During the current SARS-COVID 19 pandemic, the association has strived to develop guidelines to practice dentistry within the new normal, pro-actively deliver professional development to our membership through many online activities and importantly develop a National Oral Health Action Committee involving all stakeholders to be consistent on policy and advocacy.

We have also embarked on a project to digitalize the Sri Lanka Dental Journal the only peer-reviewed journal related to oral health in the country and make it an internationally accepted and indexed journal that provides value to its authors, editors, and readers. We are indeed happy, that with the relaunch of the website part of this task has been achieved by digitalizing all archival dental journals in our digital repository. The generous support of the CDA should be acknowledged in making this task a success. 

We have also a global reach in playing host to three APDC conferences and a CDA conference in the years 1997  2007, 2013, and 2021. The efforts of all organizers of these events have been a roaring success. Our organizational capability has been phenomenal with many of our members being actively involved in these endeavors and some of our members being elected to many international bodies.

As the 89th year president, it is my pleasure to provide leadership to such a dynamic and amiable body of professionals in driving the SLDA to greater heights during the tenure of office. With the recommencement of many routine activities after a lapse of about 2 years due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic, we are optimistic that the SLDA could be the trendsetter in oral health policy, professionalism, and patient care in Sri Lanka.