The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) recently awarded members for outstanding contributions and accomplishments within the Academy and the specialty of periodontics. The recipients were honored at a special ceremony that took place during the AAP’s 104th Annual Meeting, held Oct. 27-30, 2018, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia.
“This year, the Academy is pleased to recognize those whose contributions have made an impact on the specialty of periodontics,” says Steven R. Daniel, DDS, immediate past president of the AAP. “Their achievements have made a difference in the profession.”
Gold Medal Award: The Academy presented the Gold Medal, its highest honor, to Gary Greenstein, DDS, MS. Since the early 1980s, Dr. Greenstein’s robust publishing portfolio has provided comprehensive insight to the intricacies of patient care—from implant dentistry to local drug delivery. He is credited with more than 160 publications and is well-regarded not only for his ability to analyze literature but for his influence on day-to-day practice. He has presented more than 260 courses and lectures, demonstrating a decades-long commitment to sharing his knowledge and fortifying the specialty as a subject matter expert. He has also worked as an educator, currently serving as a clinical professor in the department of periodontology at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. Dr. Greenstein adds the AAP Gold Medal to a 2010 AAP Distinguished Service Award, an AAP Fellowship Award, and a 1997 William J. Gies Award presented by the American Dental Education Association
Master Clinician Award: Oded Bahat, BDS, MSD, is the 2018 recipient of the Master Clinician Award. Sponsored by Hu-Friedy, this award is presented to an Academy member who consistently demonstrates clinical excellence and shares wisdom and experience with others. Dr. Bahat received the accolade this year for his groundbreaking approaches to periodontal plastic surgery and reconstructive procedures. He is also well-regarded for his skills in dental implant placement. The author of more than 50 scientific articles and numerous textbook chapters. Dr. Bahat is an esteemed thought leader and imparts his expertise to colleagues worldwide. He has lectured in 15 countries throughout Europe, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Japan, South Korea, and other countries around the world. Dr. Bahat maintains a private practice in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Distinguished Service Award: The Academy posthumously presented its 2018 Distinguished Service Award to Gregory Fauth, DDS, who passed away in Dec. 2017 after a brief illness. A 36-year member of the Academy, Dr. Fauth acted on numerous committees and task forces including Election Oversight, Editorial Liaison, Practice Management and Marketing, and Strategic Planning. He also served two consecutive terms on the Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2013. In 2014, he joined the AAP Foundation’s Board of Directors and was the Foundation’s President at the time of his passing. During his tenure at the Foundation, he acted concurrently as the Midwest Society of Periodontology’s executive director. Dr. Fauth was a past president of the Illinois Society of Periodontists, the Midwest Society of Periodontology, the Fox River Valley Dental Society, and the Aurora Dental Society.
Distinguished Scientist Award: This year, the Academy presented the Distinguished Scientist Award to Kenneth Kornman, DDS, PhD, for his contributions to the basic and clinical science of periodontology. In addition to his work as a textbook author, Dr. Kornman has published more than 100 manuscripts primarily in the areas of genetic modifiers of chronic disease, periodontal disease etiology, and treatment. For 42 years, he has been a fixture on various scientific AAP committees and task forces including Research, Science Therapy, Scientific Oversight, Health Care Reform, and the Task Force on Future Science. He is also a recipient of two 2018 Special Citation Awards for his work on the 2017 Best Evidence Consensus panels and as a member of the Organizing and Steering Committees for last fall’s World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions. He adds to these a 2014 Clinical Research Award, Special Citation Awards received in both 2008 and 2011, and a 1995 William J. Gies Award from the American Dental Education Association.
Outstanding Periodontal Educator: Brian Mealey, DDS, is the 2018 recipient of the Outstanding Periodontal Educator Award. The Academy bestows this recognition to members who demonstrate excellence in teaching and are especially inspirational to students. Dr. Mealey is the graduate program director and director of the specialist division in the department of periodontics at the School of Dentistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he has had an academic appointment since 2004. In addition to a venerable career in the military and academic arena, he is also a textbook author and a respected researcher whose investigations have been published in the Journal of Dental Research, the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Journal of the American Dental Association, and the Journal of Periodontology. Dr. Mealey is also recognized with a Special Citation Award this year for his work on the Organizing and Steering Committees for the 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions. He adds these honors to a 2012 William J. Gies Award, a 2004 Fellowship Award, and a 1998 R. Earl Robinson Periodontal Regeneration Award.
