For nearly 60 years, Dentsply Sirona has been a partner in the Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application Awards (SCADA) program. Launched as a joint venture between the American Dental Association and Dentsply Sirona (then DENTSPLY International) in 1959, SCADA has engaged students to discover the importance of dental research while providing opportunities to advance their skills and careers with the goal of finding inspiring ways to improve dental care. As SCADA Alumni, participants of national and global competitions become part of a global community of professionals with ongoing opportunities among students, dental schools, researchers and clinicians.In 2017, the American Association for Dental Research joined forces with Dentsply Sirona to co-sponsor the SCADA program. Each year, pre-doctoral students from around the world compete at local and national levels in the hope of reaching the final global competition to present their research alongside other winners of national competitions. SCADA now includes programs across 39 countries and nearly 7,500 students have participated in SCADA competitions worldwide.
2018 AADR/ Dentsply Sirona SCADA Awards Program and Reception
On March 21, 2018, the hard work and achievements of the 2018 student clinicians will be recognized at an evening awards ceremony and reception in Fort Lauderdale, FL. “Research is essential for developing the next generation of solutions to deliver quality dental care and ultimately achieve our vision of improving oral health worldwide. I am incredibly proud of the students who participate in SCADA and am excited to acknowledge the winners of this year’s competition,” said Dr. Teresa A. Dolan, Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer with Dentsply Sirona.
A life changing opportunity
The SCADA program has held competitions in Japan since 1995 and last year every dental university in the country participated. The network of alumni in Japan is very connected and their shared experiences manifest the desire to give back by helping younger SCADA participants.
Dr. Naota Kumagai was part of the competition in 2002 and although he didn’t win the national competition, he had the opportunity to travel to the US with the winner. His travels would ultimately have a major impact on his life as he began to consider applying to graduate schools in the US. In 2005, he was accepted into the Tufts University prosthodontic graduate program where he met his wife, a periodontology student from South Korea. The two returned to Japan where they work for the clinic owned by his father, Dr. Takashi Kumagai, who is influential to the equipment business in Japan. The clinic utilizes a treatment philosophy that strongly emphasizes prevention.
The SCADA program has provided a platform and starting point for students to engage in basic and clinical science research activities through competition. Its competitions have helped students to develop professional networks with their peers, advisors, and alumni driving collaboration on both a domestic and international scale.
