Dentsply Sirona has renewed its partnership with Women in DSO®, a nonprofit organization that promotes the advancement and visibility of women in dental service organizations. The company will extend its involvement through 2025, continuing its support for mentoring opportunities, industry event participation, and leadership development for women in the dental sector.
Dentsply Sirona was a founding partner of Women in DSO and has collaborated on several initiatives aimed at elevating women’s roles in the dental industry. The organization provides access to speaking engagements and key events such as DS World for female professionals affiliated with Women in DSO.
“Dentsply Sirona is an organization that walks the talk when it comes to efforts related to building equitable teams,” said Dr. Aman Kaur, founder and CEO of Women in DSO. “It has been a joy to work with empowered leaders across this organization and they continue to be a key partner as we expand our mission globally.”
Andrea Frohning, senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Dentsply Sirona, said the extension of the partnership reflects the company’s larger goal of supporting equity in the dental field. “The renewal of this partnership reflects our steadfast dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and supporting an industry where everyone has equal opportunity to thrive,” Frohning said. “More than 55% of dental school graduates in the US today are women — a clear sign of the industry’s evolution. This partnership reinforces our commitment to supporting women's growth and success.”
Dentsply Sirona also works with other organizations to support broader diversity and inclusion goals within the dental sector. These include partnerships with the National Dental Association and Paradigm for Parity®. These efforts are part of a company-wide inclusion and engagement strategy.
As part of this broader framework, Dentsply Sirona was recognized on Newsweek’s 2024 list of “America’s Most Responsible Companies.” The recognition reflects contributions to sustainability in dentistry and efforts to improve access to oral health care globally.
In May, the company organized a “Month of Inclusion,” a global initiative designed to promote employee engagement around inclusion-related themes. Activities included educational sessions, opportunities to learn about employee resource groups (ERGs), and a digital “Inclusion Pledge Wall” where staff could publicly commit to fostering inclusion.
One of the core events during the month was a virtual panel titled “Inspiring Inclusion Across Cultures.” The session featured a cross-section of employees from various regions and was hosted by Melanie Jenkins, director of global inclusion and engagement. The program focused on cultural diversity in the workplace and encouraged employees to share experiences and perspectives.
Dentsply Sirona currently supports nine employee resource groups across its global operations. The company reports that more than 4,100 employees are active in these communities, which are open to all staff. An internal survey conducted by the company indicated that participation in ERGs is associated with higher levels of connection, engagement, and workplace satisfaction.
“We have conducted an internal survey which has revealed the impact of these groups: employees that are engaged in ERGs consistently report higher levels of connection, engagement and satisfaction with their workplace,” Frohning said. “In other words: Employees who feel seen, heard and valued, become more engaged, can thrive and do their best work. These findings show once again how important inclusion and engagement are to both personal well-being and business success.”
According to the Journal of the American Dental Association, more than half of new dental graduates in the United States are now women, a trend that has reshaped workforce demographics in the profession. Dentsply Sirona’s stated commitment to programs such as Women in DSO and its internal inclusion initiatives reflects an emphasis on aligning with that shift.
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