American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) is a professional organization whose approximately 3,700 dentist members are specifically trained to provide both primary and comprehensive preventive and therapeutic oral health care for infants, children, adolescents, and patients with special health care needs. The AAPD fulfills its mission through continuing education programs, public relations activities, legislative support and advocacy, development of standards of care, and its education foundation, the AAPD Foundation. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry conducts an Annual Session that offers current scientific programs, practice management information, participation in policy making for the specialty, and fellowship with professional colleagues. In addition, the AAPD sponsors a variety of regional seminars in areas of current interest; provides audio tapes of the Academy’s scientific programs, videotapes of excerpts from Annual Sessions, and audio taped synopses of articles from various professional journals; and offers a variety of professional publications. Such publications include the journal “Pediatric Dentistry”; the newsletter “Pediatric Dentistry Today”; a reference manual that contains the Academy’s guidelines, oral health policies, and additional reference material; and a membership directory. The Academy also engages in lobbying and advocacy efforts with legislative and governmental administrative bodies on issues applicable to pediatric dentistry; provides a series of brochures addressing questions that are commonly asked by parents; and maintains a web site on the Internet. The Academy’s web site provides information on the AAPD’s mission and goals, programs and services, and professional and consumer publications; in addition, the site offers a special area entitled “Just for Kids.” The AAPD’s Foundation (AAPDF) was established in 1987 when the Academy realized there was a need for an organization to assist postdoctoral students, support research projects in pediatric dentistry, and fund meaningful educational programs. The AAPDF’s mission is to support and promote education, research, and policy development for the advancement of the oral health of infants, children, and adolescents. The Foundation is committed to funding awards recognizing superior research in pediatric dentistry by graduate students and current AAPD members, continuing education courses, specialty related education projects, and research grants.