AAOM's Spring 2023 Newsletter

The Spring 2023 Newsletter contains messages from your AAOM President, a list of the 2023–2024 AAOM Officers, Members Highlights, and more.

Message from the President, Vidya Sankar

Dear AAOM Colleagues:

Let me start by saying how proud, honored, and humbled I am to be representing the American Academy of Oral Medicine as President for this fiscal year. I am lucky to be taking the reins during this truly exciting time. We have come out of the pandemic, and attendance at the Annual Meeting in Savannah was larger than it was pre-pandemic.

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2023–2024 AAOM/ABOM Officers

AAOM Officers

President: Vidya Sankar
President-Elect: Kentaro Ikeda
Vice-President: Jaisri Thoppay
Secretary: Alessandro Villa
Treasurer: Sunday Akintoye
Assistant Treasurer: Arwa Farag
Assistant Secretary: Herve Sroussi
Past President 2021-2022: Andres Pinto
Immediate Past President 2022-2023: Nathaniel Treister

ABOM Officers

President: Jeffrey Casiglia
Immediate Past President: Nagamani Narayana
Vice-President: Craig S. Miller
Secretary: A. Ross Kerr
Treasurer: Stuart Taylor
Directors:
- Mike Brennan
- Katherine Ciarrocca
- Mahnaz Fatahzadeh
- Dharti Patel

2023–2024 ABOM Diplomates

Congratulations to the New ABOM Diplomates

Fatmah Alhendi
Ishraq Alshanqiti
Rawan Ashshi
Scarlet Charmelo Silva
Roopali Kulkarni
Rashmi Mishra
Jasmine Olson

Wendy Rojas Acuna
Jasjot Sahni
Shaiba Sandu
Revathi Shekar
E. Jackson Threet
Nancy Lyn Wilson Westmark
Jacqueline Wong

2023–2024 AAOM Awards

Congratulations to the many winners of our 2023–2024 AAOM/ABOM Awards!

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Dr. James W. Little Passes Away at Age 88

Dr. James W. Little passed away on 05/19/2023 at the age of 88 from complications of multiple myeloma. He was Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and the Division Director of Oral Medicine, Oral Diagnosis, and Oral Maxillofacial Radiology (1982-1994) before myself and my mentor as well.

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AAOM Membership and Members Highlights

Jaana Helenius-Hietala, PhD, DDS, MSc

Research and friendship through AAOM

We (Dr. Sajish Kuriakose from the USA, Dr. Alexander Luke from UAE, and Dr. Jaana Helenius-Hietala from Finland) all attended the AAOM annual meeting in 2022 in Memphis and, through the conference app, got the idea to form a discussion group. We did not know each other before.

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Rajesh V. Lalla, DDS, PhD

Michael Brennan, DDS, MHS

Tooth-level Predictors of Tooth Loss and Exposed Bone after Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer

The OraRad Study Team has just published tooth-level risk factors that can be used during the pre-radiation dental assessment to predict the risk of tooth loss and exposed bone at that specific site after radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer.

An important finding of the study is that leaving a hopeless tooth in place was the strongest predictor of tooth loss and exposed bone at that specific site within two years after RT. Leaving a hopeless tooth in place was associated with a 6.4-fold higher risk of developing exposed bone at that site as compared to extracting such teeth prior to RT.

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Sahar Mirfarsi, DDS

A Personal Story: “Oral medicine specialists don’t just change lives; we save lives.”

Dr. Mirfarsi graduated with honors from California State University, Northridge, and then attended the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she received her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree.

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News from the Schools

UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry

Dr. David Ojeda, Associate Professor of Oral Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, member of the AAOM, and a diplomate of the ABOM, has been selected as a recipient of the UT Health San Antonio Presidential Award 2023 in the category of Excellence in Teaching - Emerging. This prestigious award recognizes Dr. Ojeda's outstanding teaching contributions and commitment to inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals.

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Announcements

Save the date for the 50th Anniversary of the Brazilian Society of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology

The Brazilian Society of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology (SOBEP) will celebrate its 50th anniversary during the “50th Brazilian Congress of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology.” The event will be held July 24-27, 2024, at the Sheraton São Paulo WTC Hotel, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

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Attention Academy Member Spouses, Partners and Family Members!

Join us in Orlando, Florida, as we revitalize the AAOM Auxiliary and enjoy the family-friendly atmosphere of the Hyatt Grand Cypress Hotel. On-site, you will find a waterslide, beautiful pool, splash pad, canoes, paddle boats, surreys, and miniature golf. In addition to the on-site activities, the auxiliary is considering several off-site adventures during conference hours, such as ESPN Wild World of Sports or the Chocolate Kingdom Museum Tour. We are also looking into some adult activities, such as an evening cooking class, a trip to Universal Studios, or a live performance. Watch the newsletter for more information, or join the auxiliary to voice your opinion.

See you in Orlando!

Joan Robinson

AAOM Auxiliary President

MASCC/JASCC/ISOO 2023 Annual Meeting

AAOM is planning to have a presence at the MASCC/JASCC/ISOO 2023 Annual Meeting on June 22–24. Members who are planning to attend the meeting or are interested in learning more should contact Dr. Ikeda at [email protected].