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The American College of Dentists (ACD) is the oldest national 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, 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, an ethics speaker series, the Professional Ethics Initiative, an entry level ethics course, online leadership courses, leadership symposia, a leadership speaker series, a multimedia dental history resource, resource materials for dental schools, a variety of award programs, and more. Recent developments include:

Introduction to Dental Ethics Course
Planned for Orlando, Florida

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The College is planning its second 7-hour introductory ethics course as part of our Annual Meeting & Convocation, Thursday, October 7, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. Completion of the Introduction to Dental Ethics course is the first step toward a planned certification process in dental ethics (currently under development). This is a great opportunity for those who wish to increase their knowledge and understanding of dental ethics. The course is open to all dentists, dental students, educators, and hygienists. This course is separate from our LeaderSkills workshops and a small registration fee will apply.

Contact us for more information:

Inquire Now!

• The Interactive Dental Ethics Application (IDEA™) is a comprehensive ethics resource that is under development. The working prototype has been completed. IDEA is being developed in Portable Document Format (PDF) and it is scheduled for initial release to the profession within the next 12 months. It has and educational focus and no fees are anticipated. IDEA will become a centerpiece of the Ethics Resource Clearinghouse.



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



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



• Pay Dues Online—Use the Members link in the menu above to log in and pay your dues online.



• Dental History, our Multimedia Dental History Resource, is now 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.



• An important new thrust! 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 Web site 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.


• New! 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 ACD has formally agreed with the American Society for Dental Ethics (ASDE) to pursue integration of the two organizations. Under the guidelines of the agreement, after a suitable trial period—and assuming no major issues arise—ASDE will become a unique, non-geographically based Section of the ACD. Dental ethics is a comparatively small field, and a coordinated voice would be an advantage for two different organizations having complementary missions. ASDE was established in 2004 to succeed PEDNET (Professional Ethics in Dentistry Network, founded in 1987).



• 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.




• ACD Poll

  The American College of Dentists Foundation has received a pledge of $50,000 from Dentsply International in support of Courses Online Dental Ethics (CODE), www.dentalethics.org. Our deepest appreciation is extended to Dentply 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 to be used in conjunction with the nominee's curriculum vitae. Contact our for more information.



• The Bylaws have been modified to reflect the creation of At Large Regents and the Sections Committee.



• The Code of Conduct has been modified to reflect the slightly expanded use of the abbreviation, F.A.C.D., after one's name.

Explore our Web site and learn more about the American College of Dentists.

Thomas J. Wickliffe
President