Foundation is offering up to ten $1,000 partial scholarships in 2013 for Fellows who take the new 3-unit graduate-level college course in dental ethics at Creighton University entitled, "Oral Health Care at the Intersection of Professional and Business Ethics." the course runs eight weeks, April 29 to June 21, 2013. The scholarships are one-time grants, not repetitive, and are funded by the Dr. Cecelia L. Dows Scholarship Fund. Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 12:00 noon, Eastern Time, Friday, February 1, 2013. A summary of the application process can be downloaded as well as a brochure describing the new course.

$10,000 Scholarships. We anticipate that at least one $10,000 scholarship will be awarded in 2013 to a Fellow enrolled in a graduate degree in ethics. The application can be downloaded. The deadline is March 1, 2013.

Questions? Contact:

The ADA Registration Code for ACD Housing Block in New Orleans is: ACDNOLA. See the Annual Meeting Brochure for more information.

Courses Online Dental Ethics (CODE), our series of online ethics courses that are part of Dental Ethics, now has 34 courses, each providing complimentary continuing education credit. The registration process is simple and there are no registration fees. Try it at www.dentalethics.org.

On October 18, 2012 the College inducted 296 new Fellows at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel. Congratulations to our new Fellows!

The Information Brochure can now be viewed or downloaded as a PDF. The PDF version reflects its trifold layout.

The Ethics Handbook for Dentists can now be viewed or downloaded as a PDF.

The Core Values & Aspirational Code of Ethics can now be viewed or downloaded as a PDF.

The College inducted 318 dentists at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, October 11th.

The most recent recent issue of our newsletter, ACD News, can be viewed online.

The video for American College of Dentists is complete and can be viewed using the button link above. An orientation video using a different format and slightly different information is also available for viewing using the other button link above.

Fellows can now make online donations to the American College of Dentists Foundation.

The American Society for Dental Ethics Section was chartered as our 51st Section effective January 1, 2011. This is a tremendous boast for ethics, oral health care, and dentistry. The formal presentation of the charter certificate will be made in Las Vegas.

The ADEAGies Foundation honored the American College of Dentists for Outstanding Achievement, Public or Private Partner, at the Gies Awards celebration held on March 14, 2011, in San Diego, California, in conjunction with the 2011 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition. The Gies Awards, named after dental education pioneer William J. Gies, Ph.D., honor individuals and organizations exemplifying dedication to the highest standards of vision, innovation, and achievement in dental education, research, and leadership.

The Interactive Dental Ethics Application (IDEA®) is a comprehensive ethics resource with interactive features. The prototype has been completed and can be tried at IDEA®. It has and educational focus and there are no fees.

A trifold brochure summarizing the Professional Ethics Initiative is now available in PDF format.

Dental History, our Multimedia Dental History Resource, is available for download from www.dentalhistory.org. The resource is fairly large (25MB), utilizes external video files, and takes about 45 seconds to download with a high-speed Internet connection. A high-speed Internet connection is strongly recommended, and an Internet connection is needed to view the external videos. The resource was initially designed for dental students and formerly available only on CD. It has been slightly modified for online distribution.

The ACD, primarily through its Sections, is prepared to help the new Student Professionalism and Ethics Clubs become established at North American dental schools. SPEC, 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.

Stressed out? An online Personal Stress Inventory has been added to Dental Leadership at www.dentalleadership.org. The inventory is one of the self-assessment leadership tools and is listed as Activity E under the Assessment heading. The inventory is also associated with Course 28. You will first need to register. Dental Leadership is a comprehensive leadership resources and includes education, assessment, and library modules. Continuing education credit is available for courses in the education module.

ACD Poll

Digital compilations of the 52 Ethical Dilemmas published in the Texas Dental Journal from 1993 to 2005, and authored by the late Dr. Thomas K. Hasegawa and others, can be downloaded from www.dentalethics.org. The dilemmas are also available in limited numbers on CDs from the Executive Office.

The College is gathering information to help improve dental practice, and we could use your help. If you are currently in practice, would you please take the anonymous Practice Values Inventory. It only takes a minute or two and it will provide us with very useful information.

Over the last seven years the American College of Dentists Foundation has received $60,000 from Dentsply International in support of our Dental Ethics site, www.dentalethics.org. Our deepest appreciation is extended to Dentsply International for this tangible commitment to ethics and professionalism.

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.

W. Scott Waugh
President

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