Bill Klaproth (Host): This is AAOMS On the Go. I'm Bill Klaproth. And today, we are honored to welcome the 2025-2026 AAOMS President, Dr. Bob Clark, as he shares his priorities and vision for the year ahead.

Dr. Clark, welcome.

Dr. Bob Clark: Hi, Bill. Thanks for having me. It's great to be here.

Host: Absolutely. It is a pleasure to talk with you. So as the incoming president, what sources of support or inspiration guide your commitment to the Association and the OMS specialty?

Dr. Bob Clark: Well, my theme for the upcoming year is Together We Thrive: Celebrating Family and Our AAOMS Community. And when I came up with this theme, my idea was to celebrate all those people that support the association and its membership.

Specifically, I was thinking about our corporate partners and vendors, without whom we would be in big trouble. Their collaboration is invaluable.

Certainly, our clinical administrative and managerial teams, these people work tirelessly behind the scenes and support us on our day-to-day activities and our delivery of patient care.

The team at AAOMS is just first class, best in class, and I can't speak highly enough for them and the support that they give us in the association.

And last but not least are our families who, without their love and patience and support, we couldn't do what we do on a daily basis. Their sacrifices enable us to do the things that we do. And there are many sacrifices that families have to give in order to support us.

Host: Yeah, that's very well said. So thank you for that. So, Dr. Clark, as AAOMS president, let us know what initiatives do you intend to focus on this year?

Dr. Bob Clark: Well, aside from the support and acknowledgement of the support of the people that I mentioned, my three main areas are the safe and effective administration of anesthesia, which has been an ongoing issue for us for some time; revitalization of the AAOMS Diagnostic and Procedure Coding and Practice Management offerings to give better support to the business side of oral and maxillofacial surgery; and also to ensure that our specialty is the specialty of the future.

Host: So, you mentioned a focus on anesthesia. So, how is the association uniquely positioned to address this area?

Dr. Bob Clark: The administration of anesthesia is really at the heart of our specialty, and it's what sets us apart from all the other specialties, surgical specialties in medicine and dentistry. Our ability to provide anesthesia for our patients in an outpatient setting allows us to improve access to care at a reasonable and accessible cost point.

We have a partnership with the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists and the American Academy of Periodontology that has generated model regulations that we have promulgated throughout the states and also with the ADA and other dental member organizations. Those regulations have given us a good foundation upon which to build.

Oral surgeons have a proven record of safety and affordable access to care. We have obtained data that shows that we're the preeminent providers of anesthesia in the dental space. That data has allowed us to ensure that we have a seat at the table with regulatory agencies and any other discussions in regards to anesthesiology amongst the dental specialties and has strengthened our position at those tables. The Board of Trustees will continue to work diligently and try to maintain and advance our position as the premier anesthesia providers in the dental space.

Host: And then, regarding coding and practice management offerings, can you tell us what kind of impact you hope to achieve?

Dr. Bob Clark: Yeah. Prior to me becoming a member of the Board of Trustees, I served on what was then called the Committee on Healthcare and Advocacy. And our focus amongst other things was on coding and billing and appropriate use of the coding systems. The ICD-10, CPT and CDT code systems are all very complex, and mastery of those systems is imperative if we are going to have a profitable oral and maxillofacial surgery practice. Having appropriate billing allows for appropriate reimbursement, and these are systems that the doctors in particular as well as their administrative staff need to understand in great detail. We don't really get a lot of training for this when we're residents. So, training our members once they get out of their programs and are actually in practice, I think is crucial to the health and longevity of their individual businesses.

Host: And then, in what way, do you hope to ensure that oral and maxillofacial surgery is the specialty of the future?

Dr. Bob Clark: Yeah. Recently, we've had some match results that have been disappointing. There have been a number of openings in oral and maxillofacial surgery programs, particularly in the dual degree programs. I think this gives us an opportunity to reflect on our training, on what we're offering to the potential candidates who want to become oral and maxillofacial surgeons. And this needs to be a high priority as we progress into the future.

In the past, the best and brightest have wanted to become oral and maxillofacial surgeons, at least in the dental realm. And we want to ensure that that continues. So I think paying attention to some of these match results is imperative for us to ensure that we continue to attract those individuals.

There also has been some tension between the different practice modalities, like single-degree, dual-degree, academic versus private practice, office versus hospital-based setting. There has been the advent of private equity and management service organizations in our field, which has created a lot of potential for some people, but others have been a little hesitant to embrace this and have been in opposition of those types of arrangements.

So I think educating our membership and ensuring that we remain a “big tent” specialty where we welcome and appreciate the contributions of each individual member and their own practice modalities and methods is very important for us moving forward.

Host: Yeah, I like how you put it, kind of the “big tent” mentality. That really says it all. Dr. Clark, this has really been interesting. Thank you so much. And we're looking forward to your leadership through next year.

Before we wrap up, is there anything you want to add, anything else you want to mention or anything we didn't cover?

Dr. Bob Clark: You know, I just want to thank the members of my district caucus, the Southeast, for supporting me and allowing me to serve in this capacity and also the House of Delegates.

I want to thank the AAOMS staff for their wonderful support. This is my tenth year on the Board of Trustees. It's been a long journey, but I've had a lot to learn and AAOMS staff has been very supportive.

And I certainly want to thank my children and my wife who have had endless sacrifices of my absences for traveling and their infinite patience, love, and support.

And I look forward to the next year, and I hope I can count on everyone at AAOMS's support as I progress through my presidential year.

Host: And I'm sure that definitely will happen. And that was very well said. Thank you, Dr. Clark. And again, we're looking forward to your leadership through next year, and we appreciate your time today and talking with us about your vision for the future. Dr. Clark, thank you again for your time. We appreciate it.

Dr. Bob Clark: Thank you very much, Bill. I appreciate the time that you've spent with me and the opportunity to speak with you.

Host: Absolutely. And we'd love to have you back on for sure. And once again, that is Dr. Bob Clark, the 2025-2026 AAOMS President.

For more information, you can always visit AAOMS.org.

And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social media and make sure you subscribe so you don't miss an episode. I'm Bill Klaproth. This is AAOMS On the Go. Thanks for listening.