FERNEY-VOLTAIRE, FRANCE - At the FDI Congress in Stockholm, Sweden, last year, Dr. David Alexander was selected to serve the FDI World Dental Federation as their new Executive Director. Ever since the loss of their former outstanding Executive Director Pre Ake, the FDI has been seeking a competent leader in the tradition so well established by Dr. Ake. The FDI is an international dental organization comprised of over 135 national dental associations and 60 other related dental organizations worldwide, including your PFA.

Dr. Alexander began by urging that ADA members become more aware of and get involved in the FDI as it reaches out globally to improve oral health for all people. He noted that, today, 80% of all dental care is provided to 20% of the population. We need to deliver oral health to the rest of the world and put emphasis on advocating for global public health. Dr. Alexander brings to the office a strong background in general dental practice, military dentistry, public health, and knowledge of worldwide dental and the pharmaceutical industry.

One of his early assignments with the British Navy was being posted in southeastern Asia in Brunei. This country was a small, wealthy nation with a great deal of dental disease, and many of the problems he ran up against were new training situations for him. Inspired by this experience, Dr. Alexander began to pursue graduate training in dental public health at the National Naval Dental Center in Bethesda, MD. He then completed a Residency at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. He accepted a position with Block Drug Company, now owned by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, which expanded his horizons of knowledge and experience to be able to face the daunted challenge of world dental health.