Bethesda, Md., Dec. 30, 2025 – The annual Federal Service Dental Educators’ Workshop (FSDEW) continues to serve as a pivotal forum for advancing dental care education across the Military Health System. Hosted by the Uniformed Services University’s (USU) Postgraduate Dental College (PDC) in Bethesda, Maryland, the workshop brings together senior educators from the Army, Navy, and Air Force to shape the future of graduate dental programs.
The 2026 FSDEW, led in partnership with the U.S. Army, follows a 12-month planning cycle that rotates among the Services. Retired Air Force Col. (Dr.) Jay Graver, PDC associate dean for Faculty Affairs, emphasized that sustained coordination and early planning are key. “We begin planning the next workshop while the current one is still underway,” he said, noting that continuity ensures the military remains responsive to emerging educational needs and advances in dental medicine.
The workshop also fosters collaboration with federal partners, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which runs its own graduate dental programs. VA participation this year marks a renewed opportunity for interagency learning and cooperation.
“FSDEW allows us to methodically review needs, requirements, and new technologies—from artificial intelligence and innovations in teaching to improved treatment techniques,” Graver said. “This ensures our educators stay aligned and forward-looking.”
FSDEW convenes program directors from 55 graduate dental education programs, including 19 Master of Science programs, 26 one-year programs, and 10 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery programs. The workshop now actively dismantles historical silos through service-specific and specialty-focused breakout sessions. Participants share best practices, discuss inspection outcomes, and identify ways to improve efficiency and resource stewardship across the Tri-Service dental enterprise.
Service-specific sessions also provide direct feedback to the Defense Health Agency, ensuring that challenges and opportunities identified by educators inform enterprise-level decision-making. By fostering these connections, FSDEW ensures that both educators and residents are academically current and operationally prepared. Training in operational dentistry reinforces the unique role military dentists play in deployed and battlefield settings, distinguishing military dental care from civilian practice.
Graver highlighted the broader goal of the workshop: “The best trained educators provide the best trained residents, who provide the best care to our Department of War beneficiaries.”
The PDC remains focused on maintaining FSDEW’s role as a cornerstone for faculty development and strategic oversight. By leading this workshop, USU reinforces its commitment to educational excellence, collaboration, and readiness—equipping military dental educators to support the health and operational readiness of the force well into the future.