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Mission and Vision

About ADEA

Vision

A well-prepared and diverse oral health workforce is improving the health of all individuals and communities.

Mission

To lead and support the health professions community in preparing future-ready oral health professionals

Who We Are

The Voice of Dental Education®
The Voice of Academic Oral HealthTM
The Voice of Academic Oral Health EducationTM

As The Voice of Academic Oral Health, ADEA is the sole national organization representing academic dentistry. Our members include all 80 U.S. and Canadian dental schools, more than 800 allied and advanced dental education programs, more than 55 corporations and approximately 15,000 individuals.

Our activities encompass a wide range of research, advocacy, faculty and leadership development, meetings, news and publications, including the peer-reviewed Journal of Dental Education. We also offer the dental education application services ADEA AADSAS®, ADEA PASS®, ADEA DHCAS® and ADEA CAAPID®.

ADEA also fosters interconnected community experiences that enable members to meet their individual goals while leveraging their collective strength.

Dental education is a broad and varied profession that trains people as general dentists, specialists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental assistants and dental laboratory technicians. ADEA membership mirrors this diversity.

ADEA members determine best practices for dental education and encourage changes in dental education programs and institutions that will benefit everyone. ADEA members come together to advocate effectively for public policy issues essential to dental educators and researchers, especially access to dental care, a necessary element to improved oral health.

Since its founding as The Voice of Oral Health Education, ADEA has existed to serve the students wondering how to become a dentist, the hardworking educator training the dental professionals of the future and those striving for scientific or public policy improvements in oral health care. ADEA is incorporated as a District of Columbia nonprofit corporation and as such is subject to the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Code. As established by its Articles of Incorporation, the purpose of the Association is to advance and support dental education, dental research and the dental health and education of the general public.

The ADEA Value Proposition(PDF) outlines the solutions that the organization offers to help resolve the key needs facing member institutions.

ADEA is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization.