Lake Zurich orthodontist named to national board
The American Association of Orthodontists house of delegates elected Dr. Patrick F. Foley of Lake Zurich, to serve as a director of the American Board of Orthodontics.
The ABO is the only orthodontic specialty board recognized by the American Dental Association and sponsored by the AAO. Board certification is a process by which an individual orthodontist is voluntarily examined by his/her peers as to orthodontic knowledge and clinical skills. The passage of the examination process is a demonstration to the dental profession and the general public of the orthodontist's pursuit of continued proficiency and excellence in orthodontics.
Each ABO director represents one of the eight constituent organizations of the AAO and serves an eight-year term, which culminates in the position of the president. The ABO directors are responsible for establishing policy with regard to the board certification of specialists in orthodontics. Dr. Foley, who represents the Midwestern Society of Orthodontists will become president of the ABO in 2022.
Dr. Foley has been board certified since 1995 and has served as a guest examiner for the ABO Clinical Examination since 2007. As an ABO director, he is serving on the ABO Written Examination Committee, the IT/website Committee, the Standards of Care Committee and the Certification/Growth/Advocacy Committee. He is also the liaison for the ADA SCDI Standards Committee on Dental Information.
Dr. Foley has been in private practice limited to orthodontics in Lake Zurich since 1987. He serves as an assistant clinical professor at Saint Louis University's Center for Advanced Dental Education in St. Louis, Mo. He is the immediate past president of the Illinois Society of Orthodontists and is a member of the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics. Dr. Foley also maintains memberships in the AAO, the MSO, the World Federation of Orthodontists, the Chicago Dental Society, the Illinois State Dental Society and the American Dental Association.
"I believe that board certification is an essential ingredient in the preservation of our specialty," Dr. Foley said. "The American Board of Orthodontics has universally been recognized as the barometer by which orthodontic standards have been measured. As we face many of the challenges to our specialty that are surfacing today, it is my hope that the ABO will inspire our colleagues and our successors to strive for excellence in the care of their patients. Furthermore, as a director, I look forward to assisting in the evolution of the certification process as it continues to be a guiding light for orthodontists."