Abstract
Leadership in oral healthcare has long been treated as a skill assimilated over time through experience rather than intentionally defined, taught, and assessed. Unlike clinical practice, education, research, and infection control, leadership in oral healthcare lacks consistent standards despite its critical role in integrating these systems and guiding the profession’s future. As healthcare becomes increasingly collaborative and global, dentistry must deliberately develop leadership capabilities at multiple levels. This article examines leadership at the national and international levels, using the American Dental Association’s role within U.S. and global health and dental organizations as examples. It explores why these leadership contexts require distinct competencies and why establishing appropriate standards is essential to dentistry’s continued influence and effectiveness.
Recommended Citation
Faiella, Robert A. DMd, MMSc., MBA and Calnon, William R. DDS, FACD
(2026)
"From State House to World Health Assembly: The Distinct Missions of National and International Leadership in Oral Healthcare,"
Journal of the American College of Dentists: Vol. 92:
No.
4, Article 8.
Available at:
https://commons.ada.org/jacd/vol92/iss4/8