The International Dental Manufacturers Association (IDM) has presented its 2026 Global Oral Health Progress Award to Makoto Nakao, chairman of the board of GC Holdings AG and founder of the Nakao Foundation for World-Wide Oral Health.
According to the association, the Global Oral Health Progress Award has been presented annually since 2016 to recognize outstanding achievements in the promotion of oral health worldwide. The award was presented during the IDM General Assembly in February 2026.
Said Samantha Cheetham, IDM president, “Mr. Nakao served as a founding Board Member of IDM, playing a pivotal role in shaping it into the unified global voice of the dental manufacturing industry.”
A global oral health visionary, Nakao founded the Nakao Foundation for World-Wide Oral Health in September 2018 in Luzern, Switzerland. According to the association, the foundation addresses oral disease prevention on a global scale; assists with the global aging of the population and the specific pressures it places on dentists caring for geriatric patients; supports higher education and scientific research; and promotes research and education in dental medicine.
Cheetham added, “After 42 years as Chairman of GC, Mr. Nakao retired and generously donated his privately held company shares to support the creation of the Foundation Nakao for Worldwide Oral Health, with the mission of advancing oral health worldwide. The award recognizes his commitment to IDM and his incredible contribution to global oral health.”
Founded in October 1988 in Washington, DC, as a communication forum, IDM has developed into an autonomous, independent umbrella organization representing the common interests of its member associations and supporting the global dental industry through those organizations. More information is available at https://www.idm-vox.org.
