Arizona dentist Daniel Klemmedson, DDS, MD, will take over as the American Dental Association's new president Oct. 19, the next move in his long and impressive career in organized dentistry.
Dr. Klemmedson has exhibited a strong passion for dentistry throughout his career, telling ADA News he is not sure there is another profession that would allow him to fully exercise both his intellectual abilities and surgical skills.
"We are the definition of primary care: Diagnosis, education, prevention and clinical care over a lifetime," he told ADA News. "The autonomy of practice choice, self-regulation and work-life balance cannot be beat."
Here are five key facts about the ADA president-elect:
- After obtaining a bachelor's degree in biology from the Tucson-based University of Arizona, Dr. Klemmedson began dental school at the Los Angeles-based University of Southern California in 1976.
- Dr. Klemmedson finished his three-year oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at the Los Angeles County and USC Medical Center in 1983, received his medical degree from USC in 1985 and completed his transitional internship in the Tucson Hospitals Medical Education Program in 1986. This makes him a dentist, oral surgeon and MD.
- Dr. Klemmedson currently runs a dental practice in Tucson and a satellite practice in Sierra Vista, Ariz.
- Before being elected ADA presidency, Dr. Klemmedson served as the Arizona Dental Association's president, an ADA board of trustees member and a vice chair on the ADA Council on Dental Benefit Programs.
- Dr. Klemmedson believes the most critical issues threatening oral healthcare are adapting to COVID-19, third party, licensure, access disparities, and workforce and student debt problems.
More articles on dental:
Each state's dentist supply, ranked
Align Technology sales drop 41% in Q2
Virginia dentist fined $5K for unsanitary conditions