The awards were facilitated by the Australian Dental Industry Association (ADIA), the primary representative of dental product manufacturers and suppliers in Australia and the convenor of ADX Melbourne. Dentalife Australia took home the Oral Health Partnership Award for its participation in the Gudfala Tut Skul supervised toothbrushing programme in the island country of Vanuatu, and dental manufacturer TePe was given the EnergyAustralia Sustainability Award for its commitment to climate action.

Dental giants Henry Schein and Dentsply Sirona were also among the award winners. The former received the Community Service Award, while the latter picked up the Educational Initiative Award for its continued efforts to advance education in the dental profession throughout the pandemic.

Martin Weigold, managing director of Dentsply Sirona Australia, noted that the award submission process was a “really reflective process” that allowed his team to consider what they had achieved over the past 12 months. “It made us really think about what we have done during the year of the pandemic and focus on our internal resources,” he said.

Jason Savage, senior relationship manager at the healthcare financial advisory firm Medfin, was presented with the Outstanding Achiever Award and described it as “an honour”. “I’ve dedicated my career to the dental industry,” he said. “To be recognised this way is really excellent.”

Phillip Jolly, immediate past president of ADIA, was granted lifetime membership of the association at the gala. Jeffery Cheetham, founder and managing director of dental manufacturer SDI, was presented with the ADIA Industry Pioneer Award.

“Australia’s dental industry has a strong reputation of supporting oral health professionals in advancing the health of all Australians,” said Kym De Britt, CEO of ADIA. “ADIA, along with the industry, is building a solid tradition of recognising excellence across the wider dental community.”

De Britt added: “It’s incredibly encouraging to see such a vibrant industry coming out of what was an extremely difficult year. I look forward to seeing the talent and high standards present this year, in next year’s submissions.”

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