ACD NEWS SPRING 2022
vol. 51 | no.1
American College of Dentists
ACD 2022 Annual Meeting & Convocation Big and Bright in Houston, Texas!
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his year will see a highly anticipated return to an in-person Annual Meeting and Convocation. Although the Lonestar State in 2022 is a long way from our first meeting in Boston in 1920, it is our founding principle that continues to guide our work:
“To elevate the standards of dentistry, to encourage graduate study, and to grant Fellowship to those who have done meritorious work.” Highlighting the event will be the induction of over 300 new Fellows. Each year the College welcomes the best and brightest into our midst and we warmly welcome our newest members as they join us in our mission and become part of our collective legacy. We are also looking forward to a robust continuing education program with the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists providing an additional session to our Fellows. The Fellows
In this Issue President’s Forum
2-3
Executive Director’s Corner
4
Board of Regents Spring Meeting Highlights
5
2022 Awardees Announced Regent’s Reflection
6-8 12-13
The ACD and Social Media: Beyond 14-16 News of Fellows and Sections
17-22
News from the Office
22
Student Professionalism and Ethics Association Spotlight
19
Update from the American Society for Dental Ethics
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Forum and the Keynote Presentation will feature panel discussions centered on the ACD study report, Ethics: A New Professionalism, and the Oral Health in America 2020 report, respectively. The highlight of our time together is always the Gala—this year’s theme is “Denim and Diamonds,” and will be a memorable way to celebrate our new Fellows and renew old friendships. Plan to dance the night away to an award-winning music ensemble! Please join us Wednesday, October 12 and Thursday, October 13 at the Hilton Americas in Houston! Registration will open on or around June 1, with updates posted at acd.org. For those attending, thank you for taking advantage of the opportunity to register for the ADA’s SmileCon and including activities from their meeting in your planning. The American College of Dentists is a meeting affiliate of the American Dental Association.
Toward a More Inclusive Approach to Fellowship At their Spring 2022 meeting, the Board of Regents unanimously decided that beginning with nominations for the 2023 Fellowship class, while continuing to encourage ADA membership, the College will also accept membership in other equivalent national dental organizations as evidence of devotion to the profession. As an inclusive policy to support the College’s mission, we welcome nominations to Fellowship for any members of our profession who have exhibited the highest standards of excellence and clear contributions to the profession through demonstrated leadership. By taking this approach, the College greatly expands and enriches its ability to exemplify our mission to advance excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership in dentistry.
President’s Forum
Why Don’t Fellows Know What We are About? Richard E. Jones, DDS, MSD, FACD President of the American College of Dentists
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he American College of Dentists was created and served by a small cadre of resolute visionaries for several decades. By the 1960’s, the US and dentistry were in a golden age. The Fellowship had grown, professionalism and mentorship were paradigms, and few challenges were noticed. The College evolved from a visionary action body to more of an honorary organization. The honorific paradigm persists in many corners of the Fellowship and minds of non-Fellows. Pomp and circumstance is the appropriate honor for new Fellows and it sends a clear message: it is a great honor to be a Fellow of the College. Since Fellows are rarely asked to serve unless they are elected to College leadership, the rest of the “take away” from the Convocation is STOP, you have been honored for past work and no further activity or contribution is necessary. Those who are granted the privilege and opportunity for elected leadership at the Section or even the national level will appreciate the great significance of the American College of Dentists as the visionary action body of the profession. Current visionary activities are significant but still performed only by a small cadre of leaders: the Officers, Board of Regents, and Section officers supported by the Executive Office. The College leadership interacts with the
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leadership of other organizations. The activity is generally appreciated only by that small group. An example is the sponsorship of four Ethics Summits that included representatives from 65 diverse dental organizations including everyone from auxiliaries to manufacturers and third-party providers. Topics such as Truth Claims and Commercialism were discussed on a platform of ethics and what improved oral health. The College method of operation has typically been to identify a problem and to activate the appropriate group. There has not been a pattern of “seeking the headline”. Most dentists are unaware of the American College of Dentists and even many Fellows understand the College as an honorary organization with minimal impact. This dissonance is more apparent with our most valuable asset—the younger Fellows, as they are motivated for action and relevance and not accolades. The College invites all of dentistry under our umbrella and includes the mission essential affiliates: SPEA, the Student Professionalism & Ethics Association that develops leaders for our future, ASDE, the American Society for Dental Ethics that provides ethical guidance, and AADEJ, the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists that helps us communicate, provides knowledge, and makes us think. All three of these groups are
accepting new members interested in expanding expertise in their areas of interest. I encourage you to join and support them. An especially important action arm of the College is the American College of Dentists Foundation. The Foundation has more than 20 active programs that target mission-centered projects such as 16 ethics dilemma teaching videos, the ACD Ethics Handbook, 42 hours of online ethics courses, ethics and leadership scholarships, and many Section projects. If we are to enhance excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership, it is critical that what we are about is known to our Fellowship, the population of dentists, government, and society. A marketing campaign to “toot our own horn” is unnecessary but an intentional and strategic public information outreach program to all significant parties is necessary for crucial initiatives to be optimally effective. This strategic outreach must include ambassadors at the national level (the Officers, Board of Regents, and Executive Office), the Regency level, and the Section level. (Section Officers and Committees). We must remind ourselves “if not you, then who” and that all Fellows must be ambassadors of the College Mission. The activity of the ambassadors must be intentional, directed, and empowered. I call upon all Fellows to participate.
Dates to Remember Registration Opens for ACD 2022 in Houston, Texas June 1, 2022 Annual Meeting Registration Deadline for Fellowship Candidates August 30, 2022 Annual Meeting Registration Deadline for Current Fellows September 15, 2022 Last day to cancel Annual Meeting registration and receive a refund September 30, 2022
The College invites all of dentistry under our umbrella and includes the mission essential affiliates: SPEA, the Student Professionalism & Ethics Association that develops leaders for our future, ASDE, the American Society for Dental Ethics that provides ethical guidance, and AADEJ, the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists that helps us communicate, provides knowledge, and makes us think. All three of these groups are accepting new members interested in expanding expertise in their areas of interest. I encourage you to join and support them.
