ADA president discusses Oral Health 2050 Initiative at dental innovators event

Subhead: Richard Rosato, D.M.D., participated in panel discussion on strategic partnerships during 2026 Dental VIP Summit

By Noah Levine

American Dental Association President Richard Rosato, D.M.D. found a receptive audience when he shared the concept behind the ADA’s Oral Health 2050 Initiative while participating in a panel discussion at the 2026 Dental VIP Summit.

Taking place Feb. 18 in Chicago, the Summit brought together dental innovators, leaders and investors for a full day of lectures, panel discussions and presentations focused on  the future of the dental industry and oral health care. The day culminated with a panel discussion about the importance of strategic collaboration featuring Dr. Rosato.

Moderated by immediate past ADA president Brett Kessler, D.D.S., the panel also included Ryan Hungate, D.D.S., chief clinical and strategy officer at Henry Schein One; Aman Kaur, D.M.D., founder and president of Women in DSO; Eric Shirley, CEO of VistaApex Solutions; Heather Trombley, president and COO of DENTALEZ; and Jason Woods, vice president of strategy and innovation at Delta Dental of Minnesota.

The discussion began with a focus on collaborations for the future of oral health care. Dr. Rosato stressed that for collaborations between the ADA and industry to be successful, they must be built around a shared purpose such as helping dentists succeed. He noted that oral health is facing research challenges due to funding cuts at the National Institutes of Health, cuts to Medicaid that impact practices and dental educational institutions, and challenges to the preventive benefits of fluoride.

“If there’s ever a time when we all need to be together in the profession, it’s now,” he said.

Closing out the panel, Drs. Rosato and Kessler introduced the ADA’s Oral Health 2050 Initiative, explaining that the goal is to bring industry voices together to create a shared vision for the next 25 years of oral health care. Dr. Rosato noted that the focus is on oral health and not just on dentistry because part of this vision is solidifying the place of oral health and oral health professionals among the wider health care continuum.

Dr. Rosato noted that the ADA is looking for help creating this vision from beyond ADA member dentists. He noted that after putting out a call for those interested in working on the initiative several weeks ago, the ADA has already attracted more than 100 volunteers.

With the effort focused on the entire oral health ecosystem, Dr. Rosato outlined challenges including expanding access to care, growing capacity to serve more people and evolving what that care looks like. Most importantly, he explained that Oral Health 2050 is not working toward a preset idea of the profession’s future, but instead wants to find consensus and build coalitions to make a shared vision into the next 25 years of oral health.