ST. LOUIS – Irwin L. (Leon) Aronson, DDS, MS, an orthodontist from Savannah, Ga. and a long-standing member of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), has been elected the 2013 president of the International College of Dentists (ICD) at Large, the world’s oldest and largest dental honorary society with 12,000 Fellows worldwide. The election was held recently at the ICD annual meeting in San Francisco. Dr. Aronson officially took office January 1, 2013.
“I am looking forward to being the 2013 ICD president and working with the Council and the many new councilors. I see a bright future for the International College of Dentists and the good things we do around the world for dentistry and the patients we serve, and I am most happy and proud to be a part of it.”
The ICD, based in Flint, Mich., facilitates a communications network for its Fellows so that they may share professional and scientific information with colleagues in other countries. The organization engages in humanitarian dental care projects worldwide. Its guiding motto is Recognizing Service and the Opportunity to Serve.
According to the ICD, Fellowship is extended by invitation only, and is granted in recognition of a dentist’s “outstanding professional achievement, meritorious service and dedication to the continued progress of dentistry for the benefit of humankind.”
Dr. Aronson became a Fellow of the ICD in 1991. His ICD activities include service as past president of the USA Section, originating the Leadership and Peace Corps Initiatives for the USA Section of the ICD, and Chair of the College at Large Constitution and By-laws Committee.
Dr. Aronson is honored to have been president of the Georgia Dental Association (GDA) in the early 1990s. The GDA presented him with its Award of Merit, its highest award, in 2002.
Dr. Aronson is past president of several professional, civic and other organizations. They include the Savannah Dental Society; Southeastern District Dental Society; Georgia Association of Orthodontists; the USA Section of the ICD; the Orthodontic Education and Research Foundation; and the Bnai Brith Jacob Synagogue in Savannah. He is Chairman of the Board of the Workmen’s Circle Credit Union in Savannah.
Emory University, St. Louis University and many other organizations have presented Dr. Aronson with awards in recognition of his leadership, service and significant contributions.
Dr. Aronson earned his DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) degree in 1963 from Emory University. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, having served from 1963 to 1965. He completed his orthodontic residency program, earning an MS (Master of Science in Dentistry) at St. Louis University in 1967, and opened his private orthodontic practice that year. Dr. Aronson retired from active orthodontic practice in 2000. Long an educator, Dr. Aronson serves on the faculty of two orthodontic programs: the St. Louis University Center for Advanced Dental Education, and the Medical College of Georgia, Department of Orthodontics.
In addition to his AAO membership, Dr. Aronson is a member of numerous professional organizations. Among them are the Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity, Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the American Dental Association, the Georgia Dental Association, the Savannah Dental Society, the Southeastern District Dental Society, the Georgia Academy of Dental Practice, the Southern Association of Orthodontists, the Georgia Association of Orthodontists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the Federation Dentaire International.
Dr. Aronson and his wife, Barbara, reside in Tybee Island, Ga. They are the parents of three adult children. In his spare time, Dr. Aronson enjoys reading, walking, golf, fishing and travel.
About the International College of Dentists
The International College of Dentists, established in 1928, is the world’s oldest and largest international dental honorary society with more than 12,000 dentists who have earned the title of FICD (Fellow International College of Dentists) in 122 countries throughout the world. Its website is www.icd.org.
About the American Association of Orthodontists
The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) was founded in 1900, and is the oldest and largest dental specialty organization in the world. The purposes of the AAO are to advance the art and science of orthodontics; to encourage and sponsor research; to strive for and maintain the highest standards of excellence in orthodontic education and practice; and to make significant contributions to the health of the public.
The AAO limits its membership to orthodontists, and has more than 17,000 members in the U.S., Canada and abroad. The AAO’s public website is www.mylifemysmile.org, and its member website is www.AAOinfo.org.
