History

Dr. Samuel Charles Miller founded the American Academy of Oral Medicine in 1945. Dr. Miller, a professor at NYU, was keenly aware of the need to integrate dental and medical issues. During his career, he introduced curriculum changes in his graduate program that synthesized medical and dental sciences—a revolutionary approach that led students to appreciate the value of total patient care.

In 1945, Dr. Miller spearheaded the formation of the Academy of Dental Medicine, which was later incorporated. The organization's name was later changed to the American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM).

AAOM began holding annual and sectional meetings starting in 1947. These annual meetings have continued uninterrupted to the present date. These meetings serve as the focal point for professors and clinicians in the United States and abroad to share knowledge, advances in education, and research in Oral Medicine. The primary sources of peer-reviewed literature in Oral Medicine were the early publications of the Journal of Dental Medicine, first published in the 1940s. The journal was copyrighted in 1979 and later incorporated into The Journal of Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, and Oral Radiology.

As certified training programs in Oral Medicine spread throughout the United States in several major universities and military training institutions, the founding members of AAOM recognized the need for an Examining Board to establish uniformity of training for oral medicine residencies and to meet the demand of dental education for curriculum guidelines in oral medicine. The Academy established the American Board of Oral Medicine in 1956. Today this Board, sponsored by AAOM, is an independent source for certification of graduates of recognized training programs.