ICD Global Oral Health Leadership Institute holds Stakeholders’ Day

Stakeholders’ Day provided an opportunity for the 2025 GOHL Institute delegates to engage with thought leaders, innovators and activists in oral health and related industries, as well as promote the GOHL Institute’s objectives of fostering a global community of practice, leading system change through evidence and innovation, empowering transformational leadership and catalysing cross-sectoral impact. The event commenced with two panel discussions led, respectively, by Dr Marko Vujicic, chief economist and vice president of the Health Policy Institute of the American Dental Association, and Dr Greg Chadwick, president of FDI World Dental Federation and dean of the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine in Greenville in the US. The topics addressed during these discussions concerned 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 [return on investment] to investing in oral health is critically important in policy circles,” Dr Vujicic said during his keynote address. “This heightened opportunity for oral health is inconsistent with the established models of financing and delivery. So that is the tension I feel the leaders of the profession need to address, a fundamental realignment in what oral healthcare focuses on.”

“There is a very strong value proposition for oral health today that we didn’t have a decade ago.”

The programme culminated in a dinner, enabling dialogue between change-makers in oral health. Keynote speaker Dr Hugh Silk, family physician in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester in the US, delivered a powerful presentation about leading a pathway to change through curiosity, creativity and compassion, and he shared insights into his journey of incorporating oral health into overall health to reach more patients where they are at.

The dean of HSDM, Prof. 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 programme dedicated to global oral leadership is more important now than ever,” he said. “Part of the vision of HSDM is to transform access to healthcare and advance science to prevent and find cures for oral diseases and conditions, and a key part of our mission is to foster that community of diverse global leaders in research, education and clinical innovation to meaningfully integrate medicine and oral health.”

Stakeholders’ Day showcased the importance of the GOHL Institute’s interdisciplinary approach while challenging prevailing norms and inspiring actionable change in global oral health. Distinguished guests from across the oral health industry participated, including the 2025 GOHL Institute delegates—representing ten countries—ICD fellows, and prominent industry and academic figures.

Speaking to attendees about the significance of the occasion, Andrea Albertini, CEO of global distribution and technology at Henry Schein, stated: “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, policymakers 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.”