Dr. Michael Safian Announced as Candidate for 2nd Vice President of the American Dental Association

The Connecticut State Dental Association (CSDA) proudly announces the candidacy of Dr. Michael Safian, DDS, for Second Vice President of the American Dental Association (ADA). A distinguished private practice oral and maxillofacial surgeon, clinical educator, and longtime leader in organized dentistry, Dr. Safian brings decades of proven leadership, advocacy, and service to his bid for national office.

Dr. Safian currently serves as Speaker of the CSDA House of Delegates, Associate Program Director of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Chair of the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) Committee on Professional and Public Communications.

At the national level within the ADA, he serves on the Audit Committee and ERISA Subcommittee, sits as a Delegate to the ADA House of Delegates, and recently chaired Reference Committee A.

His extensive history of leadership includes serving as Past President of the CSDA, Past President of the Connecticut Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, and Past President of the Naugatuck Valley Dental Society. Dr. Safian is a Board-Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon (ABOMS) and holds fellowships in the International College of Dentists, the American College of Dentists, and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

"Dr. Safian has been an extraordinary leader, advocate, and steward for our profession here in Connecticut," said Dr. Maria Smith, President of the Connecticut State Dental Association. "His unwavering commitment to highlighting the immense, invaluable strength of the ADA - along with his track record of strategic communications and governance - makes him uniquely qualified to represent the voices of all members at the ADA Board table. We are thrilled to endorse his candidacy for Second Vice President."

Central to Dr. Safian’s platform is a call to action to reshape how the ADA communicates its value to current, prospective, and early-career dentists.

"We need to challenge ourselves to think differently and stop saying that the ADA needs to start providing value to its members," said Dr. Safian during his candidate address. "The ADA is not only valuable, it is invaluable, and we need to start talking that way. Positive thoughts bring positive reactions, and I want to help lead that transformation."

Leveraging nearly a decade of experience guiding AAOMS’s national public information campaign, which increased the visibility of oral and maxillofacial surgeons by 700 percent, Dr. Safian plans to bring a proactive communications framework to the ADA to ensure its achievements and vital resources are clear and compelling to every generation of dentists.

"My daughter Alana is applying to dental school for the class of 2031," added Dr. Safian. "I want her generation to inherit a strong profession and an ADA they understand, they value, and they want to belong to. From our 545 components and 53 constituents to our 17 districts, we are One ADA."

The election of ADA Second Vice President will take place during the ADA House of Delegates meeting on Monday.