Kutcher Installed as American Academy of Oral Medicine President

Dr. Mark J. Kutcher, associate professor of oral medicine in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and General Dentistry, was installed as the president of the American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM) at the 66th Annual Meeting in Charleston, S.C. in late April.

Since its founding in 1945, the AAOM has served as the membership organization representing oral medicine. Oral medicine is a primarily non-surgical dental specialty that includes the physical evaluation, diagnosis and therapeutic management of the multitude of oral diseases and conditions, as well as the dental management of medically compromised patients. The AAOM’s more than 500 members are academicians, practicing general dentists and dental specialists who incorporate oral medicine into their private practices both in the U.S. and internationally.

As president of the AAOM, Kutcher will focus on leading the organization so it can accomplish the goals set by its Board of Trustees. During his one-year term, he will work to increase publicity for the AAOM among health professionals and the public, as well as enhance the Academy’s existing website. He will also oversee the revision of the Academy’s by-laws and strive to increase the number of CODA-approved residency programs in oral medicine.

“I am honored by my selection as president, especially knowing the great luminaries in oral medicine that have preceded me,” said Kutcher. “It is humbling to know that I now represent the face of oral medicine. I’m looking forward to the coming year; there is much to accomplish and only one year in which to accomplish it all.”

At the UNC School of Dentistry, Kutcher directs course offerings covering the management of oral mucosal diseases and management of patients with medical conditions. Kutcher, who has an adjunct appointment in the Department of Dermatology in the School of Medicine, received his dental degree from Temple University School of Dentistry in 1970. He earned his certificate in oral-maxillofacial radiology from Vanderbilt Medical School in 1975 and his masters in oral medicine from Indiana University School of Dentistry in 1977. He came to UNC from the University of Maryland and served as chair of the Department of Diagnostic Sciences from 1988 until 1994. He became a diplomate of the American Academy of Oral Medicine in 1980. Kutcher has presented before audiences nationally and internationally and his works have been published in numerous journals and books.