Fellowship is a great honor. And the College fulfills its Mission with many significant actions. Those actions have greater impact when there is greater outreach: we can help more when we are more known. It is the significance of those actions that attract individuals who have the ability and desire to serve and to have impact. Those Fellows will stay engaged and have greater impact when they are energized (membership
retention). There are two ways for Fellows to be engaged: 1 we give them something meaningful to do (committee service or projects) and 2 they are allowed to volunteer for service. Here’s an idea: when a new Fellow receives the College pin, they also receive a Section assignment.
Fellowship Nominations Due for ACD 2023 in Orlando, Florida January 15, 2023 Ethics Scholarship Applications and National Award Nominations Due February 15, 2023 Section Awards and Model Section Designation Applications Due February 15, 2023 Nominations for Board of Regents Due March 1, 2023 CONTACT ACD News is published by American College of Dentists 103 North Adams Street Rockville, MD 20850 301-977-3223 • 888-ACD-1920 301-977-3330 fax spitman@acd.org • www.acd.org EDITOR Theresa S. Gonzales, DMD, MS, MSS ASSISTANT EDITOR AND PUBLICATION MANAGER Suzan Pitman GRAPHIC DESIGN Matthew Sheriff Periodicals postage paid at Frederick, Maryland Send address changes to: ACD News 103 North Adams Street Rockville, MD 20850 or e-mail office@acd.org
Executive Director’s Corner
R & R: The Importance of Relevance and Resilience to 21st Century Organizations Theresa S. Gonzales, DMD, MS, MSS, FACD
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or most of my life as a career military officer, “R&R” meant rest and relaxation or, in the parlance of the Second World War, rest and recuperation. While the notion of “R&R” means different things to different people, the importance of R&R cannot be overstated. Organizational relevance tends to have a finite shelf life. Therefore, relevance must be continuously reevaluated and redefined. A fairly recent study on corporate longevity noted the 33-year average tenure of companies on the S&P 500 in 1964 fell to 24 years by 2016 and is forecast to shrink to just 12 years by 2027. After all, there is a reason that only one Blockbuster video store remains. A cursory review of the topic of organizational relevance from the archive of the Harvard Business Review reveals no fewer than 200 results in the last several years. Relevance is a function of organizational culture. Interestingly, organizational culture will develop even without stakeholder input, but in the absence of that guidance, it may not be healthy or productive. Remaining relevant requires delivering what your members want now while identifying what they will need years from now. This is what is commonly referred to as a future-state mission or the organization’s AIM—an acronym for “aspirational, inspirational and meaningful.” This approach motivates team members to play an active role in bringing the vision to life and in aligning their actions toward vision fulfillment. An organization with a solid culture is always iterating, improving, and adapting to change. 4 | ACD News | Spring 2022
Additionally, successful organizations need to focus on resilience to achieve long-term, enduring viability. It is generally agreed that resilience is a fundamental organizational ability that is directed toward organizational advancement. It enables associations to withstand stresses, continuously innovate, and quickly adapt to changes. Organizations adapting to the emerging world need leaders and colleagues to be more open, collaborative, and engaged. To this end, organizations need to invest in the development of leaders and encourage personal resilience. Many believe that organizational resilience is a function of the widespread growth of personal resilience. Building organizations based on how their members interact is an important construct in complex adaptive systems. Twenty-first century leaders must endeavor to shape the emergence of a clear, compelling purpose and vision that resonates throughout the organization and beyond. Leaders should work to break down boundaries. Boundaries inhibit the flow of information; they keep individuals and groups isolated and reinforce preconceptions. Opening up boundaries, with conferences, meetings, and project teams, empowers participants as ideas carry maximum impact when they are shared broadly rather than held in a few hands. Letting go of limiting assumptions and beliefs in order to allow new forms of organizational models to emerge is a hallmark of relevance and a requirement for resilience.
Twenty-first century leaders must endeavor to shape the emergence of a clear, compelling purpose and vision that resonates throughout the organization and beyond. Leaders should work to break down boundaries. Boundaries inhibit the flow of information; they keep individuals and groups isolated and reinforce preconceptions. Creating environments where it is comfortable to experiment fosters connections across the organization. For more than a century, the American College of Dentists has actively engaged in coaching, mentorship, education, training, and outreach. These are ways of improving, learning, adjusting, and delivering the things that we have agreed upon. Ultimately, by staying in tune with needs of the Fellowship and our obligations to the public, the College has adapted to changing environments and firmly delivered on our founding premise to “elevate the standards of dentistry” and to recognize those who aspire to serve the profession in our unique role as the conscience of dentistry. Opportunities abound for leader development and the American College of Dentists has the resources necessary to assist in your leadership journey. Take a look at the possibilities and see what is right for you. https://www.acd.org/scholarships/
BOARD OF REGENTS Spring Meeting Highlights
ACD Officers Robert Faiella, Treasurer; Teresa Dolan, Vice President; Richard Jones, President; and Robert Lamb, President-elect
TASK FORCES REPORT PROGRESS Members of the Board of Regents as well as invited Fellows worked on several initiatives over the fall and winter of 2021-2022. Task Forces studying relevance, inter- and intraprofessional cooperation, group practices, SPEA, equivalent organizations, and professionalism each engaged in discussion and problem-solving around the assigned issues, and the work of these groups will continue through the summer.
Dr. Krista Jones
Dr. Julie Connolly
The Task Force on Professionalism, led by At Large Regent Dr. Krista Jones, released a mnemonic device and two essays to help frame professionalism in oral healthcare. Authored by Incoming Regent Dr. Julie Connolly, these resources might be especially useful in Fellows’ work with local SPEA Chapters and dental schools. The complete set of documents can be found at acd.org/position-papers/professionalism/.
P R O F E S S I O N
PRACTICE ALTRUISM
Put the patient’s interests first at all times.
RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY Treat others as you would like to be treated, take responsibility for all your actions, not just the good ones.
