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Abstract

The dental profession has well-established standards governing clinical practice, education, and research, yet has lacked comparable standards to guide leadership behavior. The American College of Dentists (ACD) Standards for Leadership in Oral Healthcare Task Force developed a comprehensive framework spanning four levels: 1) core; 2) team; 3) local and regional; and 4) national and international. This article describes the local and regional standards, which include 10 standards organized into three themes—Building Foundation, Leading with Purpose, and Developing Others—and their application through interactive workshops at the ACD Spring Leadership Conference 2026. Using structured role-playing exercises, Section leaders and Regents stress-tested the standards against three realistic scenarios: balancing corporate sponsorship with professional independence, addressing an underperforming colleague, and evaluating a nominee with undocumented ethical concerns. Discussions validated the standards’ practical utility while identifying critical needs for operational policies, implementation tools, and training to support consistent application. Local and regional leadership is where the ACD mission becomes tangible; these standards provide a framework for leading with intention, integrity, and impact across the profession.

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