Common dental resources and links
Dental associations serve many purposes within our profession. They exist to educate the public and bring confidence to consumers when making healthcare decisions, and bring awareness to the varied medical conditions associated with dentistry. From a dentist’s day to day perspective, they help us further our own education through certification and training programs, as well as seminars and meetings on new ideas and technology.
So take a look at some of the helpful resources we have compiled, and visit their websites for more information.
General Dental Resources
Academy of General Dentistry
The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) is a professional association of more than 38,000 general dentists dedicated to providing quality dental care and oral health education to the public. AGD members stay up-to-date in their profession through a commitment to continuing education. Founded in 1952, the AGD is the second largest dental association in the United States, and it is the only association that exclusively represents the needs and interests of general dentists. A general dentist is the primary care provider for patients of all ages and is responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, management, and overall coordination of services related to patients’ oral health needs.
Website: http://www.agd.org/
Academy of Laser Dentistry
The Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD) was officially incorporated in 1993, following the merger of the American Academy of Laser Dentistry, the International Academy of Laser Dentistry and the North American Academy of Laser Dentistry. The largest international organization devoted to laser dentistry, the Academy includes among its members top clinicians, academicians and researchers in all laser wavelengths. The Academy has regional chapters in Canada, Chile, Israel, Japan and the United Kingdom and Study Clubs in Italy and Kazakhstan.
Website: http://www.laserdentistry.org/
American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry® (AACD) is dedicated to advancing excellence in the art and science of comprehensive cosmetic dentistry and encouraging the highest standards of ethical conduct and responsible patient care. The AACD fulfills its mission by: offering superior educational opportunities; promoting and supporting a respected Accreditation credential; serving as a user-friendly and inviting forum for the creative exchange of knowledge and ideas; and providing accurate and useful information to the public and the profession.
Website: http://www.aacd.com/
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) is a membership organization representing the specialty of pediatric dentistry. The AAPD’s 8,400 members serve as primary care and specialty providers for millions of children from infancy through adolescence; provide advanced, specialty-level care for infants, children, adolescents and patients with special health care needs; and are the primary contributors to professional education programs and scholarly works concerning children’s dental care. The AAPD also represents general dentists who treat a significant number of children in their practices.
Website: http://www.aapd.org/
American Association of Endodontists
The Foundation, which was incorporated in 1966, is the philanthropic arm of the American Academy of Endodontists (AAE). It is a 501(c)3 charity. Over the years, its mission and activities have evolved. In 1994, AAE directors and Foundation trustees collaborated to restructure the Foundation’s governance and to initiate an endowment campaign. The new organizational design aligned the Association’s priorities to the Foundation’s mission and has been an unqualified success. Today, the Foundation provides the specialty with resources to address needs, meet challenges and realize dreams for the future.
The AAE Foundation exists to perpetuate excellence for the specialty of endodontics and its practitioners. It works to ensure the specialty’s place at the forefront of the dental health arena through support to research and education. Our vision is quality oral health by preserving the natural dentition through endodontic therapy.
Website: http://www.aae.org/
American Association of Orthodontists
Founded in 1900, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) is a professional association of educationally qualified orthodontic specialists dedicated to ethically advancing the art and science of orthodontics, improving the health of the public by promoting quality orthodontic care, and supporting the practice of orthodontics.
The AAO is comprised of more than 16,000 members in the United States, Canada and abroad. The specialty of orthodontics is the oldest and largest dental specialty recognized by the American Dental Association.
Website: http://www.mylifemysmile.org/
American Board of Endodontists
The American Association of Endodontists (AAE) sponsors the American Board of Endodontics (ABE). Founded in 1956, the American Board of Endodontics is the only certifying board for the specialty of endodontics and is one of the nine specialty boards recognized by the American Dental Association. – See more at: http://www.aae.org/american-board-of-endodontics/about-the-abe/about-the-abe.aspx#sthash.cgniE82B.dpuf
Website: http://www.aae.org/board/
American College of Dentists
The mission of the American College of Dentists (ACD) is to advance excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership in dentistry.
