Arlington Heights, Ill., March 1, 2018 — Dr. Kenji W. Higuchi, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon from Spokane, WA, is the 11th recipient of the Nobel Biocare Brånemark Osseointegration Award.
Photo: Dr. Higuchi (at center) received the Nobel Biocare Branemark Osseointegration Award from AO President Dr. Michael Norton (left) and Osseointegration Foundation (OF) President Dr. Edward Sevetz during the Opening Symposium of the Academy of Osseointegration’s (AO) 2018 Annual Meeting.
This annual award bestowed by the Osseointegration Foundation (OF), the Academy of Osseointegration’s (AO) philanthropic arm, honors an individual whose impact on implant dentistry is exemplary in any or all of the Foundation’s mission categories: research, education and charitable causes. The award is made possible by a grant from Nobel Biocare.
“I am deeply honored. This is especially gratifying because of my close and long-term relationship with Professor Brånemark. It is personally meaningful to be recognized by the Osseointegration Foundation for past involvement in research, education, and humanitarian service, as all these activities have been of central importance throughout my career while providing patient-centered care,” said Dr. Higuchi.
OF President Dr. Edward Sevetz presented the award to Dr. Higuchi today during the Opening Symposium of the Academy’s 2018 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, Calif.
“Dr. Kenji Higuchi’s professional and personal experiences and characteristics qualify him for being a role model for anyone in the dental healthcare field. Almost 40 years ago, he developed a close working relationship with the discoverer of osseointegration, Swedish orthopedic surgeon, Per-Ingvar Brånemark. Dr. Higuchi worked side-by-side with Professor Brånemark and became one of the earliest surgeons in the U.S. to recognize the breakthrough of osseointegration and how it would vastly improve the quality of the lives of patients,” said Dr. Sevetz. “Dr. Higuchi annually took time out of his own private practice to coordinate professional training sessions to ‘raise the bar’ of those wishing to help patients in their own locales.”
Dr. Higuchi is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. His private practice (Drs. Higuchi and Skinner PS) emphasizes reconstructive oral and maxillofacial surgery. Since 1984, he has been the director of The Spokane Center for Tissue Integrated Reconstruction. Since 2007, Dr. Higuchi and Professor John Brunski, Stanford University, have been the principals in OsseoConception LLC.
He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, his DDS from Marquette University School of Dentistry and served four years on active duty in the U.S. Army, including an internship at Letterman General Hospital at the Presido in San Francisco. He obtained his residency with a Master’s of Science in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at University Hospitals at the University of Iowa and has held past full-time and adjunct academic appointments at that institution. From 1986-2018, Dr. Higuchi participated in ten separate multi-center prospective clinical trials.
“With his humanitarian heart, science-oriented mind and openly-friendly personality, Dr. Higuchi is an exemplary role model to all of us on how to lead our professional and personal lives,” concluded Dr. Sevetz.
About Academy of Osseointegration
With nearly 6,000 members in 70 countries around the world, AO is recognized as the premier international association for professionals interested in implant dentistry. AO serves as a nexus where specialists and generalists can come together to evaluate emerging research, technology, and techniques; share best information; and coordinate optimal patient care using timely, evidence-based science and methods. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AcademyOsseo.
CONTACT:
William Wille
Media and Public Relations Manager
williamwille@osseo.orgM/a>
Stay Relevant With Implant Practice US
Join our email list for CE courses and webinars, articles and mores
