AAID Foundation Annual Report

Mission

The Foundation’s mission is to champion the advancement of the science and practice of oral implantology. Through innovative research, educational opportunities, and strategic collaborations, we work to elevate the standards of dental implant care globally. The Foundation strives to ensure that dental professionals have access to cutting-edge implant dentistry knowledge. This access empowers AAID members and volunteers to deliver the highest quality care to patients in need.

Core Values

Innovation in Research – We are committed to  supporting pioneering research that explores new  frontiers in oral implantology, driving progress in  patient outcomes, treatment methodologies, and  dental technologies.

Education and Professional Development – Providing educational programs and financial resources that empower the next generation of dental professionals is a cornerstone of the Foundation’s mission. We offer scholarships and grants to dental students, post-graduate scholars, and residents, enabling them to pursue advanced education in the field of oral implantology.

Charitable Outreach and Support – The Foundation believes in giving back to the community through charitable grants and programs. Through the Foundation’s research grants, the Smile, Veteran!™ program, The Buhite Scholarship, and other philanthropic efforts, we help to ensure that those in underserved areas have access to dental implant care, thus improving lives through enhanced oral health.

By remaining true to these guiding principles, the Foundation continues to lead the way in making a lasting impact on the future of implant dentistry, fostering a legacy of compassion, excellence, and innovation.

For more information, download the Annual Report.

On behalf of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry Foundation (AAIDF), I extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and generosity. Your contributions have been instrumental in advancing our mission and making a significant impact in the field of implant dentistry.

We are thrilled to share some of the remarkable achievements made possible by your donations.

The Smile, Veteran!™ program furthered our mission of dental care by giving back directly to our communities. The Smile, Veteran!™ program treatment providers donate dental care  to a local Veteran in need of dental implants. This year the program doubled the number of patients served and awarded almost $5,000 for dental lab services.

In 2023, the Foundation, with the support of the Buhite-DiMino Foundation and our  generous members, founded the Robert J. Buhite Scholarship Endowment. This new  initiative expands the impact of the Foundation. In addition to our commitment to  advancing implant dentistry through research grants, we are now nurturing the next  generation of clinicians through this educational scholarship.

Our flagship programs, the Large Research Grants and Steflik Student Research Grants, awarded over $105,000  to researchers at seven institutions in our mission to actively advance the field of implant dentistry. Since our  founding, we have collectively awarded more than $1.3 million in grant funding to support research projects at 63 institutions across eight countries.

None of these initiatives would be possible without the generosity and support of AAID members and the dental community at large. Our annual Silent Auction continues to be a major success, raising around $80,000 in 2024; these donations are reinvested each year into our charitable programs. I thank the AAID and the Foundation  leaders who actively champion the Foundation through the Annual Board Challenge fundraiser.

In 2024, the friendly competition between the Boards raised its highest amount since its inception, with nearly $33,000 in donations. At approximately $6.7 million in assets, the Foundation is well-positioned to sustain its  mission “to further the science of oral implantology through research and education, and to support the delivery  of implant care through charitable efforts.” As we celebrate these milestones, we also look to the future with  optimism and purpose. Your generosity has already made a tremendous impact. We kindly ask you to consider making an additional donation to help us further our mission and continue making a difference in the lives of many.

Thank you once again for your generosity and commitment to the Foundation’s mission. Together, we are shaping the future of implant dentistry and improving countless lives.

Sincerely,

Daniel Domingue, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Chair, Board of Directors American Academy of Implant Dentistry Foundation (AAIDF)

2025 Board of Directors

Officers

Daniel Domingue, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID, Chair
David Epstein, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID, Vice Chair
Andy Burton, DMD, FAAID, DABOI/ID, Secretary
Keith Long, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID, Treasurer

Directors

Bill Anderson, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Alvaro Gracia, DMD, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Ms. Dana Kjerstad, Director of Corporate Management, ASI Dental
Joseph Leonetti, DMD, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Ali Mostafavi, DDS, BDS, FAAID
Jeremy Sant, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Michael Scherer, DMD, MS, DABOI/ID, Chief Clinical Advisor, Zest Dental Solutions
Mario Silvestri, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Deborah Spillman, CEO, Rocky Mountain Tissue Bank
Andrew Valen, President, Impladent, Ltd.
Maurice Valen, CEO, Impladent, Ltd.
Michael Wehrle, DDS, FAAID
2024 AAIDF Board Members
James L. Bush, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
David Hochberg, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Frank LaMar, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Donald Provenzale, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Randall Rose, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID

