Thomas Paumier, DDS ’87, is the American Dental Association’s President-Elect
College of Dentistry alumnus Thomas Paumier, ’87 DDS, is the president-elect of the American Dental Association (ADA). He was elected and sworn in on October 27 at the ADA Annual Session in Washington, D.C. The ADA is the nation’s largest dental association, advocating for the public’s oral health and promoting the art and science of dentistry since 1859.
Dr. Paumier received his BS degree from The Ohio State University in 1983, followed by a DDS degree with honors in 1987. He then completed a General Practice Residency at St. Elizabeth Hospital Medical Center in Youngstown, Ohio. Returning to his hometown of Canton, Ohio, he established a general dentistry practice in 1988 and continues to serve in that role.
A recognized leader in organized dentistry, Dr. Paumier is a past president of the Stark County Dental Society, and a past president and treasurer of the Ohio Dental Association. He has also served on and chaired numerous ADA councils and committees, including the expert panels that created the national clinical practice guidelines related to antibiotic use for patients with prosthetic joints and patients with dental infections. He was also one of six dentists appointed by the ADA to develop guidelines for dentists to safely practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Paumier has published in numerous dental journals, including the prestigious Journal of the American Dental Association. He is also a member of the medical staff at the Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital and was instrumental in developing the hospital’s General Practice Residency program that is named in his honor. Currently, he is the chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital Board of Trustees, and he serves on the Executive Committee of the Cleveland Clinic Ohio Regional Hospitals Board of Directors.
Throughout his career, Dr. Paumier has received numerous awards and honors, including the ADA's Evidence-Based Dentistry Clinical Practice Award that recognizes dental educators and clinicians who have advanced the implementation of evidence-based dentistry in practice, research, or the classroom. He is also a Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, the American College of Dentists, and the International College of Dentists – all of which emphasize ethics, professionalism, meritorious service, and achievements that advance the dental profession.