OPEN TO ALL
Treat everyone without bias or prejudice, even if they differ from you.
FIDELITY
Remember and honor the fact that patients and colleagues/staff both trust and put their confidence in you.
EMPATHY AND EXCELLENCE
Put yourself in your patients’ shoes, remember to respect their perspectives to allow for excellence in practice.
SOCIAL CONTRACT
We have a duty as professionals to respect the patients’ trust in us, maintain competence and to inform them of the treatment we are doing and why we are proposing to do it.
SELF-REGULATION
The cornerstone of being a professional, we must take this responsibility with utmost seriousness. If asked to participate in Peer Review, we must partake.
INTEGRITY
Keep Ethics and Humanism at the core of your patient care philosophy.
OATH
Use the ADA Code and Oath of the Professions as a resource for guidance and centering in times of ethical question or challenge.
NEVER STOP LEARNING
Embrace life-long learning for the benefit of your patients. Competence is a core part of being a professional.
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OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD
2022 Awardees and Election Results Announced
Irvin Silverstein, DDS, MS.Ed, FACD
ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM AWARD
American Association of Bioethics and Humanities
WILLIAM JOHN GIES AWARD
Kathleen O’Loughlin, DMD, MPH, FACD
HONORARY FELLOWS Subrata Saha, PhD
Sonya Gyjuan Smith, EDd, JD Henrie Treadwell, PhD, MA Carol Yakiwchuk, MHS, RDH
SECTION NEWSLETTER AWARD
This award is made to Sections with a newsletter that thoroughly engages its audience either in print or electronically. This year, the Ontario Section Newsletter was selected for the award. Dr. Sonia Slawuta is the Editor and Dr. B. Thomson is the Co-editor.
MODEL SECTION DESIGNATION
Each year, the Board of Regents awards this designation to Sections that have demonstrated accomplishment in multiple domains. This year’s designees are the Indiana, Metro Washington, Michigan, Southern California, West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania, Western New York. 6 | ACD News | Spring 2022
NOMINATING COMMITTEE RESULTS The Nominating Committees have selected the following slate for terms beginning directly after the 2022 Annual Meeting in October. Under the ACD Bylaws, Fellows in good standing have the right to challenge the slate through petition until the close of business on July 15, 2022. If no petitions are received the slate will be considered elected to the Board of Regents.
Teresa A. Dolan (Florida), President-elect, previously Vice President and At Large Regent Dr. Teresa Dolan is the Chief Dental Officer at Overjet, the global leader in dental AI. She previously served as Dentsply Sirona’s Chief Clinical Officer, leading the global Clinical Affairs function, supporting new product development and overseeing the largest global clinical education program sponsored by dental industry. Dr. Dolan is also professor and dean emeritus of the University of Florida College of Dentistry, where she served as dean and chief academic officer from 2003 until 2013. She is recognized for her contributions to dental public health, geriatric dentistry, and as a champion for diversity and women in dentistry. Dr. Dolan is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Rutgers University; she earned a DDS degree from the University of Texas and a MPH degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. She was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Dental Health Services Research Scholar, completed a Veterans Administration Fellowship in Geriatric Dentistry, and is a board certified in Dental Public Health. As a recognized leader in the dental profession, she currently serves as president of the Santa Fe Group and serves on the board of directors of the American Dental Association Science and Research Institute.
Robert A. Faiella (New England), Vice President, previously Treasurer and At Large Regent Dr. Robert Faiella has served the College as an At Large Regent, Treasurer of the College, and is a Past-President of the American Dental Association. He received his pre-doctoral education from Villanova University, and his DMD degree from Fairleigh Dickenson University School of Dental Medicine. He received his graduate training in Periodontology as an NIH Post-Doctoral Fellow at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, as well as a Masters of Medical Science degree from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Faiella also earned an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management. Dr. Faiella has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. He has published and presented widely on periodontology as well as augmented intelligence. He continues to be active as a fulltime, private-practice periodontist in Massachusetts.
Carole M. Hanes (Georgia), Treasurer, previously Regent for Regency 3
Julie A. Connolly (New York), Regent, Regency 1
Dr. Hanes is the Associate Dean for Students, Admissions and Alumni at the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University. Her professional background includes dental hygiene as well as pediatric dentistry. She has been on the faculty at the DCG for over 31 years, for the last 18 years she has served as the Associate Dean. In this role, her primary focus has been serving as the Chair of the Recruitment and Admissions Committee and as the principal investigator for four HRSA Workforce grants with the emphasis on community outreach for senior dental students.
Dr. Julie Connolly attended Columbia University, graduating with a degree in Political Science. She then attended Columbia School of Dental and Oral Surgery and the Mailman School of Public Health, graduating with a dual DDS-MPH degree. She completed a General Practice Residency at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan before returning to Columbia for her specialty training in Periodontics, receiving an MS in Periodontics. Dr. Connolly is a boardcertified periodontist practicing in NYC with her father, Dr. Thomas Connolly.
Dr. Hanes was born in Baltimore, Maryland but grew up in Louisville, Kentucky where she attended the University of Louisville for both her dental hygiene and dental degrees. She completed her advanced education program in pediatric dentistry at the Eastman Dental Center in Rochester, New York. After completing her specialty training in 1985, she taught in the dental school at the University of Mississippi Health Sciences Center for a year before coming to what was then the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Hanes was the Secretary/Treasurer of the Eastern District Dental Society of the Georgia Dental Association from 2001 through 2015 and was awarded the GDA Award of Merit “for her exemplary service to the Association.”
Dr. Connolly is currently an Assistant Professor in Periodontics at Columbia College of Dental Medicine where she is also the Director of the Ethics Coursework teaching ethics to both dental students and residents in lecture and small group format. She is also the Student Professionalism and Ethics Association (SPEA) Faculty Advisor at Columbia. Dr. Connolly is a former President of the Columbia Dental Alumni Association. She lectures on both dental ethics and periodontics regionally and locally. Dr. Connolly is a Past-President of the New York Academy of Dentistry and the Chair-Elect of the New York Section of the American College of Dentists. Dr. Connolly represents the ACD in the Kellogg Leadership Program at Northwestern University.
