The iADH Fellowship
This initiative was requested during iADH Council in 2018 as being of benefit to those iADH members who do not have accreditation in Special Care Dentistry (SCD) or formal training available in their own countries and who find it difficult to evidence their expertise.
A task force was set up to explore the usefulness of this initiative in order to promote advocacy and advancement of oral health and disability according to the mission statement of the iADH. The first iADH Fellowship was launched in 2022, and the first awards were presented at a ceremony during the Paris congress. This was followed by a second call in 2024, and the applicants were recognised in Seoul.
The iADH Fellowship may have different benefits for different members of the iADH. It is especially important to those members living in areas where Special Care Dentistry is not a recognised speciality or remains an emerging discipline, requiring recognition of those people working across other disciplines.
2026 iADH Fellowship Structure and Procedure
The iADH Fellowship is not an accredited examining body. Therefore, the Fellowship is designed so that interested applicants submit a structured CV via an online form, which is designed to award points for experience, skills, and documented training across five domains.
All professional members, including dentists and allied healthcare professionals, may apply if they have held a paid-up membership for the previous three consecutive years (minimum 2024–2025–2026). Alternatively, they should show proof of membership of a National Member Society for the previous three consecutive years (minimum 2024–2025–2026).
The Fellowship consists of a certificate and a lapel badge to identify fellows. This will be awarded by the President of the iADH at a ceremony during the next iADH conference, to be held in Dublin.
The assessment fee consists of a one-off payment of $300 USD. There is a reduced fee of $200 USD for members from developing economies and allied healthcare professionals. If applicants are unsuccessful, they will receive feedback and will be given the opportunity to re-apply one additional time at no extra cost. There is no additional annual fee to retain the Fellowship other than the annual iADH membership fee or National Member Society fee.
Scoring
A merit point-based system will be used by calibrated examiners who will assess the applicants (two independent examiners per applicant) via the online structured application form across the following domains:
- iADH Activity
- Clinical Training & Clinical Practice for people requiring SCD
- Research and Scholarship
- Education and Teaching
- Community Engagement and Outreach
Please see the templates in the Resources section.
It is expected that members will have strengths in some areas more than others, but there is a reasonable minimum threshold of marks that needs to be achieved in each section of the application form. It is also well recognised that formal education in Special Care Dentistry remains elusive for many members, so there is ample opportunity to gain points for continuing education.
In some cases, the evaluators may request from the applicant an anonymised logbook of 15–50 documented cases (verified by two colleagues) to complete the information on clinical experience.
We will also credit evidenced disability and oral health training undertaken as part of other speciality training, for example paediatric dentistry, orthodontics, gerodontics, and the care of medically compromised patients.
How to Become an iADH Fellow
iADH is delighted to announce the launch of its 2026 Fellowship call. Members requested the Fellowship in order to recognise and document excellence in the field of Disability and Oral Health among its membership.
Before beginning the process, we recommend that you read the FAQ and Resources sections. There you will also find information that will be useful if you decide to apply. Please carefully review the application form in the Resources section to find out what information you can include for evaluation.
Once you have verified that the iADH Fellowship is right for you and that you meet the requirements, begin the process by contacting our Membership Officer at membership@iadh.org to obtain your iADH membership number.
The first step is to verify your membership in the iADH for the last three years (2024–2025–2026). Please clearly indicate in your email whether you are applying for the iADH Fellowship for the first, second, or third time.
Data to include in the email:
- Name and family name:
- Name of your national organisation (or individual membership, if applicable):
- Please indicate whether the 2026 iADH Fellowship is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd application:
Once this has been verified, you will receive two links: one for payment (except in cases of a second application), and another link to access the online application form.
We recommend that you prepare as much information from your CV as possible in a separate document that you can cut and paste into the application form. It does not need to be completed in a single session. You can save the information you have entered and continue at another time, as many times as you wish.
So, if you would like to apply for the 2026 iADH Fellowship, please send an email to the Membership Officer.