FUTURE OFDENTISTRYnations, assists the development of scientific capa-
bilities in developing nations, and provides net-
working through meetings, publications, and elec-
tronic sharing of data and reports.
International Dental Manufacturers (IDM)
IDM is a global trade association that, through its
national dental association members, represents over
1000 individual companies in the global dental indus-
try. Founded in 1988 by five national trade associations
representing the United States, Europe, Japan, and
Australia, the IDM now has member associations for
South America and Central America as well as North
American associations that cover Canada. The IDM
publishes a directory and a calendar. The calendar is
part of its mission to coordinate international exhibi-
tion dates to help guarantee a certain quality of the
exhibit in terms of attendance and organization.
Another part of IDM's mission is to "level" the playing
field in "untapped" markets, such as Russia and China,
with the influence of its General Assembly.
International Organization for Standardization
(ISO)
ISO is a non-governmental organization whose
main objective is the development of worldwide
standards that facilitate international trade and
product safety. The ISO is represented in the United
States by the American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) through the United States Technical
Advisory Group (TAG). The ADA is the ANSI-desig-
nated sponsor of a Technical Advisory Group for
Dentistry, and the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs
provides technical expertise to ISO/TC106, the sub-
committee which casts the vote for United States on all
international dental standards. In addition, experts
have been named to various working groups within
subcommittees of ISO/TC106. This ensures that the
United States interests are considered in the develop-
ment of international standards. The United States
Technical Advisory Group is composed of seven Sub-
TAGs which are responsible for a particular category of
standards: (1) Restorative Materials; (2) Prosthodontic
Materials; (3) Terminology; 4) Instruments; (5 is
inactive); (6) Equipment; (7) Oral Hygiene products;
and (8) Implants. Membership on the Sub-TAGs are
open to all United States-based individuals and compa-
nies that indicate that they are directly and materially
affected by the activity of the TAG.
International Federation of Dental Education
Associations (IFDEA)IFDEA was incorporated in 1999 and is beginning
to serve as an independent worldwide voice for dental
education, promoting advances in dental education
through better communications among national and
regional associations. Its meetings could provide a
forum for sharing information about improved meth-
ods of teaching and learning and about research on
health sciences education. Current efforts supported by
the European Union to "harmonize"(the term used by
the European Union to describe the process of bringing
into common agreement) dental curricula certainly
present a conceptual challenge and a model from which
the United States educational community might reason-
ably draw some lessons. This developmental period of
the IFDEA is an opportune time to explore the poten-
tial of partnership through the American Dental
Education Association. As the United States faces
severe faculty shortages (Haden et al, 2000) and new
challenges to meet curricular requirements stemming
from rapid advances in science and technology, it is crit-
ical that expertise be shared and resources leveraged to
find creative solutions to international problems.Global Health Council (GHC)GHC provides another avenue of international
involvement. It embraces other health care domains
and gives the ADA access to discussions with physi-
cians, researchers, educators, and government and
non-governmental public health advocates. The
ADA is a founding member of the GHC and has
been a member for over 25 years, since the founding
of the original National Council on International
Health (NCIH). In the past, the ADA has had
board representation, influenced strategic planning
and reorganization, held dental forums, and partic-
ipated in the NCIH and GHC annual conferences.
This is one of the few opportunities for ADA
involvement that integrates dentistry into other
health care arenas, helps expand dental awareness
and markets, and is an important approach to get-
ting across the message that "oral health is impor-
tant to total health."Health Volunteers Oversees (HVO)HVO benefits ADA member dentists who volun-
teer in the international community. The HVOGlobal Oral Health