The Louisville Dental Society (LDS) has been the sponsor of a Dental Science Award at the Louisville Regional Science Fairs since 1992.Started by Dr. Lawrence Gettleman, who as president of the Greater New Orleans Science & Engineering Fair, began a similar award program there with support from the New Orleans Dental Society.He moved to Louisville in 1990 and obtained the support of LDS which now sponsors the Dental Science Awards at the Louisville Regional Science & Engineering Fair, and the duPont Manual High School/Meyzeek Middle School Science Fair.

The Louisville Regional and Manual/Meyzeek science fairs were held on March 8^th, 2014, on the University of Louisville campus.  Members of the Louisville Chapter of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) judged the awards and the Louisville Dental Society (LDS) and the office of Dean John Sauk at the University of Louisville’s School of Dentistry (ULSD) contributed $500 each to fund the awards ($1000 total).The winners were also invited to a meeting of the Louisville Dental Society to meet members and display their science projects.

The combined Louisville science fairs displayed approximately 600 projects in the junior and senior divisions.  All are open to be judged for the Dental Science Award.  AADR member Douglas Darling, PhD, and LDS/KDA/ADA and AADR member Lawrence Gettleman judged the projects and selected the four winners. The students were presented with a certificate, a check for $150 (plus $100 for their respective science departments to encourage future projects in dental science), and were invited with their parents and teacher to a Louisville Dental Society meeting.  This year, all four winners attended on April 17^th at the Wildwood Country Club and were presented their awards by LDS president Dr. Bruce Haskell.