142
Presidential Address by Myron Nevins
Anniversaries are times of reflection. The 75th anniversary of the AAP affords us the opportunity to reflect on the past, assess the present, and plan for the future. The obvious and necessary transformation of our specialty organization from 14 individuals who met to draft the first Constitution and Bylaws in 1914 to our present membership of 5,400 dentists has firmly established the Academy as the authority and primary voice of periodontics to both the dental profession and the public. I want to thank you for allowing me the privilege of leading and representing the interests of the Academy. I hope to share with you this morning the 1989 image of periodontics as perceived by organized dentistry and the positive attitude and optimism of our members. We have benefitted by an improved awareness of periodontics by the public and other health professionals. It is now encumbent upon us to assimilate our past knowledge, work hard for the moment, and, most importantly, recognize the challenges for tomorrow and plan to meet them. Our mission is "to advance the art and science of periodontology, cause that knowledge to be applied in order to fulfill the periodontal needs of the public, and represent and serve the members of the Academy." To this end, the Executive Council recognized the need for a workshop to critically review current knowledge on key topics in clinical periodontics and accepted the recommendation of then President, Robert Schallhorn, to create a committee to organize a World Workshop. Bob asked me to chair this effort and I agreed. The scope of the presidency was not entirely clear at that time and I am sure the combination of these two efforts have helped my year pass most quickly. The purpose of the Organizing Committee was to identify issues to be discussed, the method by which to conduct debate, and to culminate in a consensus of the current state-of-theart for clinical therapeutics. The Procter & Gamble Co. stepped forth and, recognizing the magnitude of the herculean effort to be put forth by 150 leaders in the field of periodontology, agreed to underwrite the Workshop. Pat Norfleet, our Director of Scientific, Clinical and Educational Affairs, worked together with the Organizing Committee and Procter & Gamble to help create a well-oiled machine for all in attendance. A major accomplishment was the remarkable enthusiasm demonstrated by all and the coalescence of spirit demonstrated by the clinician, the researcher, and the academician. Tomorrow morning has been set aside to share the results and I expect each of you will attend this landmark •Presented October 27, 1989 at the 75th Annual Meeting of The American D.C.
Academy of Periodontology, Washington,
General Session. Every Academy member has received at this meeting, or will receive in the mail, a complimentary copy of the Proceedings. I want to recognize the skills and efforts of Rita Shafer, the Managing Editor of the Journal of Periodontology in organizing this legend of data into a document that is par excellence. However, just as we celebrate this accomplishment, we must begin now to prepare for the next such evaluation of current knowledge. We can no longer afford to wait 23 years and we should plan to meet again before the year 2000. If we continue to contend that it is necessary to extend the borders of knowledge of the periodontium, the conditions which effect them, and the efficacy of our treatment armamentarium, we then must come to grips with the position of graduate periodontics. Our present Subcommittee on Advanced Education and Accreditation, led by Rollie Meffert, has accepted the challenge of revising our present accreditation document that has seen little change although the field of periodontics has encountered a near metamorphosis. It must be upgraded so as to guide program directors when constructing their curriculum. All graduate students have the need to learn and should be taught a full armamentarium of diagnosis and therapy for periodontal diseases. Oliver Wendell Holmes states that "A mind stretched never goes back to its original dimension." Our students should be aware of cutting edge therapy as well as the classical approaches and should demonstrate a proficiency to meet the goal of American Board of Periodontology certification. We all recognize the value of interpretation and special concerns, but we must define a postgraduate education and this document will be our statement to the world of organized dentistry that we have done our homework. A major concern voiced at the 1986 Graduate Director Workshop on Implantology in Cleveland was the expense and difficulty of implementing implantology into the training programs. Two major obstacles expressed were the cost of educating the faculty and the cost of purchasing the implant systems. The Executive Council agreed that we should pursue those manufacturers of dental implants that had received ADA acceptance. I contacted Nobelpharma and IMZ (Interpore International) and was able to make arrangements for two tuition-free faculty programs from each company. The first course occurred in Boston last week and all four will take place by January 1990. In addition, both companies have agreed to make their product available to periodontal graduate programs at a remarkably reduced cost, thus enabling and encouraging 100% participation. The Executive Council has previously communicated that implant
Volume 61 Number 2
NEVINS
education must be curriculum.
