Chicago, March 14, 2014 – The appointment of Joseph Gian-Grasso, DMD, a periodontist from Philadelphia, Pa., to serve as president of the Academy of Osseointegration (AO) was made official at the organization’s Annual Business Meeting held March 8 in Seattle, Wash. He succeeds former Academy President Stephen Wheeler, DDS, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon from Encinitas, Calif.
“I am honored to continue AO’s commitment to establishing a nexus where specialists and generalists from around the world can come together to learn and stay up-to-date on the rapidly advancing clinical research and innovations in the dental implant and tissue engineering industries,” said Dr. Gian-Grasso. “Having been with AO for nearly 30 years, I have grown to truly appreciate its unique role, the commitment of its board of directors, and the enthusiasm of its members to provide the best patient care possible.”
“I am ready to partner with my fellow Board Members to embrace fresh ideas while also carrying on our long-standing commitment to excellence,” added Dr. Gian-Grasso. The 2014-2015 Board of Directors serving with Dr. Gian-Grasso are:
Officers
- President-ElectRussell Nishimura, DDS, a prosthodontist from Westlake Village, Calif.
- Vice President Alan Pollack, DDS, a periodontist from New York, N.Y.
- Treasurer James C. Taylor, DMD, a prosthodontist from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- SecretaryMichael Norton, BDS, FDS, RCS (Ed), an oral surgeon from London, England
- Past President Stephen Wheeler, DDS, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon from Encinitas, Calif.
Directors
- Jay Malmquist, DMD, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon from Portland, Ore.
- Clark Stanford, DDS, PhD, a prosthodontist from Iowa City, Iowa
- Steven Rosenstein, DMD, a general practitioner from Aventura, Fla.
- Tara Aghaloo, DDS, MD, PhD, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon from Los Angeles
- Lyndon Cooper, DDS, PhD, a prosthodontist from Chapel Hill, N.C.
- Amerian Sones, DMD, MS, a prosthodontist from Dallas, Texas
A diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, Dr. Gian-Grasso specializes in the areas of periodontics and dental implantology in a Philadelphia group practice. He served as clinical assistant professor of postgraduate periodontics at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine, clinical associate professor of periodontology at Temple University School of Dentistry, and director of the Implantology Center at the Medical College of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Gian-Grasso is chair of the Academy’s Public Relations Task Force. He was elected to the AO Board in 2004 and previously served as treasurer, vice president and president elect. He is a national spokesperson for the American Academy of Periodontology, where he served as a trustee for six years. He is past president of the Pennsylvania Society of Periodontists, Philadelphia Society of Periodontology, and the Delaware Valley Academy of Osseointegration.
His many prestigious dental and periodontology awards include the Abram Cohen Award, the American Academy of Periodontology Award, the Lactona Award, and the University of Pennsylvania University and Dental Alumni Awards of Merit. He has been chosen by his peers as one of America’s Top Dentists by the Consumers’ Research Council of America and is a Philadelphia Magazine “Top Dentist.”
Dr. Gian-Grasso holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, a DMD from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Periodontics from the Boston University School of Graduate Dentistry.
