“Dental students should be actively involved in policy discussions”

Reaching this milestone also reflects the resilience of IADS. The association has had its ups and downs, especially during times of crisis and geopolitical instability. The COVID-19 pandemic hit IADS hard, as the association had been heavily reliant on in-person activities. That forced us to pivot towards digital infrastructure that made us less vulnerable to crises.

Prior to becoming president, you held a number of IADS leadership roles. What were your main priorities and in which areas has the association developed the most?
My first executive role was as vice-president of public relations. At that time, the impact of the pandemic was still very present. Engagement was low, and there was a post-pandemic hangover feeling. My main goal was simple: make IADS as visible and accessible as possible.

At that time, IADS did not yet have the reach that one would expect. Membership and engagement were not at optimal levels, and our social media channels were not reaching their potential. We focused on increasing exposure and engagement, and over time, we saw clear results. Our social media audience grew significantly, as did membership engagement and participation at events and in our programmes.

What measures did you take to increase engagement and visibility?
The first big shift was a strategic realignment of social media. We spoke to dental students directly and tailored our content to their feedback. This involved adjusting our communication style to match Gen Z expectations—professional where it matters, but not overly formal or distant. This helped students see IADS as an organisation working for them rather than as a remote institution.

The second major measure was rebuilding our digital infrastructure. We rebuilt the main IADS website and the congress website, ensuring that they could be maintained and updated by our team in-house. This was essentially a reallocation of resources—less time on activities with limited reach, more on channels with broad, continuous impact.

The results had a cascading effect beyond public relations. With greater engagement and visibility, it became easier to attract sponsors, funding and institutional partners and to strengthen IADS’s international profile.

This FDI congress is focused strongly on digital change and artificial intelligence (AI). How is IADS preparing students for the rapid developments taking place in clinical practice?
When it comes to digital change, I believe that IADS is in an ideal leadership position. Most of our team and our members are digital natives with a natural affinity for digital technologies in dentistry, including intra-oral scanning, 3D printing and AI.

Dentists need to know how to use digital tools intelligently to make clinical work more efficient and improve patient care. We see AI being integrated into clinical documentation, diagnostic imaging and patient education, and many AI-driven tools can support young dentists in particular.

We are leveraging our expertise through a brand experience programme, which offers visits to dental company headquarters and production sites, enabling students to see cutting-edge technologies and research first hand. We also organise workshops at dental congresses, addressing important topics such as ethics and the responsible use of AI in healthcare. We also provide practical training to students on how to use AI effectively in their studies and clinical work. Ultimately, we aim to help students understand the related ethical frameworks and responsibilities and give them hands-on exposure to the tools.

We often see a gap between technologies that are available and those actually used in dental clinics. What do you think accounts for this disparity, especially for early-career dentists?
There are three central issues here: practitioner acceptance, clinical validation and access to technology. When the evidence base grows and devices become more reliable, implementation follows; however, openness among practitioners—especially younger generations—can really accelerate the process.

Access and affordability are key issues. Recent graduates working in dental clinics are unlikely to have influence over investment decisions. If the clinic doesn’t have the tools, young dentists cannot implement them in clinical work.

This links to a bigger discussion: will younger dentists be able to maintain current levels of practice ownership? As practice ownership becomes more challenging, the growth of dental support organisations (DSOs) and corporate groups is increasingly shaping global investment in dental technologies.

Could the high level of investment in technology at DSOs be just what young dentists need?
From my perspective, DSOs are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, DSO-affiliated clinics can make it easier for recent graduates to find employment. Consistent patient flow and buying power allow them to negotiate significant discounts with suppliers, and this in turn supports access to state-of-the-art technology. For new graduates, this can be a very attractive start: they can earn money, gain experience and work with modern technology.

On the other hand, the same structures can make it much harder for young dentists to open and sustain an independent practice. Competing with DSOs on overheads, purchasing prices and patient acquisition is extremely challenging.

I believe that this issue requires serious attention from dental associations, governments and global bodies like FDI. It is one of a number of systemic problems that require solutions tailored to individual dental markets. In the US, for instance, the structure of dental insurance—often functioning more like a discount plan with substantial out-of-pocket costs—creates its own set of pressures. If we do not address these systemic issues, we risk discouraging people from entering or staying in dentistry.

I see this very clearly in Iraq. Unresolved structural problems have led to an oversupply of dentists and high unemployment. A growing number of young dentists are leaving the profession, and some students are choosing not to study dentistry. I don’t want to see dentistry become an unattractive profession simply because we failed to act when we could still shape the trajectory.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for IADS in the coming years?
When I think about the future of IADS, I think about the next 25 years. Everything we are doing now is preparing the ground for future students—the ones who will lead IADS when we are practising dentists and, later, senior professionals.

My vision is that IADS should be as strong and visible on the international stage as possible. Dental students should be actively involved in policy discussions, not just passively affected by them. A student today is a dentist tomorrow, and policies adopted now will define the future working lives of today’s dental students.

IADS is more than a platform for clinical development; it prepares dental leaders, educators and advocates. We already see former IADS presidents and officers moving into politics, national leadership, academia and global health.

In 25 years, I hope to still hear about IADS wherever I go—run by a new generation we helped empower. And I hope that those future leaders, in turn, will support the next cohorts of students, just as today’s alumni support us.

For me, IADS is about ensuring that dental students enter the profession as informed, connected and empowered dentists—clinically competent but also strong in leadership, communication and ethics. If we succeed in that, the profession will be better prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead.