A Historical Overview of AAOMS
This essay on the history of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) identifies the seminal social, economic and political currents that have coursed, often repeatedly, through AAOMS’s history. It is hoped this effort will help the deliberations of those who in the future participate in and direct the affairs of the specialty.
AAOMS Centennial
In 1918, Dr. Menifee Howard decided to contact other prominent exodontists about the need for an oral surgery organization to benefit the specialty and serve the public.
After Dr. Howard collected names of exodontists from dental supply houses, he wrote letters inviting them to a charter meeting on Aug. 6, 1918, at the National Dental Association’s meeting in Chicago, Ill. Dr. Howard was named chair, and Dr. C.F.B. Stowell was elected secretary, with 29 signing the charter. The organization was initially known as the American Society of Exodontists; the initiation fee was $10, while annual dues were $5.
The National Dental Association gave official recognition to the society in 1919. The society later became the American Society of Oral Surgeons and Exodontists, then the American Society of Oral Surgeons before adopting its current name – the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons – in 1978.
In 2018, with more than 9,000 members in the Association, AAOMS celebrated its 100th anniversary with its Annual Meeting in Chicago.
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