Join us for our 35th Annual Conference

Celebrating 35 Years of Navigating and Strengthening Our Indigenous Presence in Dentistry

June 11 - 14, 2025, Scottsdale, AZ
Talking Stick Resort at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

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Who We Are

SAID is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the unique needs of Indigenous dentists, while also increasing the number of Indigenous dentists in the United States.

Since its founding in 1990, SAID has promoted dental health in American Indian communities, encouraged AI/AN youth to pursue careers in the profession of dentistry, provided role-model leadership, and promoted and supported the unique concerns of AI/AN dentists. Founded by George Blue Spruce Jr., DDS, MPH along with five other American Indian dentists, the organization has grown to establish its visibility for improving both the status for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) dentists within the overall profession of dentistry, and as an educational pathway for AI/AN students.

The primary source of support for the SAID comes from donations and annual dues. The Society of American Indian Dentists holds annual meetings each summer. These meetings are usually held in association with a dental school and American Indian Tribes located in the vicinity of the institution.

Delta Dental Institute announced the Oral Health Diversity Fund Awardees

Among the awardees, SAID received $200,000 to expand its Telling the Story of a Path to Dentistry: Connecting American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Dentists with AI/AN Youth programming. 
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Dedicated to increasing the number of Indigenous Dentists in the United States

American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) are considered underrepresented minorities (URM) in the field of dentistry, with only 0.2 percent of the active U.S. dentists in 2012 identifying as AI/AN. 
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Beauty of SAID Membership

The Society of American Indian Dentists celebrates our students who have made a commitment to prepare themselves to care for our communities. And, we celebrate our professional members who are making an impact in the lives of our people by providing quality oral health care to our communities.  read more

More about SAID Members

The dentists who belong to Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID) are both the subject expert professionals and members of their tribal communities. It is not possible to separate the two.  read more