Dental World^®

PIERRE FAUCHARD ACADEMY

President’s Message

July/August • 2005

Our Academy’s ability to communicate with each other has greatly improved with the changes made to our Web site, enabling an instant dialogue between our membership and officers. This state-of-the-art communication is imperative in our efforts to grow our organization globally. This communication invites Sections to discuss their activities and allows us to be a resource for each other.

So, when your colleagues ask, “What is the PFA all about, and what services do they offer dentistry and our communities?” you can feel proud and assured that the great things we are doing are well represented on our Web site. Invite those that you believe would be a great addition to our Academy’s membership to learn more about us by visiting our Web site, www.fauchard.org, for the most up-to-date and timely information in the world.

Elmer S. Best Memorial Award

Montreal, Canada

The Awards Committee and the PFA Board have approved Dr. George Zarb, Professor-emeritus of the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry, to be the recipient of the 2005 Elmer S. Best Memorial Award at the PFA Dinner held during the FDI Congress Session in Montreal, Canada, this August.

Dr. George Zarb

Dr. Zarb is a humble man, but his resume would fill its own book, if he were to list all his activities and honours. He is the Director of the Graduate Prosthodontic Program and Implant Prosthodontic Unit for the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto. Prior to his retirement in June of 2004, Dr. Zarb was the full-time Chairman of Prosthodontics.

He has lectured nationally and internationally, written several papers on different aspects of prosthodontics, and co-authored some 13 textbooks, as well as contributing chapters to several others. He has organized and edited the published Proceedings from five international conferences and was co-editor of Oral Science Reviews. His current research is in the field of Implant Prosthodontics. He also has maintained a part-time private practice in Toronto since 1966.

He is the recipient of numerous awards and honours, including an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden;

an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Dalhousie University (Canada); and an Honorary M.D. from his original alma mater, the University of Malta. He was the 1993 recipient of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Award for Prosthodontics and Implant Dentistry. He also holds an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of England.

Dr. Zarb is past President of the International College of Prosthodontists, of the Academy of Prosthodontics (USA), and of the Association of Prosthodontists of Canada. He was recently appointed Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Prosthodontics.

Last year’s Elmer S. Best Memorial Award recipient, Dr. Zhen-Kang Zhang of Peking University School of Stomatology, has been invited to attend the Montreal Ceremony on 24 August 2005 by past PFA President Kevin Roach. Dr. Roach also suggested that PFA Vice President William Winspear of Sydney, Australia, International Trustee for Asia, Dr. Mamoru Sakuda of Japan, and Hong Kong Section Chair Jeffrey Y. S. Tsang would like to host a PFA cocktail reception at the 2006 FDI Congress in Shenzhen to introduce PFA to China. Dr. Zhang’s assistance in this venture would insure its success.