a
part of the graduate periodontal
Approximately 300,000 Americans will undergo dental implant surgery by 1992 according to the NIH. As perio-
dontists,
have taken great strides to establish ourselves in the marketplace as the dental professional best trained to provide this care. An implant survey, developed by our Therapeutic Modalities Committee earlier this year, indicated that close to 50% of the respondents had performed dental implants to date and approximately 70% will have by the end of 1989. We also must pursue the topics of pain and anxiety control and treatment of the temporomandibular joint disfunction as educational entities in our curricula. To this end, we have an ad hoc committee chaired by Arnie Binderman to investigate the role of TMJ therapy in periodontics and a subcommittee of the Pharmacotherapeutics Committee, chaired by Leonard Tibbetts, to pursue the proper direction for teaching pain and anxiety control in our curricula. We plan to have these reports in time for the next meeting of the Committee on Accreditation in June of 1990. A very important criterion for any dental specialty is a certifying board and diplomate status for its members. A newly formed committee consisting of the President and Executive Director of the AAP and the Executive Secretary and Chairman of the American Board of Periodontology has been charged to identify means of encouragement for members to seek diplomate status. It is clear that no member wants to decrease the standards, but there is a need to increase the percentage of our membership that achieves this goal. A diplomate is recognized as a periodontist who has made a significant achievement beyond the mandatory education requirements of the specialty. The specialty itself is enhanced and solidified as the number of Board-certified periodontists increases. All who have yet to participate in this endeavor should realize that it is an opportunity to enhance our knowledge and further the enthusiasm with which we approach our profession. Letters of encouragement have been sent to all graduate students of the class of 1989 encouraging them to commence their preparations for taking the Board immediately. I'm sure all program directors concur! We must exhibit a strong and continued commitment to the pursuit of excellence. The strength of our graduate programs and the goal of diplomate status are clearly two beacons along this path. It is necessary for the Academy to function positively in its relationship to organized dentistry. In this regard, the Academy has had a most meaningful year. The President of the ADA, Arthur Dugoni, and the Executive Director, Tom Ginley, have been most responsive to our efforts. We have planned together for periodontics to be the topic of a public awareness program for the ADA in 1991 and have used the Specialty Forum as a means of expressing our position on key issues facing organized dentistry. I have had the opportunity to participate in "Prosthodontics 21," a national symposium to help the specialty of we
143
prosthodontics prepare for its future. We have supported continued recognition of each of the currently recognized specialties as their applications for continued recognition
have been submitted to the ADA. The AAP is a member-driven organization and the expeditious fulfillment of member needs is the driving force for all decisions made by both Council and staff. All successful volunteer organizations require a strong and remarkably dedicated professional staff. Our present Executive Director, Alice DeForest, has developed and led by example, a large and talented staff that is committed to serve the membership. The varied activities that are orchestrated into a manageable concert are evidence of her performance. Alice has frequently demonstrated her prowess when working together with other organizations and I want to tell you that she represents the interests of the AAP in a strong, confident, exemplary fashion. I'm so proud and appreciative of the entire staff's accomplishments and their desire to accommodate. It is worthy of note as we celebrate our 75th anniversary that we have only had two Executive Directors. The Central Office was created in 1965 and staffed only by a most remarkable woman. Marilyn Holmquist, who later served as our first Executive Director and Alice's predecessor. Individually, with their own styles, they have helped establish the Academy as the class act in dentistry. Under the stewardship of 1987 President Steve Goodman, we embarked on the Professional Partnership Program. The goal of this venture was to understand and improve our relationship with other dental professionals. To date, national, regional, and local workshops have taken place to enhance the communicative skills of the periodontist. A great effort was exerted by Stephen Mackler and the Professional Relations Committee and, I must add, by Alice DeForest and Nadine Seidman to create a Program Planner to help develop future workshops. Another professional relations direction has been the cooperative effort of the AAP with AGD to construct and provide a series of nine programs aimed at improving the periodontal diagnostic skills of the general practitioner. This portends to improve patient care and result in an increased awareness of periodontal disease. Gro Harlem Brundtland, the Prime Minister of Norway, advised that "If you are born strong, you have an even stronger responsibility for the people who didn't get such a strong start." It is our responsibility to share our experiences with dentists who have not had the opportunities of the graduate education that we have. These programs are being provided by Robert Schallhorn, Erwin Barrington, and myself and are supported by a grant from Johnson & Johnson. President Elect Gary Maynard, Alice DeForest, and I have met with JADA editor, Bill Wathen, to develop a JADA theme issue in the fall of 1990 devoted entirely to periodontics. This should provide a solid format to focus on periodontics for all dental health professionals. The Public Communications Committee, chaired by Mike Salkin, has created two new brochures this year. They are "Dental
J Periodontol 144
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
