Volume 92, Number 2 (2026)

SPECIAL ISSUE: The Intersection of Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (2a)

This special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists responds to a growing but long-underrecognized demand for humanities and ethics in dental education, practice, and scholarship. It emerges from the work of the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED), a multi-institutional partnership formed in 2023 to address the persistent exclusion of dentistry from broader health humanities conversations. Through national webinars and scholarly collaboration, NCHED has demonstrated substantial interest in ethical reflection, historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and the arts as essential to understanding oral health and dental care.

The unexpectedly strong response to the call for manuscripts—resulting in two special issues—signals a pent-up need for such perspectives within the profession. The articles in this issue highlight the breadth and urgency of dental humanities and ethics, encompassing educational innovation, historical reckoning, whole-person care, narrative ethics, and community engagement. Together, they affirm dentistry’s vital place within the health humanities and underscore the profession’s moral, cultural, and social responsibilities.