How the DVAO Became One of the Nation’s Earliest Implant Study Clubs
By: Wendy Halpern Rosen, DMD
Editor’s Note: The Delaware Valley Academy of Osseointegration (DVAO) is a prestigious implant study club allied with the Academy of Osseointegration.
Around April 1990, Dr. Leonard Abrams gathered a dedicated group of dentists at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia and created an organization committed to the rapidly emerging discipline of implant dentistry. Key players were Drs. I. Stephen Brown, Joseph Gian-Grasso, Andrew Halbert, Emmanuel Tress, Richard Schulman and Robert Summers. His goals were clear: to form a multispecialty group of periodontists, oral surgeons, prosthodontists, general dentists and residents who could learn from each other by fostering a free exchange of ideas in an open, collegial environment. The DVAO was the first study club of its kind dedicated to the study of dental implant osseointegration.
Dr. I. Stephen Brown told me the story of when he and Dr. Abrams were traveling back from a weeklong course given by Dr. Ulf Lekholm in Toronto, Canada, on the Branemark implant protocol. Dr. Abrams wanted to create a dedicated implant center at the Albert Einstein Medical Center Dental Department. This small group of clinicians joined together and formed the nucleus of what would become the DVAO. The idea was not to build a large national body, but a focused, local community where serious clinicians could learn, share cases and grow together. An important stipulation to be a member of the DVAO was also to be a member of AO. Dr. Brown reminisced and fondly told me he placed the very first cylindrical implant at Einstein and has the photo to prove it.
As the program grew and attracted more members, the group went from dining on Philadelphia hoagies to larger venues and more formal dinners. The group became structured, offering all-day meetings and multiple evening meetings every year. A special, unique addition to the program was an evening with resident presentations from surrounding programs, including the Einstein GPR, University of Pennsylvania periodontics and perio/ prosthodontics programs, Temple University periodontics and prosthodontics programs, among others.
Dr. Andy Halbert spoke to me about his involvement in the DVAO and how he enjoyed all aspects. He remembered the very first formal meeting outside the Albert Einstein Medical Center. Dr. Halbert reminisced that there were six speakers, an amazing venue and that the meeting was incredible. He also specifically mentioned how future speakers were rigorously researched and vetted, and the executive board then voted; however, Dr. Abrams always had the final say.
Dr. Leonard Abrams was a special person known for his kindness, integrity and love for dentistry and education. I did not know him personally; however, I can feel his presence through the DVAO. His vision for a local, collegial, nonjudgmental environment to share ideas evolved into one of the country’s earliest and most influential implant study clubs, capable of attracting world-class educators to Philadelphia.
Oh, and food is a weapon … and yawning is contagious!