Are They Right For You?" and "Gum Disease Be Tested to See if You Have It." The decision to release our public relations vendor and bring our efforts in house is now two years old and appears to be working nicely. The only problem is having sufficient staff to fulfill the needs. Katie Goss has done a yeoman's job in assimilating our professional relations activities in addition to her responsibilities with the AAP Newsletter and other publications. In addition, our older brochures have been updated and redesigned with a consistent appearance and graphics. This department has also coordinated two continuing education courses and the Leadership Workshop at this meeting. One other very important activity within the sphere of professional relations has been the development and acceptance of a periodontal program for the ADA seminar series. Sam Low has been selected as our spokesman and will provide these programs in conjunction with the ADA. The Journal of Periodontology, under the leadership or our new Editor, Bob Genco, and our Managing Editor, Rita Shafer, has experienced its accustomed role of leadership in the field. It continues to disseminate research data and academic knowledge second to none and will soon sport a
Implants
-
-
image. practitioners must continue to be on guard in their relationship with third parties and government programs. Jerry Zackin and the Committee on Dental Care Programs (CDCP) have communicated with benefit managers, dental new
All
consultants, and the ADA CDCP Committee. Over 100 dentists, insurance administrators, consultants, and benefit
managers attended the third National Dental Benefit and Claims Conference in Chicago sponsored by our CDCP Committee. This conference provides a unique vehicle to explain the individualized nature of periodontal procedures and an opportunity for liaison. I also had the occasion to speak to the American and Canadian Dental Consultants in Toronto in June. This provided an opportunity to update their concept of total periodontal care. Jerry and the committee have worked hard to counter an unfortunate ADA brochure entitled "Building a Quality Dental Benefit Plan." The international awareness of periodontal disease and the specialty of periodontics has resulted in a growth in this category of our membership. Just today we will have the opportunity to approve a change in designation and now refer to an "International Member." But, we need to do more to recognize the global contributions to the art and science of periodontology, as witnessed by two of our new Honorary Members, Sture Nyman and P. I. Branemark. Paul Ricchetti and the International Relations Committee have offered fresh suggestions to Council and I'm sure many of them will be implemented as we strive to maintain our position as the voice of international periodontics. We have responded to the problems associated with creating a new periodontal practice by forming a Young Periodontists Committee. President Elect Gary Maynard has
February 1990
helped organize this group and they plan to have a national Young Periodontist's Conference in Chicago in the summer
of 1990. An Associate Member survey developed by Dick Wilson has allowed the Associate Member committee to evaluate their activities and educational process. We remain the only dental specialty organization with an Associate Member category and we benefit greatly from their input. Dick has been, and continues to be, a most respected and highly informative member of Council. We have teamed with the Teledyne Water Pik Co. to sponsor the development of an oral hygiene recruitment videotape to be distributed to high school guidance counselors. The purpose of this project is to interest qualified students to consider careers in dental hygiene and, thus, reduce the shortage of hygienists. John Martin, Chairman of the Committee on Matters Relating to Dental Auxiliaries, has attended and provided input to the ADA meeting on Recruitment and Retention of Auxiliaries. Later this morning we will have the opportunity to approve the restructuring of our committees, an activity initiated by Past President Bob Koch. This will solve age old reporting and duplication of effort problems. A leaner, meaner machine is expected to function in a better capacity to discover, decide, and implement Academy policy. It is not possible to itemize the long list of credits due our committees and their members. Each has made progress over the past year to define goals and develop programs that will make the AAP a stronger and more meaningful
organization. Early in my term,
I had the opportunity to address the FDA Dental Products Review Panel regarding the implementation of pre-market approval for dental implants. I explained our position of protecting the public and encouraged the FDA to demand research that would demonstrate the safety and efficacy of these products. It also provided an opportunity to address the generic use of the term "oral surgeon" by this branch of our government. Following my testimony, there was a change in terminology. Obviously, this assortment of ambitious undertakings requires remarkable backing. I must confess that the only way to maintain so full a platter is to be supported by devoted and skilled people. I learned early in the year that staff named me "Hurricane Ron." This was in reference to the turmoil surrounding my frequent visits to the Central Office. I want to mention in particular our Deputy Executive Director, Nadine Seidman, a remarkable ombudsman who has that rare ability to remain calm during the most trying of times. I'm also indebted to Hazel Gamble who, together with Nadine, charted my activities and coordinated the endless meetings and Council reports and in addition had a supply of diet Coke prepared for my visits. Also," Gloria Huerta who would Fax me any information on a moment's notice. We are here together sharing what may be our greatest member benefit, the Annual Meeting. Barbara Connell, our
Volume 61 Number 2