The American College of Dentists is the oldest major 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.”
Website: http://www.acd.org/
American College of Prosthodontists
Founded in 1970, the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) is an educational and scientific organization, a 501(c)(6), created to represent the needs and interests of prosthodontists within organized dentistry, and to the public, by providing a means for stimulating awareness and interest in the field of prosthodontics. The ACP’s goal is to be the global resource for all aspects of the specialty.
The ADA recognizes the ACP as the organization for the specialty of prosthodontics, and the ACP is the only prosthodontic specialty association where membership is based solely on education credentials. ACP members must be in or have completed an ADA-accredited advanced education program in prosthodontics.
The ACP has more than 3,500 members internationally including prosthodontists, dental technicians, dental students and other dental professionals who have significantly contributed to the specialty.
Website: http://www.gotoapro.org/
American Dental Association
Founded in 1859, the not-for-profit American Dental Association® (ADA) is the nation’s largest dental association, representing 157,000 dentist members. Since then, the ADA has grown to become the leading source of oral health related information for dentists and their patients. Learn more about the ADA’s mission and vision, and our commitment to the public’s oral health, ethics, science and professional advancement and access to care for all Americans.
Website: http://www.ada.org/
International College of Dentists
The International College of Dentists (ICD) is the oldest and largest international honorary dental organization established in 1928 with over 12,000 members (designated as Fellows) around the globe. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and is granted in recognition of a dentist’s “outstanding professional achievement, meritorious service and dedication to the continued progress of dentistry for the benefit of humankind”.
Prior to being recognized as a Fellow of the ICD, the candidate’s qualifications and achievements are evaluated by a series of credential committees in order to insure that he or she is deserving of this high honor and adhere to the ICD motto, goals and objectives. Once inducted, a Fellow in good standing is authorized to use the letters “FICD” after his or her name.
Website: http://www.icd.org/
Government Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
For over 60 years, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been dedicated to protecting health and promoting quality of life through the prevention and control of disease, injury, and disability. We are committed to programs that reduce the health and economic consequences of the leading causes of death and disability, thereby ensuring a long, productive, healthy life for all people.
Website: http://www.cdc.gov/
Food and Drug Administration
FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines more effective, safer, and more affordable and by helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods to maintain and improve their health. FDA also has responsibility for regulating the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of tobacco products to protect the public health and to reduce tobacco use by minors.
Website: http://www.fda.gov/
Department of Health & Human Services
The mission of the Department of Health and Human Services is to help provide the building blocks that Americans need to live healthy, successful lives. We fulfill that mission every day by providing millions of children, families, and seniors with access to high-quality health care, by helping people find jobs and parents find affordable child care, by keeping the food on Americans’ shelves safe and infectious diseases at bay, and by pushing the boundaries of how we diagnose and treat disease.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. HHS is headed by the Secretary who is the chief managing officer for our family of agencies, including 11 operating divisions, 10 regional offices, as well as the Office of the Secretary.
Website: http://www.hhs.gov/
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
The Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Data Resource Center (DRC), cosponsored by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Oral Health, serves as a resource on dental, oral, and craniofacial data for the oral health research community, clinical practitioners, public health planners and policy makers, advocates, and the general public.
Website: https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services External Web Site Policy , is the nation’s medical research agency—making important discoveries that improve health and save lives.
Thanks in large part to NIH-funded medical research, Americans today are living longer and healthier. Life expectancy in the United States has jumped from 47 years in 1900 to 78 years as reported in 2009, and disability in people over age 65 has dropped dramatically in the past 3 decades. In recent years, nationwide rates of new diagnoses and deaths from all cancers combined have fallen significantly.
Website: http://www.nih.gov/
US Consumer Product Safety Commission
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.
Website: http://www.cpsc.gov/
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.
In the 21st century, health is a shared responsibility, involving equitable access to essential care and collective defence against transnational threats./p>
Website: http://www.who.int/