Atlanta—Dr. William G. Kohn, who has served “with distinction” in military and Public Health Service dental leadership, was named director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s division of oral health effective Sept. 8.
Dr. Kohn has played a lead role in the development of CDC recommendation documents on FLUORIDE use, dental office infection control and dental sealants. He serves as CDC liaison to ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs and is on the Journal of the ADA (JADA) editorial board.
“He has considerable knowledge of dental public health issues both domestically and internationally,” said Janet Collins, Ph.D., director of CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. She announced the promotion Sept. 3. DOH is a division within NCCDPHP.
“He is highly regarded and recognized in the dental health field and has served with distinction for a combined 29 years in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Public Health Service commissioned corps,” Dr. Collins said. The division of oral health http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth is a resource center within the NCCDPHP.
During a 13-year tenure with the division, Dr. Kohn has been associate director for science since 1997. He previously conducted clinical and basic research and served in several leadership roles at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, including deputy clinical director, oral medicine program director and clinical investigations section chief.
Dr. Kohn also served for six years in Fairbanks, Alaska, as the director of the Interior Alaska Service Unit for the Indian Health Service and Tanana Chiefs Corp., providing preventive and clinical oral health services to more than 10,000 Alaskan Natives in Fairbanks and 26 remote villages.
After completing a general practice residency with the U.S. Navy he practiced for two years with the Navy in Adak, Alaska. He owned and operated a private dental practice for two years in Illinois before returning to Alaska with the U.S. Public Health Service. He became a diplomate of the American Board of Oral Medicine following completion of an oral medicine and public health management residency.
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