Director of Meetings and Membership Services Department, has elevated our meeting to a new plateau. Her crew, Jean Pierson, Rosie Barnstable, Linda Johnston, and Lynne Paul have given 1000% to the success of this meeting and, in addition, initiated dialogue with cities and individuals to plan for the next decade. I had the good fortune to select Jim Mellonig as the Chairman of the Annual Session and Arnie Binderman as the Local Arrangements Chairman. In addition to Arnie, we were lucky enough to have Maureen Binderman, whose special touch has been demonstrated throughout the special events of this week. Please join me in thanking all three of them and their committees. I must also thank Burt Langer, Ralph Pollack, Dick Yamada, Paul Ricchetti, Walter McFall, and Ken Kornman for their contributions to an outstanding education program. The Annual Meeting provides an opportunity to meet our colleagues from all corners of the earth and share our professional experiences. We are able to review exhibits of many dental manufacturers precluding the necessity to expend other efforts to do so. Most importantly, we gain valuable professional insight that enables us to improve the standard of care we offer our patients. In addition, the social events, alumni parties, and organized outings all add to the flavor of our experience. What does the future hold for the Annual Meeting? The Executive Council has already changed the format for the future so that we can be successful in selecting our primary locations. Our next step should be to evaluate the educational experiences and be sure we are properly targeting to meet the needs of our members. For example, this year has featured a cooperative effort with the IADR, arranged by Peter Robinson, to include a poster session as part of the Research Forum to supplement a new poster session suggested by our Research Committee. This frenetic state of activity requires financial resources to function and the person at the register for the AAP is Don Morin, our controller. Don is knowledgeable and forthright and guides us gently, but firmly, to exercise restraint. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for his steadfastness. The field of periodontics has vast resources from which to draw: its membership and the surrounding international community of periodontics. We must seize the moment! A more aware profession and public will result in an increased sophistication of the delivery of periodontal health care. Now is the time to take the pulse and ponder the soul. All facets must join together and realize that our community is too small to find fault with one another. Let's use our World Workshop experience as an example of working together. What are the immediate challenges to be faced? 1. Recruit the best possible candidates for our postgraduate programs. 2. Modernize our accreditation document. All students should have clinical experience at least the equal of our Summary Status and Guidelines for Periodontal Therapy
reports.
NEVINS
145
3. Blend the experience of time with the needs of our young members. Create programs that help them develop their skills and practices. 4. Be prepared to deliver the best possible dental care to the American public. It is simply not enough to be an educator, researcher, or clinician. It is necessary to be the soul of dentistry. Periodontics and the AAP will probably never be the same. We have grown from a small specialty organization to occupy a role of leadership. Alan Cranston insists that "To provide leadership, you can't just respond to circumstances. You have to create them." Each of your officers and Council members has come to play. We are determined to do the best. Sheridan counsels "the surest way not to fail is to determine to succeed." We have been and will continue to be determined to succeed. The professional profile of the American dentist is strong and growing stronger each year. Nearly 90% of our 140,000 dentists are in private practice, 80% of whom are in general dentistry. This ratio will change by the year 2000 as we continue to train the same number of specialists while the overall matriculation in dental schools drops from a high of 6000 to a predicted level of 3000. This may effect the marketplace or it may not as the need for periodontal services increases. But it is guaranteed to keep future leadership of this organization on its toes. A recent Gallup Poll rated dentistry the second most respected profession in America. We were rated higher in terms of honesty and ethical standards than physicians, clergy, or lawyers. A USA Today poll reported that adults were more satisfied with dental services than those from any other profession. These data should encourage each of us to return home and influence at least one talented, bright, and personable young person
consider dentistry for their career. The commitment to the Presidency requires a supporting staff and understanding family. I've had a liberal dose of each. I want to recognize the contributions of my partners in practice, Gerry Kramer, Gary Reiser, Roger Wise, and Jim Hanratty for their concerns and timely counsel. For being friends. Our office manager, Annie Delli Santi, has defended my absences from the practice and my surgical assistant, Suzanne Mara, endured the trauma of sharing the lengthy, crowded schedules when I returned. My family has experienced my absence at the most unlikely of times. My son Mike is a senior pre-med student at Johns Hopkins and my son Marc is a junior student at the University of Vermont and who, coincidentally, is experiencing the process of being interviewed for admission to dental school this week. This in itself should state my strong belief in the future of our profession. My mother, Mary, is pleased that she no longer will worry about the constant air travel. My wife Marcy, my pillar of strength, has provided the love and reassurance that serves as the wind beneath my wings. An absolutely perfect partner! For myself, this year has been an experience of growth and of broadened horizons with the single best entity being to
J Periodontol
146
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
the opportunity to meet and work together with our members. Although the year passes so quickly, it is truly the experience of a lifetime. I must describe it as a heady glass of wine. For the AAP, we have a harmony of leadership that is prepared to contribute to and to expand our agenda. Gary
February 1990
Maynard, Bill Becker, Seb Ciancio, and Mike Newman are
committed to continue the programs that have been initiated and will energize them to profound future accomplishall of youments. In closing, Bob, Gary, Bill, Alice thanks for helping make this a fabulous, productive, vintage -
year!
