ASDA’s Policy on Dental Oustreach Programs

ASDA plays a crucial role in upholding the tradition of dental service to those who are less fortunate. The association requests that all students who participate in dental outreach programs abide by ASDA’s B8 policy, which reads:

Students in U.S. dental schools and predental programs who participate in a dental outreach program (e.g., international service trips, domestic service trips, volunteerism in underserved areas, etc.) are strongly encouraged: 

1. To adhere to the ASDA Code of Ethics and the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct;
2. To be directly supervised by dentists licensed to practice in the United States or by faculty at a CODA-accredited dental school;
3. To perform only procedures for which the volunteer has received proper education and training.

Student Volunteer Opportunities

To keep students informed of available dental outreach programs that comply with the B-8 policy, a list of international volunteer service opportunities was compiled.

Additional Support

Due to ASDA’s efforts, the ADA distributed a policy similar to B-8 regarding student participation in outreach programs (May 2010). Recipients included dental school deans, the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions and U.S.-based international dental volunteer organizations.