Dental school dean takes helm of international dental organization
Dr. Greg Chadwick, dean of the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine, was officially installed on Tuesday as president of the FDI World Dental Federation during the organization’s 2023 World Dental Congress in Sydney, Australia. He had served as president-elect since 2021.
Dr. Greg Chadwick, dean of the ECU School of Dental Medicine, was installed this week as president of FDI World Dental Federation. (ECU file photo)
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, FDI leads the world to optimal dental health through policy, education and advocacy. Its membership comprises nearly 200 national member associations and specialist groups in more than 130 countries, making it the premier representative body for more than one million dentists worldwide. FDI works closely with United Nations agencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other groups to align on oral health care initiatives across the globe.
Chadwick has been involved in FDI leadership since 2000 when he attended the group’s congress in Paris as a delegate for the American Dental Association (ADA). He served as treasurer of FDI, a position he held until 2021; prior to that, he was the speaker of the General Assembly for six years. He served as president of the ADA in 2001-02 and as president of numerous other dental organizations, including the North Carolina Dental Society, the Second District Dental Society, and the Southern Endodontic Study Group.
Chadwick will begin work as president to establish the group’s priorities and goals over the next two years, including to solidify FDI as the global voice of dentistry by addressing the most pressing topics in oral health care. One major priority is working with WHO to ensure that oral health is integrated into general health policy.
While FDI’s reach is global, its goals translate to the mission of the dental school — from bringing oral health into a broader overall health conversation to ensuring access to dental care for all who need it.
“Dr. Chadwick’s broad knowledge of dentistry, cultivated from international, national and state leadership experience, provides him a unique perspective as he continues to lead the School of Dental Medicine in its mission of education, service, scientific discovery and care,” said Dr. Margaret Wilson, vice dean of the School of Dental Medicine. “His leadership with FDI will provide a global context of oral health topics, positioning our dental school to be even more effective in improving oral health care in North Carolina.”