Dr. Hubert Ouvrard

Dear Officers, Trustees, and Fellows, This is my last message as President of the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

By the time it is published, Dr. Joe Harris will be the Academy's new President. I am sure he will have an excellent tenure as President, because he proved to be a fantastic President-Elect, as evidenced by his hard work for the Academy and the assistance he gave me. Dr. Harris will be assisted by Dr. Ernesto Acuña from Mexico City who, as Vice President, gave me his support throughout the year. I also want to thank Dr. Steve Hedlund, Immediate Past President, for his precious counsel.

This year has gone by too quickly! The bulk of my time was spent preparing for the Pierre Fauchard Academy 75th Anniversary celebration. Fellows from 16 different countries met in Paris on June 16, 2011, for this important event. They came from the United States, Australia, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and many other countries. France was very honored to welcome all the Fellows, and I thank all those who made the effort to come to Paris. Seventy-five years is still young for an Honor Society such as ours, and we must continue to develop our Academy. Currently we are about 8000 Fellows strong and are dispersed in 120 sections around the world. Our goal is to reach 10,000 Fellows in the next few years and to create new sections in countries where none presently exist, such as Scandinavia and the Emirates, for instance.

Fellows gather for the PFA 75th Anniversary Celebration in Paris, France on June 16, 2011, in the 6th District of Paris City Hall.

A year seems like a great deal of time to complete a lot of work as President, but it actually turned out to be a very small amount of time. I would have liked to have accomplished more things for our Academy, and I particularly wish I could have visited more sections. The presence of the President at an Annual Meeting boosts the enthusiasm of the local Section Chair and Fellows and gives them a sense of being a part of a great organization and a great family, of which they are a renowned and important member.

During my travels for our Academy, I was very impressed by the philanthropic programs developed in many Sections around the world. During this period of economic crisis, pro bono oral screenings and volunteer oral care programs for children are very important, but equally important are the educational programs that teach patients about these conditions. Education will improve overall public health.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the Foundation of the Pierre Fauchard Academy and acknowledge the great job done by its President, James Long, the Foundation's Board, and the new Executive Director, Jennifer Teale. The numerous Scholarship Student Awards and grants given to deserving organizations continue to provide good public health as the world faces an economic crisis.

As I conclude this message, I extend my gratitude to Dr. Pierre Marois, Trustee Emeritus, who has been my mentor inside the Pierre Fauchard Academy and to whom I owe many things, especially the opportunity to have been your President this year.

Respectfully,
Dr. Hubert Ouvrard
International President of the Pierre Fauchard Academy