Honorary Membership: Jørgen Slots, DDS, DMD, PhD, MS, MBA, was recognized with an honorary membership for his outstanding contributions to the art and science of periodontology. He is currently a professor at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California, where he served as the chairman of periodontology from 1991 to 2001. Dr. Slots is widely admired for his research contributions in the areas of antibiotic therapy, antimicrobial agents, oral microbiology, and oral immunology. He is the editor-in-chief of Periodontology 2000 and the editor-in-chief emeritus of two journals: the Journal of Periodontal Research and Oral Microbiology and Immunology. He is the recipient of the 1990 William J. Gies Award, the Periodontology Award from the California Society of Periodontists, and the Basic Research in Periodontal Disease Award from the International Association for Dental Research.
R. Earl Robinson Periodontal Regeneration Award: Sponsored by the AAP Foundation, this award recognizes an outstanding recent scientific article about periodontal regeneration in the basic and clinical sciences. For their article, “Periodontal regeneration compared with access flap surgery in human intra-bony defects 20-year follow-up of a randomized clinical trial: tooth retention, periodontitis recurrence and costs,” published in the January 2017 issue of the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, the Academy recognized the following members: Dr. Pierpaolo Cortellini, Dr. Jacopo Buti, Dr. Giovan Paolo Pini-Prato, and Dr. Maurizio Tonetti.
Clinical Research Award: Sponsored by Quintessence Publishing, this award is presented each year to an outstanding recently published scientific article with direct clinical relevance to periodontics. The 2018 recipients of the Clinical Research Award, authors of “Risk indicators for Peri-implantitis. A cross-selectional study with 916 implants,” published in the February 2017 issue of Clinical Oral Implants Research, are as follows: Dr. Haline Renate Dalago, Dr. Guenther Schuldt Filho, Dr. Monica Abreu Pessoa Rodrigues, Dr. Stefan Renvert, and Dr. Marco Aurelio Bianchini.
Special Citation Award: This distinction is presented to members for outstanding work on an Academy committee or special project. Dr. Richard Kao, Dr. Kenneth Kornman, Dr. George Mandelaris, Dr. Bradley McAllister, Dr. Michael Mills, Dr. Paul Rosen, and Dr. E. Todd Scheyer were recognized by the Academy for their work as co-chairs for the 2017 Best Evidence Consensus (BEC) panels on lasers and cone-beam tomography. The BEC model was developed to provide insight to emerging technologies by reviewing existing literature, evaluating clinical applications of the science, offering expert interpretation, and identifying priorities for future research.
This year’s Special Citation honorees also include the Organizing Committee of the 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions: Dr. Wayne Aldredge, Dr. Gary Armitage, Dr. Tord Berglundh, Dr. Jack Caton, Dr. Iain Chapple, Dr. Søren Jepsen, Dr. Kenneth Kornman, Dr. Brian Mealey, Dr. Panos Papapanou, Dr. Mariano Sanz, and Dr. Maurizio Tonetti. The group planned a state-of-the-science international event that provided a comprehensive update to disease classification that was last revised in 1999.
William J. Gies Periodontology Award: Presented by the American Dental Education Association’s William J. Gies Foundation for the Advancement of Dentistry, this award is conferred to those who have made outstanding contributions to the field of periodontology. This year’s recipient, Hom-Lay Wang, DDS. MSD, PhD, is the endowed collegiate professor of periodontology at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. He has also served as the director of the graduate periodontal program for more than 20 years. Dr. Wang has published more than 130 scientific abstracts, 25 book chapters, and over 500 scientific articles. With more than 25,000 citations to his credit, he is a proven veritable authority in the specialty. Over 30 scientific publications have invited Dr. Wang to serve on their editorial boards, and he has given more than 650 lectures around the world. Dr. Wang has held presidencies at the Midwest Society of Periodontology and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and acts on a number of committees, commissions, and task forces for the AAP, American Dental Association, and the Academy of Osseointegration.
ABP Leslie M. Salkin Award: Presented by the American Board of Periodontology, the ABP Leslie M. Salkin Award recognizes the Diplomate who receives the highest score on the Board’s oral exam. This year’s honoree, Arif Salman Abdul Shakore, MDS, is an assistant professor at West Virginia University School of Dentistry.
About the American Academy of Periodontology
The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) represents over 8,000 periodontists—specialists in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of inflammatory diseases affecting the gums and supporting structures of the teeth, and in the placement of dental implants. Periodontics is one of the nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association.
