Academy News: The Best Is Yet to Come
By: AO Fellow Mehrdad Favagehi, DDS, MS; Academy News Editor
My term as editor of our newsletter has concluded. Starting with the upcoming issue, Dr. Paul Fugazzotto, a regular contributor to Academy News, will assume the role of editor in chief of Academy News. Dr. Fugazzotto is a highly esteemed leader in implant dentistry. He is also a remarkable human being with extensive experience as an author, researcher, clinician and teacher. His wisdom and inspiring sense of humor are truly captivating. Notably, Dr. Fugazzotto is the chair of the 2026 AO Annual Meeting Program Committee, whose theme revolves around the transformative impact of implant dentistry on our lives and the lives of our patients.
Our goal in Academy News is to promote dialogue about issues important to the dental implant community. During my tenure, I was proud to see Academy News mentioned on the main podium of several AO Annual Meetings, on podcasts and across AO social media channels. You may recall Dr. Michael Norton’s keynote address at the opening session of last year’s annual meeting, where he distributed reprints of his Academy News article titled “Confirmation Bias,” or several other presentations that showcased our article series on implant design from the main podium of AO Annual Meetings.
We published a popular article series about implant design by leaders in implant dentistry such as Drs. Daniel Buser, Dennis Tarnow, David Cochran and Gerald Niznick. We also delved into the groundbreaking research and theories of osseointegration pioneered by Drs. Ole T. Jensen, Tomas Albrektesson and Paul Fugazzotto.
My favorite article series commenced with a point-counterpoint debate on the philosophy of bone loss around implants. Dr. Tomas Linkevicius, the proponent of the Zero Bone Loss Concept, was portrayed as the “Idealist,” while Dr. Philippe Khayat, the “Realist,” presented the role of various implant surfaces in preserving bone around implants. Dr. Khayat, a regular contributor and editorial consultant, went on to publish an impressive series of science-based articles on implant surface types and periimplantitis treatment. These articles included controversial topics such as implantoplasty and re-osseointegration.
During my tenure, we continued the emphasis on enhanced graphic design for Academy News, which began with our previous editor, Dr. Harriet McGraw, as we expanded the number of pages to provide more in-depth coverage and made the newsletter digital for easier access.
We published articles about the prominent leaders and legends of implant dentistry. For instance, in articles by Drs. Tomas Albrektsson, Ed Sevetz, Thomas Balshi and others, we not only covered the work of Dr. Brånemark, the father of modern dental implants, but also delved into his character and passion. We interviewed his students to shed light on the man, the teacher and the clinician who was P-I Brånemark. Similarly, in this issue, we invited past AO President Dr. Amerian Sones to write about Dr. Peter Moy, a student of Dr. Branemark and the recipient of the 2026 Nobel Biocare Branemark Osseointegration Award. Understanding the leaders in our profession and their remarkable careers allows us to appreciate them even more and, in the process, gain deeper insights into our field.
Dr. Myron Nevins, a prominent leader of our academy and a highly respected authority in implant dentistry, passed away Dec. 24, 2025. His career in periodontics and implant dentistry was exemplary, exemplified by his leadership as a researcher, clinician and teacher. To honor his memory, we reached out to two of his esteemed students, Dr. Paul Fugazzotto and Dr. David Kim, to share their valuable insights and experiences with Dr. Nevins.
My inaugural editorial as editor of Academy News, published in the March 2020 issue, came during a challenging time. I wrote about the unprecedented cancellation of the AO Annual Meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the rise of Zoomodontics and the proliferation of corporate-sponsored, infomercial-style free webinars, many believed the era of in-person meetings and organizations like AO had come to an end. However, AO rose to the occasion. Our academy has emerged stronger than ever, introducing numerous new programs and membership benefits and solidifying its position as the world’s premier dental implant organization.
Stay tuned to Academy News as we eagerly anticipate what the future holds under the leadership of Dr. Paul Fugazzotto. Serving as the Academy News editor has been a transformative experience, and I extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who supported me in this endeavor.
