Federal Service Dental Educators to Convene for Training, Collaboration, and Readiness

The Uniformed Services University’s Postgraduate Dental College to host the 2026 Federal Service Dental Educators’ Workshop, strengthening collaboration and educational alignment.

A close-up view of a military dentist wearing loupes (magnifying glasses) and a surgical mask performing a dental exam on a patient lying down in a field tent environment.
A military dentist performs a simulated procedure in an austere field setting. The USU
Postgraduate Dental College emphasizes operational readiness to distinguish military dental
practice from civilian care. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mhecaela J. Watts)

December 23, 2025 by Hadiyah Brendel

The annual Federal Service Dental Educators’ Workshop (FSDEW) serves as a critical nexus within the Military Health System, ensuring alignment and excellence across Tri-Service Graduate Dental Education (GDE) programs. Hosted each year by the Uniformed Services University’s (USU) Postgraduate Dental College (PDC) on the USU campus in Bethesda, Maryland, the workshop brings together senior dental educators to shape the future of military dental training.  

The FSDEW is a highly coordinated event supported by a 12-month planning cycle that rotates annually among the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The 2026 collaboration is led in partnership with the U.S. Army.

Retired Air Force Col. (Dr.) Jay Graver, PDC associate dean for Faculty Affairs, emphasizes the importance of sustained coordination and early engagement among partners. “We begin planning the next workshop while the current one is still underway,” Graver said. “That continuity is essential to ensuring we remain responsive to emerging educational needs and advances in dental medicine.”

The workshop facilitates engagement across a broad network of federal partners, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which operates its own graduate dental education programs. VA participation in the upcoming workshop marks a renewed opportunity for federal collaboration and shared learning across agencies.

“FSDEW allows us to methodically review needs, requirements, and new and emerging technologies,” Graver explained. “From artificial intelligence and innovations in teaching and learning, to new or improved treatment techniques, this forum ensures our educators are aligned and forward-looking.”

A speaker in a suit addresses a conference room filled with military officers in camouflage uniforms sitting at tables. A projection screen behind the speaker displays QR codes and the title "Federal Service Dental Educators Workshop."
Dr. Drew Fallis, Executive Dean of the Postgraduate Dental College, speaks at the 2024 Federal
Service Dental Educators Workshop. The event is hosted annually, and planning for the 2026
event is resuming after the government shutdown halted planning for this vital Tri-Service
educational alignment. (Photo credit Tom Balfour USU)

Breaking Silos and Strengthening the Tri-Service Mission

In-person engagement is central to the workshop’s success. FSDEW convenes program directors from 55 graduate dental education programs, including 19 Master of Science programs, 26 one-year programs across the Services, and 10 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery programs.

Historically, collaboration across Services was limited. Today, FSDEW actively dismantles those silos through intentional programming, including service-specific and specialty-specific breakout sessions. These forums enable participants to share best practices, discuss inspection outcomes, and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and resource stewardship across the GDE enterprise.

Service-specific sessions also provide a direct feedback loop to attending representatives from the Defense Health Agency (DHA), ensuring that challenges and opportunities identified by educators inform enterprise-level decision-making.

By fostering these connections, FSDEW ensures that dental educators—and the residents they train—are not only academically current but also operationally prepared. The workshop’s inclusion of operational dentistry training reinforces the unique role military dentists play in deployed and battlefield environments, distinguishing military dental practice from civilian care.

While attendees are well aware of the workshop’s stated mission—to review graduate dental education processes and facilitate an exchange of ideas across Services—Graver underscored the broader objective:

“The best trained educators provide the best trained residents, who provide the best care to our Department of War beneficiaries.”

Three military medical personnel in camouflage gear, masks, and gloves attend to a patient lying on a litter inside a tent. One provider adjusts equipment while others assist with the simulated treatment.
Military dental personnel simulate field care procedures in a tented environment. Operational
dentistry training is a key focus of the Federal Service Dental Educators’ Workshop, ensuring
residents are prepared for deployed environments. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl.
Mhecaela J. Watts)

Sustaining Momentum and Looking Ahead

The PDC remains focused on maintaining momentum and delivering a workshop that continues to serve as a cornerstone for faculty development and strategic oversight within the Military Health System’s dental enterprise.

Through its leadership of FSDEW, the USU Postgraduate Dental College reinforces its commitment to educational excellence, collaboration, and readiness—ensuring that military dental educators are equipped to support the health and operational readiness of the fighting force well into the future.