The American Dental Association will present Rear Adm. Timothy Ricks, DMD, with its Distinguished Service Award, the organization announced June 10.
Dr. Ricks served in the Army National Guard before earning his dental degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1995. He then went on to run a two-chair clinic in the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation in Nevada for the Indian Health Service. Now, he is the chief dental officer for the U.S. Public Health Service and the deputy director of the Indian Health Service Division of Oral Health.
As chief dental officer, Dr. Ricks advises the Office of the Surgeon General and HHS on issues regarding oral health professionals. He also oversees the development of the Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health and chairs the USPHS Oral Health Coordinating Committee.
In addition to his role with the IHS, he is a continuing dental education coordinator, oral health promotion/disease prevention consultant, oral health surveillance coordinator, dental lead for the Government Performance and Results Act and a representative to the Healthy People 2020/2030 Oral Health Workgroup.