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2022 Awardees and Election Results Announced
Robert G. Plage (Carolinas), Regent, Regency 3 Dr. Robert Plage graduated from Wake Forest University and Georgetown University School of Dentistry. After graduation he joined the U.S. Public Health Service and completed a GPR program in Lexington, Kentucky. He was assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard and spent five years as a USCG dental officer, attaining the rank of LCDR and was awarded the U.S. Coast Guard Achievement Medal. He has been in private practice in Wilmington, North Carolina since 1985.
Additionally, Pamela S. Alston (Northern California) was appointed as At Large Regent.
Pamela S. Alston, DDS, MPP, is a past Chair of the Northern California Section. She is immediate past President of the National Dental Association. She serves on the California Dental Association Political Action Committee Board of Advisors. Dr. Alston graduated from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry where she served as Dental Alumni Association President, volunteer Associate Clinical Professor, and on the Board of the UCSF Foundation. She earned her Bob has served as Past-President of the Masters in Public Policy from the Wilmington Dental Society, the North Goldman School of Public Policy at Carolina Dental Society’s Fifth District, University of California Berkeley where and the North Carolina Dental Society. she served on the Dean’s Board of He was awarded the NCDS Meritorious Advisors. She is an alumna of the Achievement Award in 2014. He served California Health Care Foundation’s as a delegate to the ADA for the 16th Leadership Fellowship Program. District for twenty years. While an ADA Dr. Alston served on the Board of delegate, he served on the ADA Council Governors of the Commonwealth on Dental Benefit Programs as ViceClub of California—the nation’s premier Chair and the ADA Audit Committee as public affairs forum. She has received a representative from the ADA House numerous awards including the UCSF of Delegates. He is a past caucus chair Campaign Award for Compassion; of the ADA 16th District Delegation. the NYU School of Dentistry Michael He is a past ACD Carolinas Section C. Alfano Award for Diversity; and the Chair and helped initiate and currently UC Berkeley School of Public Health participates in the ACD Ethics Dilemmas Public Health Hero Award. She is Workshops at both UNC School of currently the Lead Oral Health Specialist Dentistry and East Carolina School of for the U.S. Dept. of Labor Job Corps Dental Medicine. Program health support contractor. 8 | ACD News | Spring 2022
Robert M. Lamb (Oklahoma), currently serving as President-elect, will serve his Presidential year, and Richard E. Jones (Indiana) will complete his tenure as Immediate Past President and President of the ACD Foundation.
2022 Annual Meeting and Convocation Big and Bright in Houston, Texas! Registration will begin on or around June 1 at www.acd.org/annual-meetings
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2022 Annual Meeting and Convocation Schedule Wednesday October 12
Thursday October 13
8:00 – 11:00 am
8:00 – 9:30 am
Special Ethics Course: Rising Issues in Oral Healthcare through an Ethical Lens
New Fellow Orientation and Annual Business Meeting of the College
9:00 am – Noon
9:30 – 11:30 am
Presented by the American Society for Dental Ethics
Special Communications Course Presented by the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists
1:00 –1:30 pm
Section Awards 1:30 – 3:30 pm
President-elect’s Address by Robert M. Lamb
Keynote Presentation Panel Discussion: Unpacking the Oral Healthcare in America Report
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Convocation Luncheon Featuring speaker and entertainer, John Pullum
Fellows Forum: Panel Discussion—New Professionalism in Practice
Convocation of Fellows
4:00 – 5:30 pm
7:00 – 11:30 pm
Regency Break-out Sessions 5:30 pm
Meet & Greet
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3:00 – 5:00 pm
Denim & Diamonds Gala Cocktails, Silent Auction, Dinner & Dancing
Continuing Education Highlight Rising Issues in Oral Healthcare through an Ethical Lens Presented by the American Society for Dental Ethics Facilitated by: Pamela Zarkowski, JD, MPH, FACD Carlos Smith, DDS, MDiv, FACD Toni Roucka, RN, DDS, MA, FACD There are a myriad of legal and ethical challenges facing providers of oral health care today. Providers need to be prepared to rise to these challenges, especially those surrounding emerging issues. Participants will explore “hot topics” related to legal and ethical challenges in dental practice and develop a list of strategies of how to address them. Other CE courses will include a 3-hour communications course presented by the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists, the Fellows Forum, and the Keynote Presentation.
ACD 2022 Annual Meeting: The “Fine Print”
The last day to request seating at the Gala dinner and to request vegetarian or gluten free meals is September 15. As standard practice, the ACD seats Fellows from the same Regencies and Sections together, but Fellows may make a seating request during registration. For the Convocation luncheon, seating is open. The College cannot guarantee there will be seats available after September 15 at the Convocation Luncheon or the Gala. Any available seats will be sold first come, first served on-site in Houston. We will not be able to rearrange table seating at the Gala after September 15. On-site pricing may be higher than advanced seating. We really hope to see you in Houston, but sometimes plans change. All cancellation and refund requests must be received by September 30 at 5:00 PM, Central/6:00 PM, Eastern. After this date, no refunds will be granted. To cancel ACD registration, email spitman@acd.org. To cancel SmileCon registration and housing reservations and request a refund, email ada@maritz.com. The American College of Dentists is a meeting affiliate of the American Dental Association, we’re looking forward to attending SmileCon and hope you are, too!
Denim and Diamonds Gala
Black tie optional, “Texas Tuxedos”* welcome.
A highlight of the annual meeting is the ACD’s Gala—a much-anticipated celebration of Fellowship. The evening will begin with a reception and the ACD Foundation Silent Auction. Dinner and dancing will follow. Candidates who are being inducted receive two seats to the Gala with their induction fee. Current Fellows may register for the Gala along with their general registration.
