Steven-DugoniSteven Dugoni, DMD, MSD, of South San Fransciso, Calif, was installed as the president of the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) during the ABO’s President’s Dinner, held in conjunction with the 2016 American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) Annual Session in Orlando, Fla. Eladio DeLeon Jr, DMD, MS, of Augusta, Ga, becomes immediate past president.

Each ABO director represents one of the eight constituent organizations of the AAO and serves an 8-year term, which culminates in the position of president. The ABO directors are responsible for establishing policy with regard to the board certification of specialists in orthodontics. During his tenure as an ABO director, Dugoni has represented the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists (PCSO). He currently serves as the ABO’s liaison to the AAO, the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics, the dental specialties, the Graduate Orthodontic Residents Program, the World Federation of Orthodontists, and the AAO’s Society of Orthodontic Educators.

“My past 7 years of serving on The American Board of Orthodontics have been extremely rewarding because I have had an opportunity to work with extraordinary ABO directors who are dedicated to elevating the level of orthodontic care,” Dugoni said. “I am looking forward to my year as president, and I will concentrate my efforts on having all recent graduates from orthodontic departments take the Initial Certification Examination of The American Board of Orthodontics. I enjoy examining very talented orthodontists and discussing their quality orthodontic care. As an ABO director, I have had an opportunity to visit orthodontic programs throughout the PCSO, and it is very satisfying to see residents and educators working together on preparation for the ABO Initial Certification Examination.”

Dugoni’s term as ABO president begins 30 years after his father, Arthur A. Dugoni, DDS, MSD, completed his service as ABO president. The two orthodontists are the first father and son to have held this position in the ABO’s history.

“I was fortunate to have a father who was director of the ABO during my early years as an orthodontist,” Dugoni said. “We had long discussions after he returned from St Louis about his experiences examining candidates and his relationships with his fellow directors. Now 30 years after his term as president of the ABO, orthodontists still approach me and tell me how much they enjoyed their experience of being examined by my father. They relate stories of his kindness and compassion during the difficult process of taking an examination. Now my father enjoys me relating my experiences with The American Board of Orthodontics.

“What I have learned most from my father is to treat all candidates with fairness and respect. He also taught me that a leader must establish trust before you can be successful with the organization. I have tried to carry forward what he has set as an example with honesty, ethics, and integrity. I am extremely proud to be the first father and son directors of The American Board of Orthodontics.”

Arthur Dugoni, in turn, is proud of his son’s accomplishments in all aspects of his life.

“I am extremely proud of Steve. I have watched, with joy and pride, his growth and development as a son, husband, father, and leader,” said Dugoni, dean emeritus, professor of orthodontics, and senior executive for development at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. “He is always willing to listen, learn from others, and tackle the hardest issues with courage, humility, empathy, and dedication to excellence and perseverance. He has courage to stand up for his principles and for what he believes is right. He loves with a passion teaching, coaching, the ABO, the Angle Society, his residents, his family, and his struggle to balance them all. If I were asked to describe his leadership in one word, it would be trust. Steve’s team members trust and respect him.”

Steven Dugoni, who has been in private practice since 1981, received his dental degree from Tufts University and his master’s degree in orthodontics from the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. He has been board certified by the ABO for 27 years.

In addition to their commitment to the ABO, the father and son team have also dedicated themselves to the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Arthur Dugoni served as dean of the dental school from 1978 to 2006. In 2004, he became the first and only person in the United States or Canada to have a dental school named in his honor while holding the position of dean. In the meantime, Steven Dugoni has taught at the university for more than 30 years. Currently, Steven Dugoni is an adjunct clinical professor and director of the Mixed Dentition Clinic in the Department of Orthodontics.

As an active member of the orthodontic community, Steven Dugoni is affiliated with several professional associations. He is a past president of Angle Northern California, a component of the Edward H. Angle Society of Orthodontists; the PCSO; and the San Mateo County Dental Society. He is also a member of the ADA, the California Dental Association, the AAO, the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics, and the Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society. He is a fellow of both the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists. In 2012, the PCSO presented him with its Award of Merit.

Steven Dugoni is a published author of articles in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, The Angle Orthodontist, the Journal of the California Dental Association, and the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin. He has lectured on orthodontic care both locally and nationally.