CHICAGO--The American Academy of Periodontology Foundation recently announced that it has awarded funding for a Charles W. Finley Visiting Scholar program to the Department of Periodontics, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry.

The award will help support a program by Daniel Melker, DDS. Dr. Melker will address in detail the relationship between periodontics and restorative dentistry.

"Dr. Melker has a particular gift for relating periodontics to the work of general dentists and to the other specialties," said Nico Geurs, DDS, postdoctoral periodontal director. "He shows how what we do as periodontists acts in conjunction with other aspects of the patient's total oral health care. In addition to our graduate students, we are inviting our community periodontists, prosthodontists, and restorative dentists to the program. This is an opportunity to really showcase what periodontics can do."

AAP Foundation Finley grants of $1,500 are awarded to accredited U.S. periodontal programs to offset honoraria, travel, promotion, and seminars by speakers in periodontology. The grants must be matched by funds from each department or institution.

For more information, go to American Academy of Periodontology.

To read more about the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation, go to American Academy of Periodontology Foundation.