CHICAGO, Dec. 19, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dr. Alvin G. Wee, DDS, M.S., M.P.H., Ph.D. was elected the Education & Research Division Director of the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP).
"It is an honor and a privilege to be able to serve my speciality in this capacity as Director of Education and Research Division of the ACP. I will work hard to move the education and research agenda of the College forward with the purpose of benefiting all prosthodontists. " said Dr. Wee.
Dr. Wee received his dental degree from National University of Singapore and was awarded a Rotary International Foundation Multi-Year Ambassadorial Scholarship to continue his studies in the US. He completed his Prosthodontic residency with an M.S. degree at the University of Iowa and continued his Maxillofacial Prosthetic fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. His professional career started at The Ohio State University which he was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure, and continued at University of Nebraska Medical Center (Dept. of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery) and Creighton University. During that time in full time academics, he also completed an M.P.H., a Ph.D. and a D.D.S. degree. He currently serves as Section Head of Maxillofacial Prosthodontist at the Veterans Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System in Omaha, Nebraska where has a practice limited to prosthodontics. He continues to teach part time and also directs his clinical translational research laboratory.
Dr. Wee has been a member of the ACP for the last 22 years and most recently served as the Regional Membership Director of Region IV (Rockies and Plains) and as a member on the ACP Board of Directors for the last two terms. He is also serving as the Treasurer for the International Academy of Oral and Facial Rehabilitation, Recording Secretary for the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics, Assistant Editor of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, and Associate Editor for the Journal of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery.
Apart from serving his specialty, he has been awarded several teaching awards, including being the inaugural national recipient of the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontic's Claude R. Baker Teaching Award for Excellence in Teaching Predoctoral Fixed Prosthodontics. Dr. Wee has also authored 78 peer-reviewed publications, 59 peer-reviewed abstracts, one pending patent, and chapters in three textbooks. Dr. Wee has received research funding as principal investigator (NIH R15 and NIH K23) and co-investigator (NIH R01 and VA RR &D) from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Veteran's Affairs, as well as several other agencies, totaling more than $2.6 million in grant funding. His research focuses on the clinical translational aspects of color science with regard to teeth/skin and their respective restorative materials. With the receipt of the Prevent Cancer Foundation fellowship and an NIH K23 award, he has expanded his research focus to the early detection of oral and/or oropharngeal cancer.
Prosthodontists are specialized dentists with advanced training in oral health issues, who are committed to improving patient outcomes. From implants, crowns, veneers, and tooth whitening, to full-mouth reconstruction, prosthodontists specialize in digital dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and sleep apnea solutions.
The ACP is the only prosthodontic specialty organization whose membership is based solely on education credentials. ACP members must be in or have completed an ADA-accredited advanced education program in prosthodontics.
About the ACP
The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) is the official sponsoring organization for the specialty of prosthodontics, which is one of only nine recognized specialties of the American Dental Association. Founded in 1970, ACP is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing patient care, advancing the art and science of prosthodontics, promoting the specialty of prosthodontics to the public and other dentists and healthcare professionals, ensuring the quality of prosthodontic education, and providing professional services to its membership. For more consumer information visit GoToAPro.org, professionals can visit Prosthodontics.org.
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