Puerto Rico Dentist Selected as Second Vice President of the American Dental Association

CHICAGO, October 10, 2023 — Edwin A. del Valle-Sepúlveda, D.M.D., J.D., an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the new Second Vice President of the American Dental Association (ADA). Dr. del Valle-Sepúlveda was recently elected at the ADA House of Delegates Meeting at ADA SmileCon™ in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 10.

Dr. del Valle-Sepúlveda has been an engaged member of the ADA for 41 years, serving on the ADA House of Delegates for half of that time. With over 25 years of experience in the leadership of the ADA Tripartite, he has also served as a member of the Commission on Continuing Education Provider Recognition and as a member representing the 4th District on the ADA Council on Membership. He is also a member of the Hispanic Dental Association, where he served as President in 2020 and National Treasurer in 2018.

Dr. del Valle-Sepúlveda has been involved with numerous other dental organizations, including the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology and the American College of Dentists (ACD) Puerto Rico Section, where he has served as Chairman since 2002. As a member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), he previously served as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Clinical Interest Group on Cosmetic Maxillofacial Surgery. He also served as President of Colegio de Cirujanos Dentistas de Puerto Rico in 1997 and 2010, as well as President of the Puerto Rico Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons from 1991-1994 and 1999-2001. He is also a past member of the Puerto Rico Board of Dentistry.

He is a fellow in both the AAOMS and the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He is an honorary fellow in both the ACD and the International College of Dentists. He has been a diplomat of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery since 1997 and was a diplomat on the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology from 2008-2020.

Dr. del Valle-Sepúlveda graduated from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine. A member of a medical family, his wife, Dr. Lilian de Laosa-Vazquez, is a general dentist, and his sons, Alberto E. del Valle-de Laosa and Alejandro M. del Valle-de Laosa are a physician and veterinarian, respectively.

About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing 159,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance has long been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), published monthly, is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA's consumer website MouthHealthy.org.

The ADA Forsyth Institute was founded in 1910 as the Forsyth Dental Infirmary for Children (later, the Forsyth Institute), to provide dental care to the disadvantaged children of Boston. While continuing to serve children in need, yet recognizing the ultimate goal is to prevent dental disease, the Institute in 1915 began to focus on scientific research and is today the world’s leader in oral health research. In October of 2023, the Institute joined with the American Dental Association to form the ADA Forsyth Institute, a 501(c)(3) entity dedicated to improving people’s oral and overall health and powering the profession of dentistry through cutting-edge basic research, creative translational science, innovative clinical technologies, and global public health outreach. Consistent with the Institute’s founding mission, the ADA ForsythKids mobile dental program continues to serve children in need.