*A “Texas Tuxedo” is generally a tuxedo jacket and jeans, boots, and a hat.
www.ada.org/education/smilecon
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Regent’s Reflection Kristi Soileau, DDS, MEd, MSHCE, FACD Regency 6
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was very pleased to have been asked to submit an article for this issue to share insights on what I have learned from working with my Sections. In doing so, I also have given consideration to what I have observed over the years regarding the ACD as a body of One. While I think that there are subtle differences from Regency to Regency regarding strengths, weaknesses, and offerings of time, talent, and treasure within our respective Sections, I feel that overall, the challenges are subtly distinctive, and that we can all learn from one another though sharing of information. Partitioning the College’s mission statement into the four goals of advancing excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership in dentistry facilitates my opinions on how we might best use our experiences to move forward in the most efficient, productive, and collegially unifying means possible. EXCELLENCE One definition that describes “a person of excellence” is that the individual should be a positive
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influencer, sensitive, empathetic, and an excellent communicator. Additionally, that person should lift others and is not insecure in doing so. Excellence is our goal for all members, not solely leaders amongst ourselves. We achieve this excellence through growth, lifting one another up through our nominations of those who are deserving of membership in our esteemed College. We want the best for others because it is the best for the purpose of the whole. Excellence is never fully achieved; we continue to reach for the highest apples as the tree grows upward.
ETHICS This is the platform on which the College was instituted. Ethics is based on well-founded standards of right and wrong to prescribe what humans ought to do, which often goes beyond that to which we are legally obligated. I truly feel, through my interactions with ACD members across the country, that the principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and veracity are common and shared goals amongst the members of the College—indeed, of the profession in general. May dentistry continue to covet and protect its parallelism with the principles of ethics, having patient concern being our utmost priority over personal gain, with continued guidance by the ACD and its members. Let us seek out
those who can strengthen this mission within our ranks.
PROFESSIONALISM In healthcare, this can be described as the habitual and judicious use of communication, knowledge, clinical skills, reasoning, emotions, values, and reflection in daily practice for the benefit of the individual and community being served. What was once considered a trade is now, as evidenced by repeated national surveys, one of the most highly respected professions in existence today. Members within all Sections appear to be verily aligned with protecting our chosen field and with sharing of ourselves with those who cannot afford our services. It is a humbling experience for me to be in the midst of many of our ACD dental heroes.
LEADERSHIP Both in the clinical arena and in practical skills, leadership is defined by one’s ability to influence, and guide individuals, groups, or organizations towards fruition of purpose. Undoubtedly, our members are selected for the most part for their exemplary willingness to give of self. Our cohorts in ACD have offered their time, talent, and treasure for others who have benefitted from their many gifts and attributes, and our collective impact is astounding. Further, we have the
“Partitioning the College’s mission statement into the four goals of advancing excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership in dentistry facilitates my opinions on how we might best use our experiences to move forward in the most efficient, productive, and collegially unifying means possible.”
opportunity to help mold budding leaders through our volunteerism as educators, as well as through our nurturing and growing an even closer affiliation with the many SPEA programs in dental schools throughout the country. One of the main qualities exemplified by College leaders is that of nominating others for the esteemed Fellowship for which each of us is so appreciative. G. K. Chesterson stated, “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude
is happiness doubled by wonder.” It is in giving that we receive, and every Fellow should feel drawn to give such a gift of acclaim to others, as was once given to them. Looking forward, I see a crucial need to seek out deserving new Fellows, promote and uphold those members who take initiatives towards continued leadership efforts, and to continue to create innovative means of promoting ethics and professionalism both within the College, as well as throughout our noble profession.
Think Globally, Act Locally: Attend Your Regency Session Amidst the excitement of networking, sharing ideas, and welcoming new Fellows at the annual meeting is perhaps the most valuable 90 minutes of the ACD year—the Regency Break-out Sessions. President Dick Jones, reflecting on the Regency Break-outs, stated, “It is a rare opportunity to exchange ideas with Sections that are accomplishing Mission-based projects. You will learn from the best and have an opportunity to impact whole Sections by sharing what you may have learned the hard way.” The sessions are designed to strengthen relationships by bringing together Fellows within their smaller Regency groups, which are facilitated by the elected Regents. These sessions are designed for all Fellows, current and incoming, and provide time to share success stories, opportunities, and concerns. Please join your ACD community and share your Fellowship experience!
It’s a good and appropriate time to be a dentist, and an honor and a privilege to have been called to membership in the ACD. I am sure I speak for many Fellows when I say we are grateful to our dutiful and capable staff, to our parents and other mentors who raised and educated us, and to those dentists who came before us to create the solid path of success based on ethics and professional propriety upon which we now trod.
“Attending the Regency break-out session is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the College’s activities at the national, regency, and section level; to make new connections; and to begin to identify areas where you would like to be involved.” –Paula K. Friedman, Regent for Regency 1
“The gathering of Section leaders and individual Fellows during Regency Breakouts at each annual ACD Convocation was so powerful and compelling that without doubt it was one of the most important factors which inspired me to accept the call to serve as a Regent.” –Lance R. Rucker, Regent for Regency 8
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The ACD and Social Media: Beyond Suzan Pitman ACD Operations Director
A page from our first website, launched by Dr. Stephen Ralls in 1997.
The College’s online presence was established by Dr. Stephen Ralls, former Executive Director and Past President, when he created our first website in 1997. Dr. Ralls started mocking up a website for the ACD before he began his official tenure in March of that year. His swift action was prescient in that he recognized early how essential electronic communication could become. Twenty-five years later, social media has taken digital communication further than even Dr. Ralls imagined and can be broadly defined as “creating and sharing user-generated content.”1
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Over the years, the College added Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube accounts, and the capability of the website grew. By 2016, it was clear that technology had caught up with the original website, and Dr. Ralls and the staff began working on a transition to an updated site. The new site launched in 2018, followed by an updated learning management system at www. dentalethics.org. In mid-2020, a new membership platform was introduced with several communications functions that have been valuable for increasing the information flow to and from Fellows. The College is poised to update our sites once again, allowing for additional functionality and a cleaner, more intuitive design with the guidance of graphic artist, Matthew Sheriff.
