Recent News & Events

  • pfa induction Cairo-Egypt 2024 photo

    Induction in Cairo

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    February 20, 2024

    Ten new Fellows inducted in Cairo. Dr. Patel, Dr. Billingsley, and Dr. Kaspo also attended the event.

  • Chicago Induction Ceremony photo

    Chicago, IL Induction

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    February, 2024

    Three new Fellows inducted: Marcia Hardy, Michael Gordon and M. A. J. Lex Macneill

  • Peru Induction Meeting 2023 Photo 5

    Peru Induction Meeting and Tribute to Dr. Delgado

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    December 5, 2023

    Three new fellows inducted along with a tribute to Dr. Wilson Delgado, founder of the Cayetano Heredia University.

More About PFA

About PFA

The Pierre Fauchard Academy is an honorary dental service organization founded in 1936 by Dr. Elmer S. Best, a Minnesota dentist. Troubled by the proprietary nature of many dental publications, he wanted to help the profession gain control of its own literature and assure its independence from commercial interests.

Membership

Fellowship in the Academy is by nomination and is designed to honor past accomplishments in the field of dentistry and encourage future productivity. Fellows are selected based on contributions to dental literature, service to the profession, and service to the general community.

Awards

The Pierre Fauchard Academy awards celebrate the people who make outstanding contributions to the progress and standing of the dental profession. All award recipients are nominated by the Committee of Past Recipients and must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

Publications

The Academy has its own publication program with the quarterly newsletter Dental World, featuring member news, reviews of members’ publications and editorials; and the bi-monthly journal Dental Abstracts featuring abstracts from key articles in dentistry.

PFA Founder, Dr. Elmer S. Best
Dr. Elmer S. Best

PFA Founder

Founding

The Pierre Fauchard Academy is an honorary dental service organization that was founded in 1936 by Dr. Elmer S. Best, a Minnesota dentist. Troubled by the proprietary nature of many dental publications, he wanted to help the profession gain control of its own literature and assure its independence from commercial interests. His passionate concern for the search for knowledge and the raising of professional standards laid the ground work for the beginning of the Academy.  This attracted outstanding dental researchers and teachers to its ranks, and led to a continuing role in fostering dental science.

The Academy is named after Pierre Fauchard of France (1678-1761), who is recognized as the “Father of Modern Dentistry” for raising dentistry to a profession. He wrote a book named “Le Chirurgien Dentiste, ou Traité des Dents” which was the first true textbook of dentistry.

The Constitution of the Pierre Fauchard Academy laid out a series of objectives honoring Dr. Best’s focus on integrity and ethics.  An objective adopted by the Academy awards distinguished members and role models for their contributions to the field of dentistry.  A primary objective at the time of its founding, to help the profession take control over its own literature, still remains an important activity of the Academy.  This includes the publication of  Dental Abstracts.

The Pierre Fauchard Academy was organized in 1936. It has grown internationally to nearly 11,000 members organized into 11 global Regions and over 142 local Sections.

Fellowship

Our mission as Fellows in the Pierre Fauchard Academy is to recognize and develop outstanding leadership in our profession, internationally. We accomplish this by consistently focusing on professionalism, integrity, and ethics worldwide, by our own conduct as worthy role models, by the advancement of dentistry to the highest level, by supporting and honoring colleagues for their distinguished work, research, contributions, and public service, and by providing excellence in programs, education, and leadership in oral health care. Fellowship in the Academy is by nomination and is designed to honor past accomplishments in field of dentistry and encourage future productivity. Professional leaders select fellows based on contributions to dental literature, service to the profession of dentistry, and service to the general community, thereby bringing credit to dentistry, are among the criteria sought in recruiting new members. The Academy has its own publication program with Dental World and Dental Abstracts, and has always encouraged its fellow members to contribute to dental education and dental literature. Through its Foundation, it offers financial support to various dental projects that increase access to care for underserved populations and scholarships to dental students.

Organization

The Pierre Fauchard Academy is an international dental honor organization that recognizes leaders and future leaders in the profession. Founded in 1936, the PFA has over 7000 Fellows around the world. The honor of fellowship is conferred on those dentists who have demonstrated that they have ‘served’ and/or have great potential for service and leadership. Fellowship is extended to fewer than 3% internationally whom colleagues have recognized as the best. Fellowship is by nomination only.
PFA Fellows focus on professionalism, integrity, and ethics worldwide. PFA Fellows serve as worthy role models, advance dentistry to the highest level, support and honor colleagues for their distinguished work, conduct research, support public service, and provide excellence in programs, education, and leadership in oral health care. Fellowship in the PFA does not end with a certificate on the wall and a pin on a lapel. This fellowship will serve as a catalyst for Fellows to want to be, do, and give more in service to family, profession, and community.
PFA Fellows have access to a growing online collection of leadership programs and receive Dental Abstracts and Dental World, the official journal of the PFA.
The administrative office of the Academy is located in Rockville, MD, U.S.A

The Mission of the Pierre Fauchard Academy

The Mission of the Pierre Fauchard Academy Our mission as Fellows in the Pierre Fauchard Academy is to recognize and develop outstanding leadership in our profession, internationally.

The Objective of the Pierre Fauchard Academy

The Academy fulfills its objectives through meetings of its international sections, its Annual Awards Luncheon, its presentations of the Fauchard Gold Medal, the Dental Trade and Industry Award and the Elmer S. Best Memorial Awards, its student Awards of Merit and its publication of Dental Abstracts and Dental World.

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The Objectives of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, as stated in its Constitution, are to:

One

Elevate the character, education and professional ability of dentists by making available to them dental literature representing developments and opinions in
dentistry.

Two

Encourage practitioners to contribute to the professional literature and otherwise share their knowledge with their fellow practitioners.

Three

Encourage, through annual awards, outstanding contributions to the art and science of dentistry and service to the profession.

Four

Encourage personal contacts between leaders in the profession and those who seek advice on scientific technical or economic subjects.

Five

Encourage dental students and foster advancement of their professional and scientific standards and encourage continuing education for all members of the dental profession.

Six

Encourage improvement of the oral health of the public through prevention, therapy, and restoration.

Seven

Encourage fellowship among the membership and emphasize understanding of our professional responsibility to the public.