Dr . Aída Carolina Medina Díaz is a pediatric dentist with a Master’s degree and a PhD from the Universidad Central de Venezuela. For more than 25 years, she has focused on academic, clinical, and leadership roles in pediatric dentistry and interceptive orthodontics. She served as Full Professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, where she was responsible for teaching Interceptive Orthodontics in postgraduate programs and training multiple generations of specialists. Her academic career has been defined by a strong commitment to excellence in higher education, clinical supervision, and evidence-based early treatment approaches.
Clinically, she is part of the pediatric oral health team at the Hôpital des Enfants, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), where she applies her expertise in a multidisciplinary hospital setting. She has also practiced at Centro Médico Docente La Trinidad, providing comprehensive, patient-centered pediatric dental care.
Her leadership in professional organisations has had significant regional impact. She currently serves as President of the Latin American Association of Pediatric Dentistry (ALOP) and is a former President of the Venezuelan Society of Pediatric Dentistry (SVOP). In these roles, she has actively promoted academic collaboration, continuing education, and the strengthening of pediatric oral health standards across Latin America. She has emphasised scientific exchange, professional integration, and the advancement of pediatric dentistry as a specialty throughout the region.
She has contributed to scientific publishing and sharing knowledge. She is the Editor of the Revista de Odontopediatría Latinoamericana, where she supports peer-reviewed research and encourages growth in the dental community. She also part of the founding team and edits the Revista Científica CMDLT, which promotes local scientific publishing in Venezuela.
Her commitment to social outreach and health equity extends beyond traditional practice. She is an active member of Proyecto Mayú, a non-profit extension group of the Universidad Central de Venezuela that delivers essential medical and dental care to underserved rural and indigenous communities in Venezuela. Proyecto Mayú uses a proactive model focused on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, while empowering students and specialists to serve with cultural sensitivity and professional integrity.
Her main professional interests include interceptive orthodontics, eruption disturbances of permanent teeth, early diagnosis and treatment planning, and the integration of clinical practice with academic research.
Throughout her career, she has brought together academic excellence, clinical skill, humanitarian work, and international involvement. Her efforts have helped advance pediatric dentistry at many levels.