Noblett named president of American Association of Endodontists

W. Craig Noblett, DDS, MS, FACD, FICD, clinical professor and director of the Division of Endodontics, was recently named as the incoming president of the American Association of Endodontists (AAE). “I feel very honored and humble at being selected,” he said. “It’s inspiring to know that the members of our organization have confidence in my ability to lead the AAE during the next year.”

This dental specialty is focused on diagnosing, preventing and treating soft tissues and nerves inside the teeth, and endodontists undergo advanced training on procedures such as root canals and endodontic surgery. Representing more than 8,000 members worldwide, the AAE is a global resource for knowledge, research and education for the profession, members and the public. 

Noblett said the organization provides many valuable benefits to its members.“Our annual conference is the largest endodontic meeting in the world, and it’s an excellent source of continuing education,” he said. “We also engage in legislative and regulatory advocacy to help protect the specialty and the ability of our members to practice. In addition, we publish the Journal of Endodontics, which is consistently rated as a top benefit by our members.”

Noblett is looking forward to the work ahead, and he plans to focus strongly on the need for a new generation of skilled educators in the field. “My time here at Minnesota has made it clear that full-time educators are critical in shaping policy for any dental specialty organization,” he said. “For us to remain an evidence-based specialty, we need educators who keep their finger on the pulse of current research, so that we can keep our members informed regarding what is actually supported by science and what is not.

“We’re going to need to cultivate some members of our current classes of residents to enter academics as their career path, in order to preserve the level of graduate education,” he added. Our AAE Foundation has a committee that’s exploring the perceived barriers to selecting academics as a career path and what we might do to address those concerns. 

“It won't be possible to solve the shortage of educators in just one year,” he said, but added, “I would consider my year as president successful if we have formulated a plan, based on our research, that might result in a greater number of endodontists choosing an academic career,” he concluded.