The ACD’s first Instagram post in 2018 featured then-President Dick Stilwill, in the middle of an intense bocce game with SPEA Founder Mike Meru, and SPEA National Leaders Judy Naziri and Andrea Fenton.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a short delay in the launch of the new ACD membership platform, but the team was able to successfully stand up the new program from a staff member’s garage during quarantine in June of 2020. Collaborative technology gave the staff the tools required not just to maintain routine tasks, but to make progress on behalf of the Fellowship during a time of adversity. ACD News | Sping 2022 | 15
Over the last 18 months, the College has been able to use its membership platform to send timely and relevant communications to the Fellowship.
Spring 2022 vol. 89 | no. 1
e JACD The Official Journal of the Amer
ican College of Dentists
Social Media and Dentistry acd.org
16 | ACD News | Spring 2022
Online meeting platforms helped keep us connected during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing Fellows and Friends of the College to learn, meet, laugh, and advance the mission together.
Recently, the Journal moved online and became the eJACD. Led by Editor Nanette Elster, this is a sustainable practice that comports with our mission and gives greater access to more people within the profession. The current issue, guest edited by SPEA National Co-director Erik Klintmalm, is a timely collection of articles on social media in dentistry. You can read it at https://tinyurl.com/acdpubs. Using multiple social media accounts and online media platforms allows the College to meet a broader audience and moves the message of our mission outside the narrow lanes of membership and pre-electronic media. While there is no substitute for face-to-face human interaction, our time online can bring more of us together from farther away, encouraging organizational connections to grow and strengthen. How do you interact with the ACD online? Take the ACD social media and digital communication survey. 1. Aichner, Thomas et al. “Twenty-Five Years of Social Media: A Review of Social Media Applications and Definitions from 1994 to 2019.” Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking vol. 24,4 (2021): 215-222. doi:10.1089/ cyber.2020.0134
News of Fellows and Sections Caitlin Loo, outgoing SPEA Regent for Canada, hosted a second nationwide panel involving SPEA members and ACD Fellows from across Canada and the United States. The topic was geriatric dentistry, and how to provide optimal care for this special population. The panel was comprised of five dentists specializing in geriatric oral healthcare.
John Moser agreed to accept the Secretary-Treasurer role. There were reports on the budget and donations were agreed to for the outstanding student leader award, research awards, the White Coat ceremony at Marquette, and an ACD Foundation Silent Auction donation.
The video can be viewed on our YouTube channel at www.youtube. com/c/AmericanCollegeofDentists.
The dental students and the Wisconsin ACD SPEA advisor, Katie Satula (Wisconsin), gave a great report about revitalizing SPEA at Marquette with a post-COVID plan.
Submitted by the ACD Executive Office.
New Fellows and 15- and 25-year Fellows were recognized.
Robert Lamb receives the Humanitarian of the Year Award from AAOMS President B.D. Tiner.
After the meeting, the ACD Fellows joined the ICD members for a wonderful dinner and program. Submitted by Regent Tom Raimann
SPEA Marquette Chapter Co-presidents Nicole Peters and Sheridan Michaud, Wisconsin Section Past Chair Dr. Lysette Brueggeman, ACD Regent Dr. Tom Raimann, and SPEA Marquette Chapter Advisor Dr. Katie Satula.
Wisconsin Section met in Brookfield, Wisconsin in conjunction with the Wisconsin Dental Association Meeting in November 2021. It was well attended by 28 fellows from Wisconsin, and two D2 dental students. Vince Benivegna (Michigan), President of the Michigan Dental Association, also attended. The dental students in attendance are the co-presidents of SPEA at Marquette University School of Dentistry, Sheridan Michaud and Nicole Peters. The meeting was called to order by Section President Lysette Brueggemann. This was her last meeting as President, with Shaheda Govani succeeding her.
Shaheda Govani and Loren Swanson.
Loren Swanson (Wisconsin) received his 25-year Fellowship pin the same evening his former student, Shaheda Govani, was inducted as Section Chair of the Wisconsin Section. Dr. Govani shared that “He (Dr. Swanson) was my original mentor and took me as a student along with Neil (Dekarske) to an ACD dinner many years ago. This was very instrumental to me becoming involved in ACD, as I admired him so much.” Submitted by Dr. Shaheda Govani, Chair of the Wisconsin Section.
ACD President-elect Robert Lamb (Oklahoma) was awarded the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 2021 Humanitarian of the Year Award. The award was bestowed by AAOMS President and ACD Fellow, B.D. Tiner (Texas), at their annual session in Nashville, Tennessee in September 2021. This award was established in 1997 to honor an AAOMS Fellow or Member for participation in community or volunteer projects, including international efforts. Submitted by AAOMS.
ACD News | Sping 2022 | 17
News of Fellows and Sections Recently, Past President of the College Roger Triftshauser (Florida) was featured in Shellpoint Magazine. The story highlighted Dr. Triftshauser’s lifelong commitment to service in many realms including his profession, his community, and his country. His own words demonstrate best a life well-lived:
“A never-ending family-first love, a passion to volunteer in community service, to give back, the satisfaction of public service for the common good, promoting ethics, excellence, professionalism, and leadership for the dental profession, wearing the uniform with great honor and pride, all have premiered as my lifelong aspirations.” Roger Triftshauser
The complete article can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/rtrift. Submitted by the ACD Executive Office.
The Oral Health in America Report, released at the end of 2021, featured numerous ACD Fellows as contributors, including Board of Regents members At Large Regent Cecile Feldman (New Jersey), Vice President Teresa Dolan (Florida), and ACDF President Leo Rouse (Maryland). Submitted by the ACD Executive Office. 18 | ACD News | Spring 2022
“I think Dr. Erik’s presentation was extremely relevant and applicable to dental students and wish that the material he covered can somehow be integrated into our curriculum. I learned about the importance of developing soft skills of professionalism and ethics, and how they can help us in becoming effective leaders and clinicians.” – SPEA Member, Regency 7 The Regency 7 ACD-SPEA mentoring partnership at University of the Pacific and University of California Schools of Dentistry continued this spring with an event featuring Erik Klintmalm (Texas), SPEA National Co-director and Liaison to the ACD Board of Regents. Dr. Klintmalm’s talk, “Speak like a Leader,” not only gave insights into the common missions of ACD and SPEA, but also helped strengthen the local partnership of the two organizations and the dental schools. Students responded positively to what Dr. Klintmalm said and found valuable the perspective of a national leader -- so much so that the event went almost an hour over the intended time. Submitted by Erin Welter, SPEA Regent, Regency 7 and UCSF SPEA President.