Staff

Lauren Ambrus, MA, Executive Secretary
Carolina Hernandez, MBA, CAE, Executive Director
Jamey Richardson, CPA, CAE, CFO

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COMMITTEES

Foundation Grants Committees
Hamilton Sporborg, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID, Large Grants Chair
Keith Long, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID, Steflik Chair
Tarek Assi, DMD, DAAID, DABOI/ID
Marvin Chan, DMD, AFAAID
David Epstein, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Philip Gordon, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Alvaro Gracia, DMD, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Eric Hopkins, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Ali Mostafavi, DDS, BDS, FAAID
Randall Rose, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID

Smile, Veteran!™ Program Committee
Andy Burton, DMD, FAAID, DABOI/ID, Chair
Alvaro Gracia, DMD, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Donald Provenzale, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Ali Mostafavi, DDS, BDS, FAAID
Michael Scherer, DMD, MS, DABOI/ID
Andrew Valen, President, Impladent, Ltd.
Isiah Lew Memorial Research Award Committee
Randall Rose, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID, Chair
Daniel Domingue, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Joseph Leonetti, DMD, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Maurice Valen, CEO, Impladent, Ltd.
Michael Wehrle, DDS, FAAID

The Buhite Scholarship Selection Committee
David Epstein, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID, Chair
Jeremy Sant, DDS, FAAID, FAGD, DABOI/ID
Dana Kjerstad, Director of Corporate Management, ASI Dental
Robert Buhite, Jr., DDS, President, Buhite-DiMino Foundation
Carla Beneduce, Ed.D, MS, RDH, Representative, Buhite-DiMino Foundation

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REVENUES	2022*	2023*	2024*
Individual Donations	$89,152	$110,086	$194,604
Silent Auction Net Revenue	$55,447	$73,228	$67,939
Grants from AAID	$25,000	$50,000	$50,000
Scholarship Donations	-	$59,150	$37,650
Total Public Support	$169,599	$292,464	$350,193

EXPENSES	2022*	2023*	2024*
Grants Paid	$74,506	$67,164	$105,800
Smile Veteran Expense	$22,262	$28,267	$36,271
Operating Expenses	$43,421	$93,757	$76,605
Total Expenses	$140,189	$189,188	$218,676

NET ASSETS	2022*	2023*	2024*
Cash	$318,765	$289,997	$364,550
Investments	$4,706,463	$5,449,477	$6,102,136
Net Assets	$4,819,591	$5,666,370	$6,450,995

For more information, download the Annual Report.

The Smile, Veteran!™ Program experienced remarkable growth in 2024. Since December 13, 2023, we have been overwhelmed with more than 180 inquiries from Veterans eager to benefit from our services. Out of these, five Veterans successfully submitted their applications, complete with all required eligibility documentation.

Thanks to the generosity of five dedicated AAID members, these Veterans received pro bono dental treatments, transforming their smiles and lives. Additionally, our program budget expanded to $25,000, enabling us to better support laboratory services alongside treatment.

To read more about the five Veterans that received treatment in 2024 and to learn more about the corporate sponsors that helped make their treatment possible, download the Annual Report.

Your support can help us continue to transform the lives of Veterans through the Smile, Veteran!™ Program. Join us in making a difference today!

From its inception, the Foundation proudly offered grants for research in the field of oral implantology. Collectively, the Foundation has invested $1.3 million into the future of dental implant research and helped shaped the next generation of innovation in implant dentistry. To date, the Foundation has supported a total of 96 projects from 64 schools in 8 countries.

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2024 Steflik Grants

The David R. Steflik Grants are a beacon of opportunity for dental students in post-graduate and residency programs, supporting their deserving research projects. Each grant, valued at $2,000, empowers these future leaders to pursue innovative and impactful oral implantology research studies.

In 2024, the Foundation awarded Steflik grants to three exceptional projects, each selected for their potential to make significant contributions to dental implant research:

Dr. Tarik Patel, University of Toronto, and Dr. Gerald Niznick, College of Dentistry, Canada
Evaluating the efficiency of the different resilient overdenture attachments in implant-assisted cast partial dentures.

Dr. Pearl Silveira, Government Dental College,  Thiruvanthapuram, India
Evaluation of the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles green synthesized using Mooring oleifera leaf extract on peri-implant disease pathogens Porphyromonas gingivitis and Fusobacterium nucleate - an in vitro study.

Dr. Louis Asimakopoulos, Indiana University School of Dentistry, United States
Evaluation of implant stability and accuracy of static computer-assisted implant surgery (sCAIS) in different bone densities between two different implant designs.

