The Association of Dental Education in Europe (ADEE), the European Dental Students’ Association (EDSA), and Henry Schein are pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Oral Health Professional Educators’ Awards. Now in its third year, the awards programme recognises outstanding achievements by ADEE member institutions in advancing both environmental sustainability and social responsibility in oral health education and clinical practice.
This year marks the expansion of the awards with the addition of a new category: “Social Excellence,” designed to help health happen by celebrating initiatives that improve health outcomes and access to care for underserved communities.
Regarding the 2025 awards, ADEE President, Prof Brian O’Connell, commented: “We are proud to continue our partnership with Henry Schein and EDSA to honour the remarkable efforts of our member institutions. This year’s winning submissions demonstrate how oral health education can drive positive environmental and social change, preparing future professionals to make a real impact in the world.”
Category 1: Oral Health Professional Educators’ “Practice Green” Awards (Environmental Sustainability)
Named after Henry Schein’s global sustainability initiative, Practice Green™, the Oral Health Professional Educators “Practice Green” Award recognises two institutions that have demonstrated excellence in integrating sustainability across the educational, clinical, and operational practices. This award celebrates institutions that actively contribute to environmental stewardship, with initiatives that encompass sustainable campus management, eco-conscious procurement, and the integration of sustainability principles into their educational programmes. The winners in this category are:
- University of Bucharest “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Faculty of Dentistry – Bucharest, Romania, in recognition of its 100+ sustainability-focused workshops and events, student-led recycling programme known as “Green Week,” and successful effort to launch a new elective course on sustainability.
- University of Sheffield School of Clinical Dentistry – Sheffield, UK, for its proactive, evidence-based action to address dentistry’s impact on the environment by establishing education as a key strategy to mitigate the impact. Through research collaboration with key partners including FDI World Dental Federation, a model was curated to successfully embed environmental sustainability into the undergraduate oral health professional curriculum.
Category 2: Oral Health Professional Educators’ “Social Excellence” Awards (Social Responsibility)The Oral Health Professional Educators “Social Excellence” Award recognises two ADEE member institutions that have demonstrated exemplary dedication to integrating social responsibility across the educational, clinical, and operational practices. These awards celebrate institutions that actively contribute to societal well-being through initiatives that enhance access to care, promote inclusion, and foster a culture of equity and support for underserved populations. The awards for this category went to:
- Medical University of Plovdiv – Plovdiv, Bulgaria, whose “Future Dentists in Action” programme — a dental student organisation committed to providing preventive oral health care in rural areas — operates under the slogan “Dedicated to Humanity!” in recognition of their efforts to deliver treatment and education to underserved communities through charitable events.
- Cardiff University, School of Dentistry – Cardiff, UK, in recognition of the “Talking Teeth” initiative, which promotes oral health and delivers prevention workshops for underserved communities, while also aiming to broaden the sociodemographic diversity of dental school applicants. By integrating social responsibility into training, the programme empowers students and professionals to drive positive community impact and improve health outcomes.
Cardiff University, School of Dentistry
EDSA President, Saulė Skinkytė, stated: “These awards reflect the energy and vision of dental educators and students who are embracing their roles as agents of change. It is inspiring to see such dedicated efforts toward sustainability and equity, both in classrooms and in communities.”
Henry Schein Vice President, EMEA Special Markets, Nicola Loynes added: “These winners demonstrate how education can drive change by integrating sustainability and social impact into clinical and learning environments. Their work is shaping the future of responsible oral health care.”
