FAQs

The next call will be in 2026.

Future calls for the iADH Fellowship will be announced in advance on the website and by email to iADH members.

Any iADH Member who has held their membership for at least three years before the call and can evidence activity in the area of clinical experience and training, education, research/audit and community action related to oral health and disability. This includes dentists from all specialities including general practice and dental public health, allied healthcare professionals including hygienists, nurses, psychologists, speech and language therapists, and a range of professionals within health and social care.

Yes of course, at IADH we recognise that its important to maintain your professional identity after retirement and we hope that completing the fellowship process may help to document and look back on your carer and enable you to receive peer recognition. We also realise that lots of people retired during the pandemic without a celebration or anything to mark their retirement after many years of service so the fellowship may also help to mark that retirement appropriately.

For retired applicants we will ask that retired applicants consider and input their clinical activity as representing typical of their final five working years.

No the fellowship is awarded following expert adjudication and of the fellowship  application form with review of evidence provided across five domains. (1) IADH Activity, (2) Clinical Training and Practice, (3) Education and Pedagogy, (4) Research and (5) Community Engagement. Assessment will  carried out by two independent reviewers according to a rigorously constructed  points based system.

The fellowship is awarded via a rigorous and transparent process.

Each of 5 domains in the application will be marked according to a set points system.

In the first two domains of  IADH activity and Clinical Experience/Training there has to be good levels of activity  shown on the application form.

The other three domains of education, research and community engagement will similarly be assessed as providing:  

little evidence of activity

some evidence of activity

good evidence of activity

outstanding evidence of activity

All candidates should aim to provide good level of evidence regarding activity in each domain – but should they fall below the threshold level in one domain then they can compensate by being outstanding in any of the another four domains and their global statement will also be used to provide context.

The 5 domains in both dentist and allied healthcare provider applications are identical However the education and training sections are less prescriptive and are via free text boxes. Also, the oral health promotion and community outreach sections are more detailed and carry a higher weighting due to the scope and breadth of expected activity in this domain for allied healthcare providers.

We recognise that the luxury of training in SCD has not been available for many very experienced competent and caring healthcare professionals during their careers. In those cases we offer applicants other ways to evidence their training pathway for example by listing their training in disability whilst studying in other specialities, by their training via clinical attachments or visitations,  residencies or via short continuing dental education courses. Some applicants will be required to complete a detailed anonymised clinical log book to detail their clinical activity and scope of practice. This will be requited by the panel following review of the application document.

iADH consider that the sharing of knowledge and expertise is important and there are many ways to educate other healthcare professionals. Therefore there is plenty of opportunity to list your other teaching and mentoring activity, such as talks or presentations at local conferences, to lectures or learning opportunities provided for students or other healthcare professionals. Other examples such as maybe mentoring or supervising junior colleagues interested in the field, or permitting clinical attachments  would all score point in this field.

If you are not able to provide enough evidence of your teaching activities,  and it your only domain which does not reach the level required  it is possible to compensate  by  being outstanding in another of the domains.

We recognise that many people don’t have the opportunity to carry out extensive research. Therefore although those with doctorates or masters and publications will achieve high points in this category, there is also scope for those people who have written book chapters or presented research posters or  case studies or audits at conferences which will all gain credits in the research activity domain. 

However, if you are not able to provide enough evidence of any research or posters or oral presentations at meetings, and it is your only domain which does not reach the level required – then  it is possible to compensate for this deficit by being outstanding in another of the domains.

This is not the end of the process. You will receive feedback and specific information about areas where you need to provide more evidence of activity required to be an iADH fellow. With this guidance it is hoped that unsuccessful applicants can target their efforts towards a later application for no extra fee. iADH also permits applicants to submit a new application with supplemental information form in the following call if they have increased their scope or activity within the domains where they may not previously met the required standard.  

This is a short overview to provide your personal context or philosophies. It is not to repeat what is already listed but for example may include specific barriers you have overcome, or achievements or goals reached that you have been most proud or reflections that define your contribution to the area of disability and oral health during your career thus far. Maximum 300 words.

Evidence of quality, safety and patient experience should be evident in the free text descriptions within each domain, but if there are any gaps which you wish to  highlight as being centre to your fellowship application then these may of course be included in your global statement with your supporting evidence.

There is a fee of $300 for dentists and there is a reduced fee of $200 for allied healthcare professionals and dentists from developing countries.

No. So long as you remain an IADH member with a valid membership number there is no additional yearly fee for being a fellow of iADH. iADH fellows will need to complete a fellowship renewal form every 8 years to show reasonable continued commitment to iADH activity and/or their own affiliated society. 

Register again, using the new registration form on the iADH website. In the question.  Please advise in your message that you had previously applied for fellowship in 2024. You will receive the corresponding link and information to resubmit your application.