Presidential Address by Myron Nevins
Anniversaries are times of reflection. The 75th anniversary of the AAP affords us the opportunity to reflect on the past, assess the present, and plan for the future. The obvious and necessary transformation of our specialty organization from 14 individuals who met to draft the first Constitution and Bylaws in 1914 to our present membership of 5,400 dentists has firmly established the Academy as the authority and primary voice of periodontics to both the dental profession and the public. I want to thank you for allowing me the privilege of leading and representing the interests of the Academy. I hope to share with you this morning the 1989 image of periodontics as perceived by organized dentistry and the positive attitude and optimism of our members. We have benefitted by an improved awareness of periodontics by the public and other health professionals. It is now encumbent upon us to assimilate our past knowledge, work hard for the moment, and, most importantly, recognize the challenges for tomorrow and plan to meet them. Our mission is "to advance the art and science of periodontology, cause that knowledge to be applied in order to fulfill the periodontal needs of the public, and represent and serve the members of the Academy." To this end, the Executive Council recognized the need for a workshop to critically review current knowledge on key topics in clinical periodontics and accepted the recommendation of then President, Robert Schallhorn, to create a committee to organize a World Workshop. Bob asked me to chair this effort and I agreed. The scope of the presidency was not entirely clear at that time and I am sure the combination of these two efforts have helped my year pass most quickly. The purpose of the Organizing Committee was to identify issues to be discussed, the method by which to conduct debate, and to culminate in a consensus of the current state-of-theart for clinical therapeutics. The Procter & Gamble Co. stepped forth and, recognizing the magnitude of the herculean effort to be put forth by 150 leaders in the field of periodontology, agreed to underwrite the Workshop. Pat Norfleet, our Director of Scientific, Clinical and Educational Affairs, worked together with the Organizing Committee and Procter & Gamble to help create a well-oiled machine for all in attendance. A major accomplishment was the remarkable enthusiasm demonstrated by all and the coalescence of spirit demonstrated by the clinician, the researcher, and the academician. Tomorrow morning has been set aside to share the results and I expect each of you will attend this landmark •Presented October 27, 1989 at the 75th Annual Meeting of The American D.C.
Academy of Periodontology, Washington,
General Session. Every Academy member has received at this meeting, or will receive in the mail, a complimentary copy of the Proceedings. I want to recognize the skills and efforts of Rita Shafer, the Managing Editor of the Journal of Periodontology in organizing this legend of data into a document that is par excellence. However, just as we celebrate this accomplishment, we must begin now to prepare for the next such evaluation of current knowledge. We can no longer afford to wait 23 years and we should plan to meet again before the year 2000. If we continue to contend that it is necessary to extend the borders of knowledge of the periodontium, the conditions which effect them, and the efficacy of our treatment armamentarium, we then must come to grips with the position of graduate periodontics. Our present Subcommittee on Advanced Education and Accreditation, led by Rollie Meffert, has accepted the challenge of revising our present accreditation document that has seen little change although the field of periodontics has encountered a near metamorphosis. It must be upgraded so as to guide program directors when constructing their curriculum. All graduate students have the need to learn and should be taught a full armamentarium of diagnosis and therapy for periodontal diseases. Oliver Wendell Holmes states that "A mind stretched never goes back to its original dimension." Our students should be aware of cutting edge therapy as well as the classical approaches and should demonstrate a proficiency to meet the goal of American Board of Periodontology certification. We all recognize the value of interpretation and special concerns, but we must define a postgraduate education and this document will be our statement to the world of organized dentistry that we have done our homework. A major concern voiced at the 1986 Graduate Director Workshop on Implantology in Cleveland was the expense and difficulty of implementing implantology into the training programs. Two major obstacles expressed were the cost of educating the faculty and the cost of purchasing the implant systems. The Executive Council agreed that we should pursue those manufacturers of dental implants that had received ADA acceptance. I contacted Nobelpharma and IMZ (Interpore International) and was able to make arrangements for two tuition-free faculty programs from each company. The first course occurred in Boston last week and all four will take place by January 1990. In addition, both companies have agreed to make their product available to periodontal graduate programs at a remarkably reduced cost, thus enabling and encouraging 100% participation. The Executive Council has previously communicated that implant
Volume 61 Number 2
NEVINS
education must be curriculum.