Erik Klintmalm
“ Dr. Klintmalm’s presentation taught me that practicing your people skills and working on your emotional intelligence are super important in how to treat my patients and run a successful practice.” – SPEA Member, Regency 7
SPEA Spotlight The Student Professionalism and Ethics Association (SPEA) Chapters from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and the Arthur Dugoni (UOP) Schools of Dentistry participated in the Regency 7 Inaugural SPEA Mentor Mixer on February 5th. Our Section leadership felt strongly about connecting with dental students to help navigate the challenging road to professional development. The expectations are the mentee will learn and grow professionally through the interactions and from the advice provided by the ACD Fellows. ACD Project Co-chair LaJuan Hall shared, “Our model of effective mentorship is built on the foundation of strong personal relationships, supported by trust,
open communications, curiosity, and candor.” The mentees are open to suggest how they wish to follow up, via office visits, in person meetings or conference calls. Over 30 members of the two local SPEA Chapters attended the program. There was plenty of time to meet and mingle. All participants were introduced and featured in a slide presentation. The group circulated freely through creatively arranged stations and the students were later paired with a mentor using a ranking system. The students were so excited to connect with the ACD Fellows, and the ACD members volunteered to mentor 1, 2, 3, or 4 students each. Our future goal is to increase the size of the program and continue throughout the year. “This
can truly make a difference in the student’s professional development,” according to SPEA Regent and Chapter Chair Erin Welter. The students were so excited to connect with the ACD Fellows. Our section extends a special thanks to the UCSF SPEA Student Leaders, Erin Welter Chapter President, Selina Huang Vice President, and Chelsey Lin Mentor SPEA Mixer Chair. They were instrumental in bringing the students together for the event. We also acknowledge ACD Fellows Dean Michael Reddy, ACD Regent Ned Nix, LaJuan Hall, Alice Tai, Alma Clark, Charmaine Ng, Diana Nguyen, and Dawn Stock for their commitment as the pilot mentors. Submitted by LaJuan Hall, Chair-elect of the Northern California Section. ACD News | Sping 2022 | 19
News of Fellows and Sections
Dr. Theresa Gonzales with LSUSD SPEA members.
Dr. Andrea Fenton, SPEA National Codirector and Endodontics Resident at LSUSD, speaks to LSU SPEA members with Alex DeGenova, outgoing Chair of the LSU SPEA Chapter.
ACD Regent Ned Nix with Pacific-Dugoni SPEA members.
ACD Outstanding Student Leader Award Recipients Ms. Mira Suvagia, University of Illinois College of Dentistry; Ms. Tenessa Talaski, Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine; Ms. Paulina Wisniewska, Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine.
of the AADOCR, on March 21-26, 2022. During her presentation, Science First and Collective, Joyful Effervescence, Dr. Weintraub, said “for me, part of the beauty of science is that it continually evolves to seek the truth. As a result, the recommendations for how to apply the science also change. It is an iterative process. New knowledge can make us readjust prior thinking and change our behaviors and research methods.” Jane Weintraub, 51st President of the AADOCR
The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) inducted Jane Weintraub (Carolinas) as its 51st president during the during hybrid 51st Annual Meeting 20 | ACD News | Spring 2022
“There’s a specific kind of joy we’ve been missing,” she said. “It’s called collective effervescence. It’s what people feel when they come together for a shared purpose. We are participating in this meeting because of a shared purpose, our scientific mission, and our natural curiosity.”
ACD Past President Patricia Blanton and Executive Director Theresa Gonzales with LSUSD SPEA members.
Dr. Weintraub is the R. Gary Rozier and Chester W. Douglass Distinguished Professor and former dean - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Adams School of Dentistry and an Adjunct Professor - UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is widely recognized for her expertise in oral epidemiology, dental public health and clinical research and is a leader in research to understand and prevent oral health disparities. Her focus and research in public health dentistry has helped shape scientific guidelines regarding sealants and fluoride that have become a part of mainstream dental and public health practices. Submitted by the AADOC.
Peter Tan with his wife, Grace
The U.S. Army appointed Peter Tan (Florida) as a new Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) during an investiture ceremony on November 16th, 2021, at the Pentagon. “I am truly honored and humbled that Secretary Wormuth (Secretary of the Army) has selected me for this crucial position for the Department of the Army,” said Tan. “I look forward with exhilaration to enlighten and expound on the Army story that has blessed our family for four generations. The strength of our nation is our Army; the strength of our Army is our Soldiers; the strength of our Soldiers is our families. I am looking forward to serving our nation by providing integral support to Soldiers and families once again.” Dr. Tan is a retired oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Submitted by ACD Executive Office.
Jean-Francois Masse
Jean-Francois Masse (Quebec) was recently recognized by the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine with the Distinguished Service Award.
Dr. Masse graduated from Université Laval in 1990. After a general practice residency, he attained two Master’s degrees, one in Dental Science and one in Epidemiology on the topic of sleep apnea. Besides working in a general practice, he is staff at the Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec in one of the main sleep centers in Canada. He also teaches oral appliance therapy at Université Laval’s Faculty of Dentistry. Dr. Masse has served on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the AADSM Journal of Dental Sleep Medicine. Submitted by Hubert Gaucher, Quebec Section Chair, and the AADSM.
Ronald Fritz
Ronald Fritz (Southern California) recently participated in a healthcare day for Veterans in the Morongo Basin area of the high desert in Southern California, near Joshua Tree National Park. In addition to giving his time and talent, Dr. Fritz stressed how crucial listening is to the healthcare process. He stated: “We all know how important it is that patients feel in charge of their health and empowered to be part of the decision-making process for their treatment. Several, as they talked with me, had tears in their eyes as they explained their history and what they wanted.”
