Custom «American Academy of Periodontology» Essay Paper Sample

American Academy of Periodontology is a health care association, which specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of periodontal ailments and undertaking of dental implants. Two women, Drs. and Grace Roger Spalding and Gillette Hayden formed the Association in 1914. Initially, the association was comprised of 18 charter members and was referred to as the American Academy of Oral Prophylaxis and Periodontology. However, the association changed its name in 1919 to American Academy of Periodontology. Presently, it has a membership of over 8,000 (American Academy of Periodontology, 2006).

Certification for the organization is gained with the approval from The American Board of Periodontology. ABP administers the board certification process to the professionals in the dental specialty of periodontics. Initially, candidates are required to pass the Qualification Examinations. Qualified candidates become eligible to undertake an oral examination within a period of two years. It is mandatory for candidates to undertake the exam within the two years unless they are they are granted an eligibility extension. The qualification and oral examinations cover all the phases of periodontal diseases and their treatments, and dental implants. The title "Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology"is awarded to all the candidates who achieve the Board’s certification.    

Development of Tobacco and Alcohol Measures

The joints Commission was funded to develop various performance measures that would be used in addressing the evaluation and management of tobacco, alcohol, and other drug abuse, and the dependence of drug abuse on all the hospitalized patients. The measures were intended to promote and enhance the scope of the current measures, and to eventually replace the current measures for adult smoking cessation guidance and counseling in heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and pneumonia measure sets (Hafner & Lawler, 2010).

The Commission developed eight measures, which were subjected to public opinion for the entire month of September in 2009. Over, 2,000 persons and representatives from different healthcare organizations took part in the survey. Modifications on the measures were approved based on the survey results and the recommendations of the Technical Advisory Panel. A six-month pilot study was commenced on 1 March 2010, to evaluate the reliability of these measures and obtain information on how the measures can be enhanced to offer data that are more reliable. The pilot study was completed in September. The pilot study findings were analyzed and it was anticipated that the results were to be presented to the Technical Advisory Panel in November. The finalized specifications on the new measures are to be finalized by the end of the year. However, the last step before the approval of the measures will be their presentation to the National Quality Forum for approval (Hafner & Lawler, 2010).