Henry Schein Inc, Melville, NY, recently sponsored the 11th annual Senior Dental Leaders Program, an international conference designed to develop high-level leadership and management capabilities in oral health leaders from around the globe.

Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, delivered the program’s keynote address.

The Senior Dental Leaders Program was first conceptualized in 2007 at King’s College London by Professor Raman Bedi, DDS, and is organized by the Global Child Dental Fund, King’s College London Dental Institute, and this year’s host, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Henry Schein Cares, the company’s global corporate social responsibility program, has supported the event—together with co-sponsor Colgate-Palmolive—since its inception.

Attended by an international collaborative community working toward a cavity-free world for children, the conference brought together dental policy makers, national Chief Dental Officers, representatives from non-governmental organizations, members of the clinical and academic communities, and other stakeholders. Henry Schein sponsored seven attending delegates representing Australia, Brazil, China, South Africa, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zambia.

During this week’s conference, participants exchanged knowledge and research, shared best practices, and examined case studies of strategies to meet oral health challenges. They also focused on effective team leadership and change management, and explored strategies to break gender-related barriers in dentistry.

Besides Bergman, other speakers included Dr Bruce Donoff, Dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine; Dr Diane Rekow, former Dean of King’s College London Dental Institute; and Dr Tony Volpe, Trustee of the Global Child Dental Fund.

“The oral health challenges facing our global community can only be solved through a concerted effort by every sector of the oral health network, working from a shared plan towards a common goal,” Bergman said. “By combining our efforts, expertise, and experience, we will each emerge from the Senior Dental Leaders Program better prepared to further oral health literacy and access to care around the world.”