BY Sarah Smykowski
Published August 4, 2026
For almost two centuries, organized dentistry has been the foundation for excellence in the dental profession — and its origins are right in Buffalo's backyard.
Just a short drive north of the city is the birthplace of the American Dental Association (ADA), founded in Niagara Falls, NY, on Aug. 4, 1859. The organization was formed by 26 dentists during a conference and meeting held in Niagara Falls to protect the integrity of the profession, which they felt was being “threatened by non-scientific rationales and practices” shared at the meeting.
One hundred sixty-seven years later, oral health leaders gathered in Niagara Falls to rededicate the organization’s formation and founding. On Aug. 4, 2026, the ADA, New York State Dental Association (NYSDA), and Eighth District Dental Society hosted a ceremony in Niagara Falls at the site of the former Grant Hotel, where the ADA was founded.
The ceremony included a plaque dedication to commemorate the organization’s founding. The original commemorative plaque was dedicated in 1959, but had been replaced and removed over the years. The plaque unveiled in 2026 now has a permanent home on Old Falls Street.
Remarks were given by dental leaders at the local, state and national levels, including Dr. John Craig, executive director of the Eighth District Dental Society; Dr. Brendan Dowd, Trustee 2nd of the ADA; Dr. Lynn Stacy, NYSDA president-elect; and Dr. James Hoddick, NYSDA Trustee. Officials from the City of Niagara Falls and the State of New York also attended. Dean Marcelo Araujo, dean of the UB School of Dental Medicine, represented the school, which has a special connection with the ADA’s history in the form of the school’s academic mace.
When Grant Hall was razed in the 1950s/1960s, three Niagara Falls dentists saw an opportunity to preserve its significance to dentistry. They saved one of the building’s large wooden beams and presented it to the School of Dental Medicine. The school used the wood to create its academic mace, which is the symbol of authority at official functions. It is used at the school’s commencement ceremony every year and is on permanent display in the school’s welcome center.
Today, the ADA supports over 150,000 dentists nationwide and works to promote best practices and research-based methodologies in oral health globally.