IT’S FAIRLY COMMON knowledge that the best dental health products have the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance and that being an ADA member is a good indicator of a dentist’s quality. Far fewer people know that there’s a similar organization for endodontists: the American Association of Endodontists, founded in 1943, with over 8,000 members worldwide.
What Made Modern Endodontics Possible?
The two advances that paved the way for modern endodontics were anesthetics and X-rays. These gave endodontists much better diagnostic information about the teeth they would be treating and provided the ability to ensure their patients’ comfort during the process. Endodontics has continued to advance ever since, saving millions of teeth through root canal therapy every year.
The AAE’s Mission
Today, the mission of the AAE is to serve as an educational agency for the entire specialty, promoting the best endodontic care for patients. Their main functions are patient education and outreach about saving natural teeth, providing support for educators teaching the next generation of endodontists, supporting continuing education and endodontic best practices, member advocacy, supporting endodontic research, and certifying endodontists via the American Board of Endodontists.