Julie Connolly and AADEJ President Stuart Segelnik
Charles Bertolami (New York) and Julie Connolly (New York) presented “A Compendium of Communication” at the Greater New York Dental Meeting at the end of November 2021. Along with Chris Salierno, Past Editor of Dental Economics, they discussed leadership, ethics, and journalism within the context of communication. The session, hosted by the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists, emphasized the importance of presenting a balanced picture to the right people quickly about what matters most to the profession. Submitted by Tom Connolly, Past President of the College and New York Section Fellow.
Submitted by Ronald Fritz.
Ronald Sakaguchi
Ronald Sakaguchi (Oregon) was recently named dean of the Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry. Dr. Sakaguchi has served as the school’s interim dean since October 2020. Submitted by Oregon Health and Science University.
ACD News | Sping 2022 | 21
News of Fellows and Sections Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society recently elected new national board officers. Among them are Fellows Kenneth Chance (Ohio), Supreme Chapter President; Peter Loomer (Texas), Supreme Chapter President-Elect; Clark Stanford (Illinois), Supreme Chapter Vice President; and Jon B. Suzuki (Philadelphia-Delaware Valley), Secretary-Treasurer. Janet Guthmiller (Nebraska) is now Immediate Past President. OKU was founded in 1914 at Northwestern University, Chicago, by Professor G.V. Black and has maintained a leadership role in academics and the profession. Kenneth Chance
Peter Loomer
Clark Stanford
Jon B. Suzuki
News From the Office On May 20th, Finance Assistant Mozhgan Salehi graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Mozhgan already holds an Associate’s degree in Accounting from Montgomery College, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Payam Noor University in Tehran. Please join us in congratulating her on this achievement! Submitted by the ACD Executive Office. 22 | ACD News | Fall/Winter 2021
Submitted by Omicron Kappa Upsilon Director’s Office. On November 6th, 2021, Western Pennsylvania Section held its second Zoom Trivia Night fundraiser. Several teams made up of Section members and their friends and families engaged in friendly competition for a good cause. Included was a large student team from the University of Pittsburgh Pediatric Dentistry Club. All had fun, but it was agreed the students really know how to enjoy themselves! The proceeds from this night went towards buying and distributing dental hygiene products to the homeless shelters, food banks, and women’s shelters throughout our geographic area. This has proved to be a valuable fundraising experience during COVID and allows participation throughout the entire region without involving travel. Submitted by Jane Segal, Western Pennsylvania Section Secretary-Treasurer.
How do you interact with the ACD online? Communication is the compass we use on the path to fulfilling our mission. How we communicate determines the quality of our organization, because it is through communication that we build relationships with one another and with the public we serve. Please join us in our efforts to continuously improve our organization and strengthen our relationships. Take the ACD Digital Communications and Social Media Survey. https://tinyurl.com/dcomsurvey
Update from the American Society for Dental Ethics Frederick More, DDS, MS, FACD ASDE Executive Director
ASDE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING ASDE held the annual membership meeting on March 16, 2022. Forty members signed on to the virtual meeting. The meeting opened with a participation program. The title was: “COVID, COVID COVID: What innovations changed your professional life?” The open discussion explored changes members made to mitigate the impact of the pandemic that have become part of their professional life. The discussion reflected the ASDE membership that represents educators and practitioners. Educators shared how virtual testing has been challenging and how objective-scaled competency examinations have taken on a new form. Practitioners shared how they use online visits to screening and how they have developed new methods for patient education.
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Facilitator Guide: ASDE is developing facilitator guides to supplement the ACD-Indiana University ethics video series. Four guides are submitted or at the point of submission and the project will continue until there is a guide for each video.
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Members of ASDE are encouraged to support the work of our organization through the prompt payment of dues. We always welcome new members and members of ASDE do not need to be Fellows in ACD.
NEW OFFICERS: ASDE Officers for 2022-2024 • President: Kathryn Ragalis (Massachusetts) •
President-elect: Carlos Smith (Virginia)
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ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING ASDE President Odette Aguirre led the annual business meeting.
Past-president: Odette Aguirre (Indiana)
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Secretary-Treasurer: Phyllis Beemsterboer (Oregon) [annual appointment]
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Members-at-Large:
ASDE has supported ACD in developing a four-year modular curriculum for use in teaching ethics. ACD Executive Director Theresa Gonzales has previously described the vision for this project. The curriculum project is designed to provide a resource for educators who may be new to teaching ethics and others looking for ways to meet accreditation requirement. Educators may choose to use the modules as they are designed as well as having flexibility to add content.
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Terry Hoffeld (Maryland) Regina Messer (Georgia) Robert Stevenson (California) Catherine Frankl Sarkis (Massachusetts)
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ACD Liaison: Pamela Zarkowski (Michigan)
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Executive Director: Frederick More (Connecticut) [annual appointment]
SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON LEADERSHIP Thanks was given to the members of the special committee for the contribution to the work of ASDE. The Board is expected to renew the committee and any member of ASDE is encouraged to apply if interested. MAYNARD K. HINE SCHOLARSHIP LECTURE AND DANIEL M. LASKIN PROFESSIONAL ETHICS LECTURE ASDE members Theresa Gonzales and Carlos Smith were featured speakers at the April 22 ACD Indiana Section meeting. Dr. Gonzales’ presentation was titled: Emerging trends in the diagnosis and management of orofacial pain,” and Dr. Smith’s presentation was titled: “Narrative ethics approach: inclusion and wellbeing for individual, interpersonal, and institutional professional practice.” MIDWEST DENTAL CONFERENCE Toni Roucka and Frederick More presented a program “Ethics of Excellence” at the Midwest Dental Conference in Kansas City, Missouri on April 23. This was the first in-person conference hosted by the University of Missouri at Kansas City Dental School. ASDE SUMMER BOARD MEETING The annual summer Board meeting will be held in July or August and continue as a virtual meeting for 2022.
ACD News | Sping 2022 | 23
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