Glossary of AAP Membership Benefits
-A-
ADA liaison activities
— The Academy strives to increase the voice of periodontists on a state and national level. Learn about the activities of the Academy and its members within organized dentistry.
Affinity discount programs — The Academy works with outside vendors who offer members discounts on a variety of products and services.
American Board of Periodontology — The ABP serves the public and the profession by administering a certification process and granting Diplomate certificates to qualified experts in the field of periodontics.
AAP Foundation — The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity and the only organization of its kind designed exclusively to serve the community of periodontal caregivers and patients.
Periospectives Magazine — Published four times a year in print and Web magazine formats, this members-only publication provides news on practice-related topics and Academy activities and resources.
Annals of Periodontology — Each volume of this periodical (eight volumes in all) contains proceedings of a workshop or symposium sponsored by the Academy and/or other relevant health care organizations.
Annual Meetings and spring conferences — Annual Meetings and spring conferences provide opportunities for continuing education and professional development.
-B-
Balint Orban Memorial Competition — Held at the Annual Meeting, this long-standing, prestigious competition allows students and recent grads to submit original research and compete for the top prize in basic and clinical research. Information on submitting abstracts can be found online from January to March.
Brochures for patients — The Academy offers a wide variety of brochures and inserts to help periodontists educate patients on the causes, treatment, and prevention of periodontal diseases. Visit the online product catalog to download a free sample of a brochure or place an order. Members receive a discount on all brochure purchases.
Bulletin boards — Members may pose questions and comments on a variety of topics on the AAP’s networking bulletin boards, including new products and therapies; clinical procedures; practice management, marketing, and referrals; insurance coding; practice technology; and inflammation and periodontal disease.
-C-
Chat rooms — Public and private chat rooms allow AAP members to have online discussions and meetings in real time.
Classified ads — Only members can post and search for opportunities on this part of the online Member Service Center. Categories include Practice for Sale, Practice Position Available, Faculty Position Available, Position Wanted, and Miscellaneous.
Current Procedural Terminology for Periodontics and Insurance Reporting Manual — A glossary of terms and procedures help you interpret and report periodontal services to third parties. This valuable online resource is now available free to all members, replacing the publication that was previously sold in the Product Catalog.
-E-
E-newsletter for members — Perio.org News is sent each month to all members with an e-mail address on file to notify them about Academy activities and new resources available on the AAP website.
E-newsletter for patients and the public — Those who complete the online signup form receive the newsletter once a quarter with oral health information and tips for protection against gum disease.
E-news for the media — Sign up to be notified whenever the Academy issues press releases to public media outlets.
-I-
In-Service Examination — Periodontal programs use this exam to evaluate the effectiveness of their curricula. It is also used as a study aid for those preparing to take the written portion of the American Board of Periodontology exam. Past exams are available online free of charge to members.
Insurance help — A dedicated AAP staff person is available from
-J-
Journal of Periodontology (JOP) — Members receive a subscription to this leading peer-reviewed journal written by and for periodontists. In addition to monthly print issues, subscribers also have online access to full-text articles from 1999 to the present. The “Ahead of Print” section in the online Journal provides ground-breaking research months before it appears in print.
-L-
Library of AAP Annual Meeting recordings — All video-recorded meeting sessions starting in 2007 are available by subscription in the AAP’s Web-based library, which allows users to search for courses by topic or presenter.
Logo use — A logo announcing membership in the AAP may be downloaded in a number of formats for display on a member's website, business cards, and other practice materials.
-M-
Media coverage — Brief synopses of recent media articles reporting information from the American Academy of Periodontology.
Media outreach — Find out how to take periodontal health messages to your local media and promote your name to potential patients.
Membership certificate — Active, Associate, and International members can order certificates for display in office or home.
Membership Directory — The AAP maintains an online and printed Membership Directory for your reference. The printed directory is updated and mailed to members annually. The online directory allows members to search for colleagues by last name, city, state, and zip code.
Member Service Center — The Member Service Center is the only place on the AAP website where members can search the Membership Directory and classified ads, update their contact information, and view their profile and Annual Meeting attendance record.
-P-
Patient e-newsletter — Patients and members of the public can sign up to receive a quarterly
Patient Pages — Published quarterly in the Members’ section of the website, each Patient Page covers a topic of interest in an appealing format. These pages can be displayed in the reception area, distributed during office visits, mailed or e-mailed to patients, or posted on a practice's website.
Patient Referral Service — This service, available to all Active, Life Active, and International members, allows prospective patients to search for a periodontist in their area and view profiles that include each practitioner's professional qualifications, contact information, services provided, and office location map.
Periodontal Literature Reviews — A collection of classic journal articles on all aspects of periodontology—from basic histology through diagnosis, treatment, and supportive therapy.
Perio.org News — An e-newsletter sent each month to all members with an e-mail address on file to notify them about Academy activities and new resources available on the AAP website.
Position papers — Position papers inform dental professionals on clinical and scientific developments in the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of periodontal diseases.
Practice management resources — Links to tools and information for practice transition, office and practice management, patient education, practice marketing, patient and dentist referrals, and insurance reimbursement.
Press releases — The Academy distributes press releases that can be used to communicate periodontal health messages to the public. These press releases may be personalized and submitted to local media so members can become the "go-to" perio experts in their community.
Product catalog — Members receive discounted pricing on clinical and scientific books and CDs, practice management resources, patient education brochures, and other items related to the practice of periodontics.
-R-
RSS news feed 
— Members can subscribe to the AAP’s RSS (really simple syndication) news feed and receive updated AAP press releases downloaded to their computer as information becomes available.
-S-
Student Event — To help postdoctoral students with their transition into a career, the AAP hosts a complimentary student luncheon at the Annual Meeting. This event is limited to the first 120 AAP Student members who select it when they register for the Annual Meeting.
Study club and presentation kits — These kits include everything you'll need to make informative presentations on periodontal topics to an an interdisciplinary study club or audiences of health professionals or consumers. Some kits are sold in the Product Catalog, and others may be downloaded free of charge by members.
-T-
Technology resources — Members can access information to help make use of the latest technology in their practice.
-V-
Volunteer programs — These programs connect members who need help with other members who are willing and able to help as peer consultants, student mentors, or perio speakers. Members can volunteer their services and search for those with expertise they need.
-W-
Website — Pay frequent visits to the AAP website,
Benefits Throughout Your Career
Be sure to visit Perio.org often to see the variety of programs and services available to members at each career stage.
Joining AAP
- Who We are
- Vision & Mission
- Academy Leadership
- Member Categories
- Membership Statistics
- Member Benefits
- Membership Application
What's New
- Early Registration Discounts
- Aloha Reception in Honolulu
- Registered Attendee Lookup
- Competition Finalists
- Student & Faculty Awards
- Innovations in Perio Abstracts
- Collaborative Care Conference
