A Conversation with Dr. Thomas Paumier, President of the ADA
Host Dr. Joel Berg is joined by American Dental Association (ADA) President Dr. Thomas Paumier for a conversation focused on the work of the ADA and how specialty practitioners can benefit from maintaining a connection with the organization. Speaking to the importance of that connection and teamwork from the AAPD 2026 Annual Session Exhibit Hall Floor, Dr. Paumier shares details of the cohesion between the ADA President and President-Elect as well as his goals for the ADA and its partnership with the AAPD as he ascends to the President role in October 2026.
Guest Bio
Thomas M. Paumier, D.D.S. is the President-Elect of the American Dental Association (ADA). Dr. Paumier is a general dentist in private practice in Canton, Ohio.
Dr. Paumier has served the ADA in multiple leadership roles throughout his 35 years of service to the ADA, most recently as Vice-chair for the Strategic Forecasting Committee and as an Advisor to the ADA Budget Committee of the Board of Trustees. Previously, he also served as Chair of the Council on Members Insurance and Retirement Programs, and the Board of Trustees Committee on Budget and Finance. He was on the ADA Covid Recovery Task Force and has served on two Council on Scientific Affairs expert panels which developed clinical practice guidelines related to antibiotic use.
Within the Ohio Dental Association, Dr. Paumier has held several key positions, including Treasurer and President. He served as Chair of the Annual Sessions Committee and as Chair of the ODA Services Corporation and as the current Chair of the Ohio Dental Association Wellness Trust. He is a past president of the Stark County Dental Society in Ohio.
Dr. Paumier is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy and involved in numerous organizations. He is the Chair of the Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital Board of Trustees, and a past Chair of the Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital Development Foundation. He is on the faculty of the “Thomas M. Paumier DDS General Practice Residency” at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital and also lectures at Case Western School of Dental Medicine and the NEOMED Bitonte College of Dentistry in Ohio.
Dr. Paumier earned his D.D.S. from Ohio State University College of Dentistry and resides in Canton with his wife Christy.
About little teeth, BIG Smiles’s Host
Joel H. Berg is a consultant in the dental industry and practices Pediatric Dentistry part-time in the Phoenix, AZ area. He is Professor Emeritus and former Dean at the University of Washington. Dr. Berg is a board-certified pediatric dentist and is a past president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and Past-President of the AAPD Foundation.
He is an editor of the book Early Childhood Oral Health, and has published extensively on subjects including dental restorative materials for children, and medical management of dental caries. His current research interests include the development of dental caries prevention programs using risk assessment models to manage dental caries as a disease. He lectures to dental professionals regularly on "Medical Management of Dental Caries".
*The views expressed are solely those of the speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the AAPD or the sponsor(s).
