President’s Message  

What an exciting winter of sport it has been! With the joy and heartbreak of watching the world’s greatest athletes at the Winter Games in Italy to the incredible individual performances in the NBA and beyond, one cannot but simply sit back and enjoy the moments. And how could I not smile every time I saw an athlete competing with a mouthguard! Each time, I wondered about what type of mouthguard it was, about the dentist who made it and if they are a member of the ASD (or one of our fellow sports dentistry associations)? My hope is that one day, this will be the norm, not the exception. I also thought about the relationship we have with the USOPC, their need for our help and what a great opportunity it is. Please reach out and help for the 2028 games in our backyard. 

Since my last note your Board, committees and executive director have been working furiously. Some highlights include: finalizing an ASD Sports Dentistry continuing education online module on the ADA website (thank you Dr Kent Ochiai!). We have also been building and cementing relationships with the American Student Dental Association (ASDA), the American Academy of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeons (AAMOS), American Association of Endodontists (AAE) and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists (AAPD). 

We also have been asked to send to our members an invitation to volunteer at the Special Olympics USA games to be held in Minneapolis Minnesota June 2-26, 2026. I realize it falls during our symposium but if someone can help out even a few days it would be appreciated. 

• Here is the volunteer registration link for USAG 26 Healthy Athletes Clinical Volunteers. Just scroll down to "Medical/Specialized Roles" and select "Healthy Athletes Professionals" if you're licensed or "Healthy Athletes Students" for students looking to join (image below).

Finally, a shout out to the team that presented at Glidewell labs in February. It was well attended with over 50 registrants for the sports/team dentist course! And the feedback was very positive. Our presenters were wonderful and membership is growing because of it. Also, a big thank you to our members who presented at the Pacific Dental Convention in Vancouver on March 4 with a three-hour lecture and three-hour hands-on course. One of the biggest conventions on the west coast, it was attended by over 13,000 dental professionals. Finally, to all of our members who present weekly across the country about sports dentistry, Thank you!

 Sincerely