>> With this double recognition, it consolidates its role as a university institution committed to scientific innovation and the construction of a more equitable society.
ADEMA has been recognized by the Balearic Government’s Ministry of Health with two awards at the 2025 Balearic Islands Health Gala, held at Palma’s Teatro Principal under the slogan “Pride of Our Health.” The institution was recognized in the Humanization and Research categories, highlighting the impact of its projects in the healthcare, academic, and social fields.
In the Humanization category, ADEMA received the award for its program of care and oral health promotion for vulnerable groups, promoted by the ADEMA+ Foundation. This initiative combines academic excellence with social commitment through a service-learning model, in which dentistry students and students of Oral Hygiene and Dental Prosthetics training courses actively participate under clinical and teaching supervision.
The program collaborates with more than 30 NGOs and social organizations in Mallorca, as well as the Social Services of 15 municipalities, including Palma and the Mancomunitat del Pla. Thanks to this collaborative network, during the 2024-2025 academic year, more than 2,500 people in vulnerable situations were treated at ADEMA’s Integrated University Clinic, a facility equipped with state-of-the-art technology. In addition to healthcare, community prevention campaigns and educational workshops on healthy habits, oral hygiene, and healthy eating are promoted.
The project’s international dimension is embodied in the “Island to Island” program, which has been running in Wasini, Kenya, since 2023. On this small island, teams of volunteer professionals, teachers, and students have served nearly 3,000 people through prevention and basic assistance campaigns, in addition to conducting workshops at the local school to promote hygiene, nutrition, and access to clean water. Educational workshops and recreational activities are also held at the Wasini school, where approximately 250 children attend. Topics such as oral hygiene, handwashing, food preservation, and access to clean water are addressed with a culturally adapted and participatory approach.
In the Research category, ADEMA has been awarded for the project “Development of Artificial Intelligence for Early Diagnosis of Oral Cancer,” a line of applied research co-funded by the European Union and the Balearic Islands Government. The project, approved by the Research Ethics Committee, uses neural network models to noninvasively detect premalignant and malignant lesions from 2D (intraoral photographs and X-rays) and 3D (ultrasound, CT, and CBCT) images.
The main objective is to adapt artificial intelligence algorithms to achieve earlier detection of oral cancer, increase patient survival rates, and reduce the costs of late treatment. The research is supported by a comprehensive database of images obtained at the ADEMA University Clinic, as well as collaboration with international universities, the Spanish Association Against Cancer, and leading hospitals. Furthermore, ADEMA participates in the European Federation for Cancer Images (EUCAIM), sharing its database and contributing to the creation of a pan-European repository of medical images.
The awards were accepted by the president of ADEMA, Diego González, and the president of the Research Advisory Council and head of studies for the Dentistry Degree, Dr. Pere Riutord, who emphasized that these recognitions are the result of the collective efforts of teachers, researchers, students, and collaborating social organizations.
With this double recognition, ADEMA consolidates its role as a university institution committed to scientific innovation and building a more equitable society, in which oral health is understood as a universal and accessible right.