In support of this year’s International Women’s Day theme, #EachforEqual, Dentsply Sirona continues to promote gender equality in the dental industry and oral health sector. Every year, the company sponsors a variety of programs and events dedicated to the career advancement and leadership of women in dentistry. This support ranges from hosting awards events, which honour visionary treatment solutions and outstanding achievements in research, to providing networking opportunities and knowledge exchange through panel discussions and conferences.
Charlotte/Bensheim, March 9th, 2020. This year’s International Women’s Day theme highlights the importance of gender equality as a catalyst for thriving economies and communities. Under the hashtag #EachforEqual, this year’s campaign emphasizes how individual and collective efforts can contribute to empowering women in society. As the world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, Dentsply Sirona is committed to advancing women’s interests in the dental and oral health sector.
“We want to empower all women in dentistry by supporting their professional development and recognizing their outstanding achievements in research and development, entrepreneurship, mentorship, and education,” says Dr. Terri Dolan, Chief Clinical Officer and Vice President at Dentsply Sirona. “As part of our mission, we support several programs for the advancement of women dentists, hygienists, and technicians within the dental industry.” Examples of programs and events supported by Dentsply Sirona in 2019 and 2020 follow.
Smart Integration Award
The Smart Integration Award celebrates women’s expertise in dentistry by recognizing their innovative ideas and successful and visionary treatment concepts that elevate networked treatment centers to the next level. In November 2019, the awards ceremony was hosted for the first time by Dentsply Sirona as part of the Company’s commitment to integrate women’s expertise more closely into the development of new products. In total, 24 winners were honoured for their creative ideas and impressive success stories that make work processes at treatment centers more efficient and convenient.
Women in Science Network Awards
Research and innovation are at the forefront of Dentsply Sirona’s purpose and mission to empower dental professionals all over the world to provide millions of patients with better dental care and make people smile. Dentsply Sirona is proud to be the sponsor of two International Awards for Research in Dentistry.
Association for Dental Research (IADR) Women in Science Awards
The Distinguished Female Mentor award recognizes female researchers who have made a significant impact on the careers of fellow female researchers through their role as a mentor. The Award for Distinguished Research recognizes female scientists for outstanding accomplishments in oral, dental or craniofacial research. Dentsply Sirona is honoured in 2020 to sponsor these awards for a second year.
2019 ADEA International Women’s Leadership Conference
Celebrating female leadership is an important pillar for the empowerment of women in the dental industry. Dentsply Sirona co-sponsored the 6th International Women’s Leadership Conference in Brescia, Italy, hosted by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA). Promoting female leadership within the health sector, the conference brought together 120 women from 23 countries to tell their stories and share knowledge.
Women in Dentistry (WID) Breakfast
Dentsply Sirona co-sponsors the annual WID Breakfast hosted each year by the AEGIS Dental Network and other industry partners. With 130 participants, the event aims to raise industry leaders’ awareness of women in dentistry, as well as highlight their roles as speakers at conferences and other industry events. Initially focused on the laboratory side of the business, the breakfast has expanded over the years to include women from all areas of dentistry and oral healthcare.
Annual GNYDM Women Dentists´ Leadership Conference
Dr. Terri Dolan, Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Dentsply Sirona, was invited to speak at the 1st Women Dentists Leadership Conference at the Greater New York Dental Meeting (GNYDM) on December 1, 2019. The meeting was created to empower and mentor current and future women dentists. Dolan enjoys sharing her experience and inspiring career in dental research and education, having served as professor and dean of the University of Florida College of Dentistry for more than a decade before joining Dentsply Sirona. Recognized for her advocacy of diversity and support for women in dentistry, she inspired conference attendees with her presentation on mentorship, leading by example and mentoring others. She had the opportunity to share stories about the people who inspired and mentored her throughout her career.
Leading by example: excellence in innovation and education
In October 2019, Dolan’s outstanding accomplishments in clinical education were honoured with the Dr Edward B. Shils Innovator Award for Excellence in Industry. As the leader of Dentsply Sirona’s Clinical Affairs team, Dolan is the driving force behind the conceptualization and implementation of the Company’s global clinical education program. In 2019, the program reached more than 470,000 dental professionals from 99 countries. The Clinical Affairs team also focuses on the development of new products and solutions designed to empower dentists and technicians to offer the best treatment and service to their patients.