a
part of the graduate periodontal
Approximately 300,000 Americans will undergo dental implant surgery by 1992 according to the NIH. As perio-
dontists,
have taken great strides to establish ourselves in the marketplace as the dental professional best trained to provide this care. An implant survey, developed by our Therapeutic Modalities Committee earlier this year, indicated that close to 50% of the respondents had performed dental implants to date and approximately 70% will have by the end of 1989. We also must pursue the topics of pain and anxiety control and treatment of the temporomandibular joint disfunction as educational entities in our curricula. To this end, we have an ad hoc committee chaired by Arnie Binderman to investigate the role of TMJ therapy in periodontics and a subcommittee of the Pharmacotherapeutics Committee, chaired by Leonard Tibbetts, to pursue the proper direction for teaching pain and anxiety control in our curricula. We plan to have these reports in time for the next meeting of the Committee on Accreditation in June of 1990. A very important criterion for any dental specialty is a certifying board and diplomate status for its members. A newly formed committee consisting of the President and Executive Director of the AAP and the Executive Secretary and Chairman of the American Board of Periodontology has been charged to identify means of encouragement for members to seek diplomate status. It is clear that no member wants to decrease the standards, but there is a need to increase the percentage of our membership that achieves this goal. A diplomate is recognized as a periodontist who has made a significant achievement beyond the mandatory education requirements of the specialty. The specialty itself is enhanced and solidified as the number of Board-certified periodontists increases. All who have yet to participate in this endeavor should realize that it is an opportunity to enhance our knowledge and further the enthusiasm with which we approach our profession. Letters of encouragement have been sent to all graduate students of the class of 1989 encouraging them to commence their preparations for taking the Board immediately. I'm sure all program directors concur! We must exhibit a strong and continued commitment to the pursuit of excellence. The strength of our graduate programs and the goal of diplomate status are clearly two beacons along this path. It is necessary for the Academy to function positively in its relationship to organized dentistry. In this regard, the Academy has had a most meaningful year. The President of the ADA, Arthur Dugoni, and the Executive Director, Tom Ginley, have been most responsive to our efforts. We have planned together for periodontics to be the topic of a public awareness program for the ADA in 1991 and have used the Specialty Forum as a means of expressing our position on key issues facing organized dentistry. I have had the opportunity to participate in "Prosthodontics 21," a national symposium to help the specialty of we
143
prosthodontics prepare for its future. We have supported continued recognition of each of the currently recognized specialties as their applications for continued recognition
have been submitted to the ADA. The AAP is a member-driven organization and the expeditious fulfillment of member needs is the driving force for all decisions made by both Council and staff. All successful volunteer organizations require a strong and remarkably dedicated professional staff. Our present Executive Director, Alice DeForest, has developed and led by example, a large and talented staff that is committed to serve the membership. The varied activities that are orchestrated into a manageable concert are evidence of her performance. Alice has frequently demonstrated her prowess when working together with other organizations and I want to tell you that she represents the interests of the AAP in a strong, confident, exemplary fashion. I'm so proud and appreciative of the entire staff's accomplishments and their desire to accommodate. It is worthy of note as we celebrate our 75th anniversary that we have only had two Executive Directors. The Central Office was created in 1965 and staffed only by a most remarkable woman. Marilyn Holmquist, who later served as our first Executive Director and Alice's predecessor. Individually, with their own styles, they have helped establish the Academy as the class act in dentistry. Under the stewardship of 1987 President Steve Goodman, we embarked on the Professional Partnership Program. The goal of this venture was to understand and improve our relationship with other dental professionals. To date, national, regional, and local workshops have taken place to enhance the communicative skills of the periodontist. A great effort was exerted by Stephen Mackler and the Professional Relations Committee and, I must add, by Alice DeForest and Nadine Seidman to create a Program Planner to help develop future workshops. Another professional relations direction has been the cooperative effort of the AAP with AGD to construct and provide a series of nine programs aimed at improving the periodontal diagnostic skills of the general practitioner. This portends to improve patient care and result in an increased awareness of periodontal disease. Gro Harlem Brundtland, the Prime Minister of Norway, advised that "If you are born strong, you have an even stronger responsibility for the people who didn't get such a strong start." It is our responsibility to share our experiences with dentists who have not had the opportunities of the graduate education that we have. These programs are being provided by Robert Schallhorn, Erwin Barrington, and myself and are supported by a grant from Johnson & Johnson. President Elect Gary Maynard, Alice DeForest, and I have met with JADA editor, Bill Wathen, to develop a JADA theme issue in the fall of 1990 devoted entirely to periodontics. This should provide a solid format to focus on periodontics for all dental health professionals. The Public Communications Committee, chaired by Mike Salkin, has created two new brochures this year. They are "Dental
J Periodontol 144
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
