Academy of Osseointegration appoints new president

Russell D. Nishimura, DDS, will continue the Academy of Osseointegration’s commitment to bring specialists and generalists together to coordinate optimal patient care.

Russell D. Nishimura, DDS, a prosthodontist from Westlake Village, California, and professor emeritus, UCLA School of Dentistry, was appointed president of the Academy of Osseointegration (AO) at the organization’s Annual Business Meeting held March 14 in San Francisco. He succeeds former Academy President Joseph E. Gian-Grasso, DMD, a periodontist from Philadelphia.

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“The Academy of Osseointegration has always been committed to addressing and supporting the dynamic, rapidly advancing field of implant dentistry and the needs of its members,” said Dr. Nishimura. “I am ready to partner with my fellow board members to embrace fresh ideas while also carrying on our long-standing commitment to advancing oral health globally.”

This year, the AO Board will develop a new, strategic plan to guide the organization in the coming years. It will include supporting research, promoting education, and fostering interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary care.

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The 2015-2016 Board of Directors serving with Dr. Nishimura are:

Officers

• President-Elect Alan S. Pollack, DDS, a periodontist from New York
• Vice President Michael R. Norton, BDS, FDS, RCS (Ed), an oral surgeon from London
• Secretary Jay P. Malmquist, DMD, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon from Portland, Oregon
• Treasurer James C. Taylor, DMD, a prosthodontist from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• Past President Joseph E. Gian-Grasso, DMD, a periodontist from Philadelphia

Directors

• Clark M. Stanford, DDS, PhD, a prosthodontist from Chicago
• Steven J. Rosenstein, DMD, a general practitioner from Aventura, Florida
• Tara L. Aghaloo, DDS, MD, PhD, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon from Los Angeles
• Lyndon F. Cooper, DDS, PhD, a prosthodontist from Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  
• Amerian D. Sones, DMD, MS, a prosthodontist from Dallas, Texas
• Donald S. Clem III, DDS, a periodontist from Fullerton, California (newly appointed)

Board appointment

• General Practice Officer Jeffrey D. Lloyd, DDS, a general practitioner from Rancho Cucamonga, California (newly appointed)

About Dr. Nishimura
Russell Nishimura received his BS and DDS degrees from UCLA. He completed postgraduate programs in hospital dentistry, prosthodontics, and maxillofacial prosthetics at the UCLA School of Dentistry. Appointed as a full-time faculty member at UCLA, he taught removable prosthodontics and chaired the RPD, immediate dentures, and osseointegrated implants courses. Dr. Nishimura became co-director of the Maxillofacial Prosthetics Residency Program, director of the UCLA Maxillofacial Prosthetic and Implant Laboratory, and later the executive vice-chairman of the Division of Advanced Prosthodontics, Biomaterials, and Hospital Dentistry. Promoted to professor in the Division of Restorative Dentistry, he taught fixed prosthodontics, operative and esthetic dentistry, later retiring as professor emeritus. Dr. Nishimura has authored more than 50 publications in the dental literature and is a member of many professional organizations, including OKU, Pierre Fauchard Academy, ADA, and the American College of Prosthodontists. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics and the AO and has served on the Board of Directors for both organizations. He has been an invited speaker at numerous national and international meetings. Dr. Nishimura currently maintains a private practice limited to prosthodontics and implant dentistry in Westlake Village, California.

About the Academy of Osseointegration
With 6,000 members in 70 countries around the world, the AO is recognized as the premier international association for professionals interested in implant dentistry. AO serves as a nexus where specialists and generalists can come together to evaluate emerging research, technology, and techniques, share best information, and coordinate optimal patient care using timely, evidence-based science and methods. Follow AO on Facebook and Twitter.