Hear from our President 
"As President of the AAO Foundation, I am honored to share the incredible impact we are making together. This year has been one of growth, innovation, and meaningful progress in research, education, and charitable giving. Your generosity continues to strengthen our specialty, and I am excited to highlight the ways we are shaping the future of orthodontics."
- Dr. Lili K. Horton, DMD, MS
AAO Foundation President
Year at a Glance
Special Thanks to Our 2024:
How 2024 Award Winners are Driving Innovation
Advancing Neonatal Cleft Repair Through Research and Innovation
Dr. Min Kyeong Lee, 2024 Recipient of Willie & Earl Shepard Fellowship Award
Cleft lip repair in neonates may help caregivers bond with their newborns, normalize growth for patients and result in better surgical outcomes. To evaluate the safety of this surgery, the AAO Foundation has provided Dr. Lee with the necessary funding to identify trends in neonatal cleft repair in the United States and examine post-surgical complications. As part of her study, she will develop new supervised machine learning techniques that will help advance data analysis in Orthodontic Research.
Creating a Model that Effects 1/3 of the US Population 
Dr. Ginny Ching Yun Hsu, 2024 Recipient of T.M. Graber Teaching Fellowship Award
Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs) impact 33% of the US population with an annual healthcare cost estimated $4 billion. The AAO Foundation is providing the necessary funding for Dr. Hsu to complete her research project that will create a TMJ Osteoarthritis (OA) model that is more efficient than the current available animal model. The funding provided will also help Dr. Hsu facilitate her career development into an independent investigator.
Funding AI Impacts on Patient Outcomes
Dr. Mohammed Elnagar, 2024 Recipient of Robert James Bray Biomedical Research Award
To help patients better understand proposed treatment outcomes for combination of orthognathic surgery and orthodontic treatment, the AAO Foundation has provided Dr. Elnagar funding to develop an AI system designed to predict changes in a patient's facial appearance. Current algorithms operate on the incorrect assumption that the movement of hard tissue and soft tissue has a proportional relationship. Dr. Elnagar's work will focus on enhancing the accuracy and realism of the predictions by taking into account key factors and considerations for surgical and dental changes.
Taking a Moment to Recognize Donations Made by…
North Carolina Association of Orthodontists in Memory Of
Albert G. Byrum, Jr.
Numa Cobb
Bruce Gustafson
Johnson Hanson
Jack Harrell
Bert Kelling
Southern Association of Orthodontists in Memory Of
Peter F. Bayer
Zoltan T. Berky
Ryan Brown
Sammy A. Caves
Robert H. Curtis
George S. Edwards, Jr.
Warren G. Karesh
Richard G. Kimmel
Henry Leibowitz
William G. Martin
James G. Rayes
Vicki A. Ross
William H. Ruppert
John W. Tucker, Sr.
James L. Woods, Jr.
Robert O. Zanone
Midwest Society of Orthodontists in Memory Of
Dr. Howard Aduss
Dr. Al Atta
Dr. Robert Baker
Dr. Donald Degnan
Dr. William DeKock
Dr. Richard Herz
Dr. Ed Kavanaugh
Dr. Morgan Powell
Dr. Sheldon W. Rosenstein
Dr. A. Howard Sather
Southwest Society of Orthodontists in Memory Of
Kenny M. Baird
Allan N. Carr
Thomas H. Dembinski, II
J. Taylor Evans
Charles L. Oakes
Stanley Pastor
Thomas W. Pearson
George F. Schudy And Other Deceased Members
Individuals in Memory Of
Dr. Lili Horton in memory of Keith Horton
Barbara Sheller in Memory of Dr. David Kennedy
Bick and Connie Sofie in memory of Dr. Ben Ellingson
Individuals in Honor Of
Vincent & Tina Arpino in honor of Dr. Carla Evans
Gerald Finkelstein in honor of: Paul H. Carbonneau, Katherine P. Klein, Chad Foster, Rotert (Tito) Alan Norris
Clay Hessel in honor of Tsuei Hsuan
Dr. William Layman in honor of Chris Bentson
Anne Sebaugh in honor of Dr. Bret Freedman
Empowering Collaborative Studies
AAO Foundation Craniofacial Growth Legacy Collection
The AAO Foundation Craniofacial Growth Legacy Collections Project is available to research scientists and orthodontists as a valuable resource for orthodontic teaching and research. Our hope is that by maintaining this repository for longitudinal records of all types will empower further collaborative studies that will enrich and refine our knowledge of craniofacial growth in untreated children and adolescents.
Recognizing Excellence in Our Specialty
2024 Recognition
Dr. Eric Nease, 2024 Eugene & Pauline Blair Distinguished Service Award Recipient
The Eugene & Pauline Blair Distinguished Service Award is presented to an individual, group, or organization that has made exceptional contributions to the mission ot the AAO Foundation. The 2024 Blair Distinguised Service Award was presented to Dr. Eric Nease in recognition of his outstanding service and dedication.
Dr. Nease has pledged more than $50,000 to the Foundation and has included it in his estate plans. He served on the AAO Foundation Board from 2010 to 2018, during which he was National Endowment Chair and served as AAO Foundation Board President in 2013. He continues to be a strong advocate for the Foundation and is passionate about supporting fellow orthodontists.
Dr. Ken Dillehay, 2024 Raymond George, Sr. Award for Outstanding Gifted Smiles Volunteer Service Recipient
The Raymond George, Sr. Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the Gifted Smiles Program. The 2024 Award was presented to Dr. Ken Dillehay for his exceptional volunteer service.
Dr. Dillehay has been a dedicated supporter of Gifted Smiles since its inception and played a key role in launching the program in Kansas. His commitment has helped expand access to orthodontic care for those in need, making a lasting impact on the community.
Sponsoring Learning Opportunities for Residents
AAO Annual Session
May 3 - 6, 2024
New Orleans, LA
To help residents experience the AAO Annual Session, we offer a $400 incentive to offset expenses to attend the conference.
32nd Annual GORP
August 2 - 4, 2024
Ann Arbor, MI
Each year we sponsor GORP so residents can attend this invaluable specialty education and networking experience for free.
Giving Back to Our Communities
Supporting AAO Members Impacted by Natural Disasters
Disaster Relief Fund
Damages from a natural disaster can create serious financial hardship and sometimes other sources of adequate funding are not available. Any AAO member whose orthodontic practice is damaged by a natural disaster may apply to the AAO Foundation Disaster Relief Fund for a grant (up to $15,000) to assist in restoring, repairing, or reconstructing a practice facility owned by the applicant, or the dental equipment and supplies therein.
Providing Care to Those in Need
Gifted Smiles Program
Gifted Smiles, formerly Donated Orthodontic Services (DOS), is a program of the AAO Foundation that provides a conduit to connect children lacking access to care with orthodontic treatment. Our objective is to match AAO members with children in need in their own communities.
Special thanks to our FY'24 Gifted Smiles:
- Committee
- Corporate Sponsors
- Residency Partners
- Volunteers
Ways to Make an Impact
