The Jiří Sedelmayer Award 2026
Apply for the Jiří Sedelmayer Award 2026 before 15 July, 2026!
Jiří Sedelmayer Award honors the legacy of a visionary who fundamentally redefined what true, hands-on prevention in dentistry can achieve.
Created to celebrate excellence in prevention-focused education, research, and clinical implementation, the award recognizes individuals, teams or organizations who translate knowledge into measurable, lasting impact on people’s oral health. By spotlighting those who embody Sedelmayer’s spirit of curiosity, courage, and practical teaching, the award aims to inspire a new generation of professionals to carry forward his mission: empowering people to care for themselves with skill, confidence, and dignity.
The winner will be announced at the International AVOLA Symposia.
Submit your application online
Winner of the Jiří Sedelmayer Award 2024
At the 1. AVOLA Symposium in Switzerland, on 11 October 2024, Mário Rui Araújo was honored with the Jiří Sedelmayer Award 2024 for his commitment and achievements to date in the field of oral prevention.
At the 1. AVOLA Symposium in Switzerland, on 11 October 2024, Mário Rui Araújo was honored with the Jiří Sedelmayer Award 2024 for his commitment and achievements to date in the field of oral prevention.
Mário graduated in Dental Hygiene from the University of Lisbon in 1990 and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from the University of Washington in 1993. In 2002 he completed his Master’s degree in Health Psychology at ISPA (Lisbon University Institute) and is currently a PhD student at the University of Lisbon (Department of Psychology). In his dissertation, he analyses different approaches and strategies to improve oral health behavior.
Mário lives in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, where he works as a clinical / behavioral dental hygienist. He is also a lecturer in behavior change and communication skills and has given numerous guest lectures in various countries around the world and published several articles on the subject. He has been working as an oral health teacher since 1990.
He is currently the director and lecturer of the Dental Hygiene Program at the Health School of the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre. He has worked for the Portuguese government as project manager in the nationwide oral health promotion program. In 2023, Portugal was honored with the prestigious Sunstar World Dental Hygiene Award for the best oral health project in Cape Town (South Africa). Mário is married, has four children, two cats, and believe or not, is an official Lego® serious play facilitator.
Application
The winner will be announced at the International AVOLA Symposia, held bi-annually and awarded a prize of CHF 10,000. You too can participate: if you would like to recommend an individual, organization or initiative for the competition, please do not hesitate to contact an AVOLA representative or submit your application online (available soon).