For millions of people around the world, a healthy smile remains out of reach. Children miss school because of untreated tooth pain. Older adults struggle to eat, speak, or socialize with confidence. Entire communities live without access to even the most basic oral health services. In these settings, poor oral health is not just a clinical issue; it affects dignity, opportunity, and overall quality of life.

It is for these communities that the FDI World Dental Development Fund (WDDF) exists.

FDI is pleased to announce that applications for the WDDF 2026 are now officially open, offering FDI members an opportunity to transform ideas into action and compassion into measurable, lasting impact.

Turning vision into action

Each year, the WDDF supports three to five innovative, community-driven projects that aim to improve oral health outcomes among disadvantaged populations. With grants of up to CHF 10,000 per project, the Fund enables local initiatives to move beyond concept and become sustainable solutions tailored to real community needs.

More than financial support, the WDDF embodies FDI’s core values of integrity, inclusiveness, excellence, and ethical behaviour. Supported projects are locally grounded, socially responsible, and designed with long-term impact in mind, ensuring that benefits extend well beyond the life of the grant.

What the fund supports

The WDDF welcomes project proposals that address one or more of the following priority areas:

• Oral health education
• Oral health promotion
• Oral disease prevention
• Oral healthcare delivery
• Integration of oral health into primary healthcare

Successful applications must demonstrate a clear and direct benefit to disadvantaged individuals or communities, while aligning with local, regional, or national health strategies. Collaboration is essential: projects should be developed in consultation with local authorities and relevant stakeholders to ensure relevance, ownership, and sustainability.

Recognizing that lasting change begins with knowledge and capacity-building, FDI will give priority to initiatives with a strong educational component and clear potential for long-term sustainability.

A global impact, one community at a time

From preventive education programmes in rural schools to initiatives that integrate oral health into primary healthcare systems, WDDF-supported projects continue to show how targeted interventions can lead to meaningful, life-changing outcomes. These initiatives do more than address immediate needs; they help lay the foundations for healthier communities and stronger health systems.

Key Dates and Next Steps

Applications are welcome from both FDI members in good standing and non-member organizations.

Non-member applications can be submitted by organizations be they charitable, philantrophic or benevolent organizations, associations, educational institutions, governmental or local health authorities. 

Applications from non-member organizations require an endorsement letter from an FDI Regular Member Association in the project's country. 

Learn more about the eligibility criteria: 

Application Guidelines 

Application deadline: 15 June 2026

Funding available: CHF 10,000 per project

Projects supported annually: 3–5

Submit your application here

FDI also encourages members and partners to share this call widely within their networks, helping ensure that innovative ideas from all regions have the opportunity to be seen, supported, and scaled.

Together, through the World Dental Development Fund, we can work towards a future where access to oral health is not defined by geography or circumstance, but by our shared commitment to healthier communities worldwide.

The World Dental Development Fund is supported by Shofu.