Overview
 Mission
The mission of the American College of Dentists is to
advance excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership in dentistry.
Founding
The American College of Dentists is the oldest national honorary organization for dentists. It was founded August 20, 1920 at the Copley-Plaza Hotel in
Boston by the President, President-elect, and Secretary of the American
Dental Association (then called the National Dental Association) and the
President of the National Association of Dental Faculties (precursor of
the American Dental Education Association). The College was founded
"to elevate the standards of dentistry, to encourage graduate study,
and to grant Fellowship to those who have done meritorious work."
Ethics and Professionalism
Since its founding the American College of
Dentists has come to epitomize ethics and professionalism in dentistry. It has worked tirelessly to improve the ethical climate of dentistry and many of its projects—former, current, and planned—reflect this focus and heritage. The College is recognized by its peers as the "conscience of dentistry."
Leadership
"The College must
be a symbol of the ideals that have made our profession great; the
College should be a catalyst...a stabilizer...a resource...to which the profession can turn for guidance in matters of
ethics, of philosophy, of principle....The American College of
Dentists has many functions but its basic mission—its reason for
being—is leadership."
Philip E. Blackerby
President, 1963
The College has a long and distinguished association with leaders and leadership. The College was founded by the leaders of dentistry in 1920, selects
new Fellows primarily based on leadership, exhibits leadership in areas
related to its mission, includes leadership as a key mission element, and
has long offered educational opportunities related to leadership. Since
1995 the College has offered LeaderSkills workshops for continuing
education credit as part of its Annual Meeting & Convocations. Similar
offerings existed long before that under different names. Our Outstanding
Student Leader Award has existed since 1997, while the Distinguished
Leadership Award for dentists has been more recently established. A
Leadership Workshop is also offered as part of our biennial Summer
Conference program. While Fellows represent diverse interests, the
single characteristic all Fellows share is leadership:
Membership
Membership in the American College of Dentists is by invitation
only. There are over 7,400 Fellows, active and retired.
Fellows are selected based on their contributions to organized dentistry,
oral health care, dental research, dental education, the profession, and
society. Approximately 3.5% of dentists are Fellows of the American
College of Dentists.
Nomination
and Selection of Fellows
The common characteristic shared by successful candidates for
Fellowship is demonstrated leadership in some aspect of dentistry or
community service. The selection process for Fellowship utilizes a well-established,
confidential peer review system evaluating professional and community
leadership positions, contributions, and credentials. A description
of the process has been published. Each fall, approximately 300 new
Fellows are inducted during a Convocation ceremony held during the Annual
Meeting of the College. Please note that the nomination process was greatly simplified in October 2006 for both electronic and printed nominations.
 Fellows may request an
Electronic Nomination Portfolio
to propose dentists for Fellowship. Use this link to request the portfolio
by e-mail, available in two separate attachments. It is designed for MS® Word,
version 7.0 or later. Compatibility with other versions, word processors,
or platforms is uncertain. Please specify
"electronic nomination portfolio" (or similar) in the subject
line of the e-mail. Nomination forms are also available for direct download in the Members section.
 Alternatively, Fellows may also complete a
printed Nomination Portfolio designed for use with a typewriter. Use this
link to request
printed forms by e-mail, or telephone or fax the Executive Office.
Projects
and Activities
Throughout its history, the American College of Dentists has undertaken
and supported numerous studies aimed at enhancing the quality of dental
care and the profession's service to society. Its projects have been wide
ranging and have included efforts that have reshaped dental education and
journalism; examined issues of insurance coverage in the U.S. and Europe;
probed human resource needs in dentistry (in 1950s); and supported efforts
to attract women and minorities to dentistry. The American College of Dentists is currently involved in a wide range of national projects; Sections are also involved in projects at the local level, many of which are ethics related.
Annual
Meeting and Convocation
The Annual Meeting and Convocation of the College are held each fall.
The first day features LeaderSkills workshops, the Fellows Forum, Regency
breakout sessions, and the Meet & Greet. The second day includes the
business meeting, Orientation for new Fellows, keynote speaker, luncheon
with entertainment, Convocation, and dinner dance.
Organizational
Structure
Officers and Regents of the American College of Dentists provide
guidance for the organization; elective officers and Regents are elected
by the entire Fellowship. The College is divided into eight Regencies;
Regencies are further divided into Sections. There are 50 Sections
overall. Overall planning and management is under the Executive Director
and the Executive Office in
suburban Washington, D.C. For more information, see Article
I of the Bylaws and Organization.
Responsibilities
of Fellowship
Conferring of Fellowship in the American College of Dentists may be a
highpoint in a career, but it is not an endpoint. While Fellowship
symbolizes leadership and meritorious achievement, it also defines a
standard for future endeavors. At a minimum it is expected that a
Fellow will:
- Uphold and promote the principles and objectives of the College;
- Strive for personal and professional improvement;
- Continue to contribute to organized dentistry and the community;
- Participate in College events at Section, Regency, and national
levels; and
- Regularly nominate qualified dentists for Fellowship.
Seal of the American College of Dentists
According to the history of Herodotus,
among the Egyptians of the Fifth Century, B.C., "some physicians are
for the eyes, others for the head, others for the teeth…."
This statement indicates that a group of priest-physicians actually specialized in dental matters. Because of this heritage, early Fellows of the College
incorporated a number of Egyptian elements in the design of the seal:
- A scroll inscribed with a portion of Ebers Papyrus containing a
dental prescription;
- An outer border taken from the ornament of an ancient tomb, Hepi
in Sawijet el Meitn;
- Two Egyptian figures holding the scroll;
- A sacred scarab (winged) supporting the moon, a common Egyptian
symbol;
- Two lotus flowers, typically Egyptian;
- Two crocodiles (the fat of which was used for the relief of
odontalgia) supporting the sun, another common Egyptian symbol; and
- Red, blue, and gold coloring, also typically Egyptian.
The seal is a Registered Trademark ® of the American College of Dentists.
Official
Colors
The official colors of the College are Lilac and American Rose .
For more information about the American College of Dentists explore other areas of our Web site.
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