The International College of Dentists (ICD) hosted its second Stakeholders’ Day program in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on April. 29, 2025. The program and celebratory dinner were held on the campus of Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), and were made possible by a donation from industry partner Henry Schein. The Stakeholder’s Day was a key event for ICD’s Global Oral Health Leadership (GOHL) Institute, that was launched in December 2024 in partnership with Henry Schein. GOHL is designed to support global leadership in oral health and to encourage meaningful discussions that foster collaboration and sustainable public-private solutions.
Stakeholders Day provided an opportunity for the 2025 GOHL delegates to engage with thought leaders, innovators and activists in oral health and other sectors, as well as promote the GOHL Institute objectives to foster a global community of practice, lead system change through evidence and innovation, empower transformational leadership, bridge sectors, and catalyze cross-sectoral impact, to interested collaborators. The event kicked off with two panel discussions led by Dr. Marko Vujicic, Chief Economist and Vice President of the Health Policy Institute, American Dental Association, and Dr. Greg Chadwick, President of the FDI World Dental Federation and Dean of the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine, where they addressed evidence-based advocacy and policy in the face of challenging contexts, interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve system-level change, and actionable steps through innovation and sustainability.
“I feel we’re at the beginning of a ‘Golden Era’ of oral health internationally. A decade ago, we did not have compelling evidence that investing in oral health, for example, saves money on pregnancy outcomes or reduces healthcare costs among people with diabetes. There is a very strong value proposition for oral health today that we didn’t have a decade ago. There’s significant momentum, and a lot of it has to do with economics. The fact that we can show there is a financial ROI to investing in oral health is really important in policy circles,” Dr. Vujicic said during his keynote. “This ‘Golden Era’ opportunity for oral health is inconsistent with the status quo financing and delivery models that exist. So that is the tension I feel the leaders of the profession need to address, a fundamental realignment in what oral health care focuses on.”
The program culminated with a dinner, enabling dialogue between changemakers in oral health. Keynote speaker Dr. Hugh Silk, family physician in the Dept. of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, gave a powerful presentation about leading a pathway to change through curiosity, creativity and love, and his journey of incorporating oral health into overall health to reach more patients where they are at.
The Dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Dr. William Giannobile, also addressed guests on the pride of being part of an important collaborative initiative like this.
“As we all know, right now is such a challenging time in academia, in education and in research, so to see a program dedicated to global oral leadership is more important now than ever,” said Dr. Giannobile. “Part of the vision of the HSDM is to transform access to healthcare and advance science to prevent and find cures for oral diseases and conditions, and part of our mission is really to foster that community of diverse global leaders in research, education and clinical innovation to really integrate medicine and oral health.”
Stakeholders’ Day showcased the important interdisciplinary approach of GOHL, while challenging prevailing norms and inspiring actionable change in global oral health. Distinguished guests from across oral health participated, including the 2025 GOHL delegates representing 10 countries, ICD Fellows, and prominent industry and academic figures.
“What is truly extraordinary, and I believe we all feel it, is that this is ‘the’ time. There has never been a more critical time for forums like this. We need open, candid conversations between public and private stakeholders, educators and practitioners, policy makers and patients, because no single sector – not government, not big business, not academia – can tackle the enormous challenges of increasing access to care and positively evolving our healthcare systems alone,” said Mr. Andrea Albertini, Chief Officer, Global Distribution and Technology, Henry Schein, Inc
About the Global Oral Health Leadership (GOHL) Institute
The International College of Dentists’ Global Oral Health Leadership Institute prepares selected leaders worldwide to address evolving oral health challenges through an interdisciplinary approach, emphasizing equity, innovation, sustainable solutions and systemic change on local, regional and global levels. The Institute conducts a one-year certification program designed to equip industry, dental and medical leaders with the skills, resources and connections needed to tackle the most pressing oral health issues, while expanding an alumni network focused on mentorship and engagement. www.icd.org/gohl-institute
About the International College of Dentists (ICD)
The International College of Dentists has been Honoring the World's Leading Dentists Since 1920™. Over 12,000 dentists in 140+ countries have earned the prestigious title of FICD (Fellow International College of Dentists). Fellowship in the College is by invitation only and is granted in recognition of an individual dentist’s “outstanding professional achievement, meritorious service, and dedication to the continued progress of dentistry for the benefit of humankind." Information on ICD and the hundreds of global humanitarian, educational, and other oral health service-related projects may be viewed at ww.icd.org.