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2024 Large Grants

The Foundation Large Research Grants provide support for meritorious dental implant research projects. These grants help researchers develop and test new techniques and procedures, conduct small clinical or animal research projects, analyze grant data, and explore the feasibility of larger-scale projects.

In 2024, the Foundation proudly awarded a total of $105,800 in Large Research Grants, with each grant amounting up to $25,000. Here are the remarkable projects that received support:

Dr. Junying Li, Regents of the University of Michigan, United States
Optimize scanbody design for artificial intelligence- based full-arch implant scan.

Dr. Michael Salin, Trustees of Dartmouth College, United States
Bioimedance-based bone quality assessment for  predicting dental implant osseointegration outcomes.

Ashley Peete, University of Mississippi Medical  Center, United States
Magnesium-doped hydroxyapatite anodization coatings on TI-6AL-4V surfaces to improve osseointegration.

Dr. Alexander Magallanes, Alexander Magallanes, DDS, Private Practice, United States
PRF and bovine bone graft in the alveolar bone  preservation.

Celebrating a Founder

Each year, the Foundation bestows the Isiah Lew Memorial Research Award to celebrate an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of research in implant dentistry. Established to honor the legacy of Dr. Isiah Lew, a true pioneer whose passion, dedication, and enthusiasm for implant dentistry were  unmatched, this award stands as a testament to his lasting impact on the field. Dr. Lew’s visionary work continues to inspire and shape the future of oral implantology research.

This year, the Foundation chose to honor Dr. Frank LaMar, Sr., recognizing not only his exceptional research achievements but also his unwavering commitment to the Foundation’s core values. His pioneering research has had a profound impact on both the scientific understanding and clinical application of dental implants. In addition to his research work, Dr. LaMar has been an integral figure in the development and growth of the Foundation since its inception, playing a key role in shaping its direction and ensuring its success. His tireless efforts and unwavering dedication to the Foundation’s mission tripled the impact of the grants program and expanded research in the field of implant dentistry.

New Programs, New Growth

The Buhite Scholarship was established on November 2, 2023, with a founding gift from the Buhite-DiMino Foundation. This initial gift for The Buhite Scholarship endowment fund was made in honor of Dr. Robert J. Buhite, Sr. The Foundation is honored to continue Dr. Buhite’s legacy by offering The Buhite Scholarship to doctorate and post-doctorate students pursuing continued education in implant dentistry/implantology programs. Dr. Robert J. Buhite, Sr. was an ABOI Diplomate and an AAID Honored Fellow. His true passions were caring for his patients and teaching his students at the University at Buffalo.

The Foundation has successfully raised a total of $126,484 for The Buhite Scholarship Fund. This remarkable achievement reflects the overwhelming support and generosity of AAID members who recognize the value of investing in the future of implant dentistry education. The Foundation is committed to continuing its efforts to grow the fund, with a stated goal of raising an additional $100,000 in the coming year. These funds will enable The Buhite Scholarship to make a lasting impact on dental students and professionals for years to come.

The Buhite Scholarship Committee has worked diligently to establish comprehensive criteria that ensure the scholarship is awarded to individuals who embody the highest standards of academic achievement, research potential, and dedication to the field of implant dentistry. The application opened in November 2024, and the first scholarship was awarded in 2025.

For more information on The Buhite Scholarship, download the Annual Report.

$5,000+ Club

These donors generously contributed $5,000  or more in 2024.
Andy Ray Burton, DMD, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Randall Rose, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID

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$1,000 - $4,999 Club

These donors generously contributed $1,000 - $4,000 in 2024.
Bill Anderson, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Joseph Bedich, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
James L. Bush, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Daniel Domingue, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
David Epstein, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Michael Fioritto, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Alvaro Gracia, DMD, FAAID, DABOI/ID
David Halls, DMD, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Carolina Hernandez, MBA, CAE
David Hochberg, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Edward Kusek, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Keith M. Long, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Tommy McGee, DMD, AFAAID
Donald Provenzale, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
James Rutkowski, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Mario Silvestri, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
Matthew Young, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID

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$500 Club

These donors generously contributed $500 each in 2024.
Robert Brumbaugh, DDS
Paul Kwon, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID
John Streibel, DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID

At the Foundation, we believe that every contribution, no matter the size, makes a significant impact. We would like to extend a special thank you to the AAID members who contributed smaller amounts and are listed here.

For more donor information, download the Annual Report.