Are They Right For You?" and "Gum Disease Be Tested to See if You Have It." The decision to release our public relations vendor and bring our efforts in house is now two years old and appears to be working nicely. The only problem is having sufficient staff to fulfill the needs. Katie Goss has done a yeoman's job in assimilating our professional relations activities in addition to her responsibilities with the AAP Newsletter and other publications. In addition, our older brochures have been updated and redesigned with a consistent appearance and graphics. This department has also coordinated two continuing education courses and the Leadership Workshop at this meeting. One other very important activity within the sphere of professional relations has been the development and acceptance of a periodontal program for the ADA seminar series. Sam Low has been selected as our spokesman and will provide these programs in conjunction with the ADA. The Journal of Periodontology, under the leadership or our new Editor, Bob Genco, and our Managing Editor, Rita Shafer, has experienced its accustomed role of leadership in the field. It continues to disseminate research data and academic knowledge second to none and will soon sport a
Implants
-
-
image. practitioners must continue to be on guard in their relationship with third parties and government programs. Jerry Zackin and the Committee on Dental Care Programs (CDCP) have communicated with benefit managers, dental new
All
consultants, and the ADA CDCP Committee. Over 100 dentists, insurance administrators, consultants, and benefit
managers attended the third National Dental Benefit and Claims Conference in Chicago sponsored by our CDCP Committee. This conference provides a unique vehicle to explain the individualized nature of periodontal procedures and an opportunity for liaison. I also had the occasion to speak to the American and Canadian Dental Consultants in Toronto in June. This provided an opportunity to update their concept of total periodontal care. Jerry and the committee have worked hard to counter an unfortunate ADA brochure entitled "Building a Quality Dental Benefit Plan." The international awareness of periodontal disease and the specialty of periodontics has resulted in a growth in this category of our membership. Just today we will have the opportunity to approve a change in designation and now refer to an "International Member." But, we need to do more to recognize the global contributions to the art and science of periodontology, as witnessed by two of our new Honorary Members, Sture Nyman and P. I. Branemark. Paul Ricchetti and the International Relations Committee have offered fresh suggestions to Council and I'm sure many of them will be implemented as we strive to maintain our position as the voice of international periodontics. We have responded to the problems associated with creating a new periodontal practice by forming a Young Periodontists Committee. President Elect Gary Maynard has
February 1990
helped organize this group and they plan to have a national Young Periodontist's Conference in Chicago in the summer
of 1990. An Associate Member survey developed by Dick Wilson has allowed the Associate Member committee to evaluate their activities and educational process. We remain the only dental specialty organization with an Associate Member category and we benefit greatly from their input. Dick has been, and continues to be, a most respected and highly informative member of Council. We have teamed with the Teledyne Water Pik Co. to sponsor the development of an oral hygiene recruitment videotape to be distributed to high school guidance counselors. The purpose of this project is to interest qualified students to consider careers in dental hygiene and, thus, reduce the shortage of hygienists. John Martin, Chairman of the Committee on Matters Relating to Dental Auxiliaries, has attended and provided input to the ADA meeting on Recruitment and Retention of Auxiliaries. Later this morning we will have the opportunity to approve the restructuring of our committees, an activity initiated by Past President Bob Koch. This will solve age old reporting and duplication of effort problems. A leaner, meaner machine is expected to function in a better capacity to discover, decide, and implement Academy policy. It is not possible to itemize the long list of credits due our committees and their members. Each has made progress over the past year to define goals and develop programs that will make the AAP a stronger and more meaningful
organization. Early in my term,
I had the opportunity to address the FDA Dental Products Review Panel regarding the implementation of pre-market approval for dental implants. I explained our position of protecting the public and encouraged the FDA to demand research that would demonstrate the safety and efficacy of these products. It also provided an opportunity to address the generic use of the term "oral surgeon" by this branch of our government. Following my testimony, there was a change in terminology. Obviously, this assortment of ambitious undertakings requires remarkable backing. I must confess that the only way to maintain so full a platter is to be supported by devoted and skilled people. I learned early in the year that staff named me "Hurricane Ron." This was in reference to the turmoil surrounding my frequent visits to the Central Office. I want to mention in particular our Deputy Executive Director, Nadine Seidman, a remarkable ombudsman who has that rare ability to remain calm during the most trying of times. I'm also indebted to Hazel Gamble who, together with Nadine, charted my activities and coordinated the endless meetings and Council reports and in addition had a supply of diet Coke prepared for my visits. Also," Gloria Huerta who would Fax me any information on a moment's notice. We are here together sharing what may be our greatest member benefit, the Annual Meeting. Barbara Connell, our
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Director of Meetings and Membership Services Department, has elevated our meeting to a new plateau. Her crew, Jean Pierson, Rosie Barnstable, Linda Johnston, and Lynne Paul have given 1000% to the success of this meeting and, in addition, initiated dialogue with cities and individuals to plan for the next decade. I had the good fortune to select Jim Mellonig as the Chairman of the Annual Session and Arnie Binderman as the Local Arrangements Chairman. In addition to Arnie, we were lucky enough to have Maureen Binderman, whose special touch has been demonstrated throughout the special events of this week. Please join me in thanking all three of them and their committees. I must also thank Burt Langer, Ralph Pollack, Dick Yamada, Paul Ricchetti, Walter McFall, and Ken Kornman for their contributions to an outstanding education program. The Annual Meeting provides an opportunity to meet our colleagues from all corners of the earth and share our professional experiences. We are able to review exhibits of many dental manufacturers precluding the necessity to expend other efforts to do so. Most importantly, we gain valuable professional insight that enables us to improve the standard of care we offer our patients. In addition, the social events, alumni parties, and organized outings all add to the flavor of our experience. What does the future hold for the Annual Meeting? The Executive Council has already changed the format for the future so that we can be successful in selecting our primary locations. Our next step should be to evaluate the educational experiences and be sure we are properly targeting to meet the needs of our members. For example, this year has featured a cooperative effort with the IADR, arranged by Peter Robinson, to include a poster session as part of the Research Forum to supplement a new poster session suggested by our Research Committee. This frenetic state of activity requires financial resources to function and the person at the register for the AAP is Don Morin, our controller. Don is knowledgeable and forthright and guides us gently, but firmly, to exercise restraint. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for his steadfastness. The field of periodontics has vast resources from which to draw: its membership and the surrounding international community of periodontics. We must seize the moment! A more aware profession and public will result in an increased sophistication of the delivery of periodontal health care. Now is the time to take the pulse and ponder the soul. All facets must join together and realize that our community is too small to find fault with one another. Let's use our World Workshop experience as an example of working together. What are the immediate challenges to be faced? 1. Recruit the best possible candidates for our postgraduate programs. 2. Modernize our accreditation document. All students should have clinical experience at least the equal of our Summary Status and Guidelines for Periodontal Therapy
reports.
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3. Blend the experience of time with the needs of our young members. Create programs that help them develop their skills and practices. 4. Be prepared to deliver the best possible dental care to the American public. It is simply not enough to be an educator, researcher, or clinician. It is necessary to be the soul of dentistry. Periodontics and the AAP will probably never be the same. We have grown from a small specialty organization to occupy a role of leadership. Alan Cranston insists that "To provide leadership, you can't just respond to circumstances. You have to create them." Each of your officers and Council members has come to play. We are determined to do the best. Sheridan counsels "the surest way not to fail is to determine to succeed." We have been and will continue to be determined to succeed. The professional profile of the American dentist is strong and growing stronger each year. Nearly 90% of our 140,000 dentists are in private practice, 80% of whom are in general dentistry. This ratio will change by the year 2000 as we continue to train the same number of specialists while the overall matriculation in dental schools drops from a high of 6000 to a predicted level of 3000. This may effect the marketplace or it may not as the need for periodontal services increases. But it is guaranteed to keep future leadership of this organization on its toes. A recent Gallup Poll rated dentistry the second most respected profession in America. We were rated higher in terms of honesty and ethical standards than physicians, clergy, or lawyers. A USA Today poll reported that adults were more satisfied with dental services than those from any other profession. These data should encourage each of us to return home and influence at least one talented, bright, and personable young person
consider dentistry for their career. The commitment to the Presidency requires a supporting staff and understanding family. I've had a liberal dose of each. I want to recognize the contributions of my partners in practice, Gerry Kramer, Gary Reiser, Roger Wise, and Jim Hanratty for their concerns and timely counsel. For being friends. Our office manager, Annie Delli Santi, has defended my absences from the practice and my surgical assistant, Suzanne Mara, endured the trauma of sharing the lengthy, crowded schedules when I returned. My family has experienced my absence at the most unlikely of times. My son Mike is a senior pre-med student at Johns Hopkins and my son Marc is a junior student at the University of Vermont and who, coincidentally, is experiencing the process of being interviewed for admission to dental school this week. This in itself should state my strong belief in the future of our profession. My mother, Mary, is pleased that she no longer will worry about the constant air travel. My wife Marcy, my pillar of strength, has provided the love and reassurance that serves as the wind beneath my wings. An absolutely perfect partner! For myself, this year has been an experience of growth and of broadened horizons with the single best entity being to
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PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
the opportunity to meet and work together with our members. Although the year passes so quickly, it is truly the experience of a lifetime. I must describe it as a heady glass of wine. For the AAP, we have a harmony of leadership that is prepared to contribute to and to expand our agenda. Gary
February 1990
Maynard, Bill Becker, Seb Ciancio, and Mike Newman are
committed to continue the programs that have been initiated and will energize them to profound future accomplishall of youments. In closing, Bob, Gary, Bill, Alice thanks for helping make this a fabulous, productive, vintage -
year!
