This special issue of the Texas Dental Journal recognizes members for their continual membership and contributions to the Texas Dental Association (TDA) for the following categories: 10 years, Good Fellow (25 years), Life (30 years), 50 years, and 60 years.
In addition to recognition at the TDA House of Delegates in May 2024, the following quotes and personal, professional, and membership experiences are highlighted to further honor their involvement with TDA and within organized dentistry.
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1Since Texas regulations recognize ADA recommendations as State guidelines, Texas State Board Rule 108.24 states that “sterilization equipment and its adequacy shall be tested and verified in accord with the American Dental Association recommendations.” ADA and CDC recommendations include weekly spore testing.
Anesthesia Education & Safety Foundation
Two ways to register: Call us at 214-384-0796 or e-mail us at sedationce@aol.com Visit us on the web: www.sedationce.com
NOW Available: In-Office ACLS & PALS renewals; In-Office Emergency Program Live Programs Available Throughout Texas
Two ways to Register for our Continuing Education Programs: e-mail us at sedationce@aol.com or call us at 214-384-0796
OUR GOAL: To teach safe and effective anesthesia techniques and management of medical emergencies in an understandable manner. WHO WE ARE: We are licensed and practicing dentists in Texas who understand your needs, having provided anesthesia continuing education courses for 34 years. The new anesthesia guidelines were recently approved by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners. As practicing dental anesthesiologists and educators, we have established continuing education programs to meet these needs.
New TSBDE Requirement of Pain Management
Two programs available (satisfies rules 104.1 and 111.1)
Live Webcast (counts as in-class CE) or Online (at your convenience)
All programs can be taken individually or with a special discount pricing (ask Dr. Canfield) for a bundle of 2 programs:
Principles of Pain Management
Fulfills rule 104.1 for all practitioners
Use and Abuse of Prescription M edications and Provider Prescription Program Fulfills rules 104.1 and 111.1
SEDATION & EMERGENCY PROGRAMS:
Nitrous Oxide/Oxygen Conscious Sedation Course for Dentists:
Credit: 18 hours lecture/participation (you must complete the online portion prior to the clinical part)
Level 1 Initial Minimal Sedation Permit Courses:
*Hybrid program consisting of Live Lecture and online combination
Credit: 20 hours lecture with 20 clinical experiences
SEDATION REPERMIT PROGRAMS: LEVELS 1 and 2
(ONLINE, LIVE WEBCAST AND IN CLASS)
ONLINE LEVEL 3 AND 4 SEDATION REPERMIT AVAILABLE! (Parenteral Review) Level 3 or Level 4 Anesthesia Programs (In Class, Webcast and Online available): American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Initial and Renewal Programs
NOTE: ACLS or PALS Renewal can be completed by itself at any combined program Combined ACLS-PALS-BLS and Level 2, 3 and 4
Program
WEBCASTING and ONLINE RENEWALS AVAILABLE! Live and archived webcasting to your computer in the comfort of your home. Here are the distinct advantages of the webcast (contact us at 214-384-0796 to see which courses are available for webcast):
1. You can receive continuing education credit for simultaneous live lecture CE hours.
2. There is no need to travel to the program location. You can stay at home or in your office to view and listen to the course.
3. There may be a post-test after the online course concludes, so you will receive immediate CE credit for attendance
4. With the webcast, you can enjoy real-time interaction with the course instructor, utilizing a question and answer format
OUR MISSION STATEMENT: To provide affordable, quality anesthesia education with knowledgeable and experienced instructors, both in a clinical and academic manner while being a valuable resource to the practitioner after the programs. Courses are designed to meet the needs of the dental profession at all levels.
Our continuing education programs fulfill the TSBDE Rule 110 practitioner requirement in the process to obtain selected Sedation permits. AGD Codes for all programs: 341 Anesthesia & Pain Control; 342 Conscious Sedation; 343 Oral Sedation This is only a partial listing of sedation courses. Please consult our www.sedationce.com for updates and new programs. Two ways to Register: e-mail us at sedationce@aol.com or call us at 214-384-0796
Editorial Staff
Jacqueline M. Plemons, DDS, MS, Editor
Juliana Robledo, DDS, Associate Editor
Nicole Scott, Managing Editor
Barbara Donovan, Art Director
Lee Ann Johnson, CAE, Director of Member Services
Editorial Advisory Board
FEATURES
HIGHLIGHTS
372 Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology: Case of the Month
ASK THE POWERS CENTER
Helder Baldi Jacob, DDS, MS, PhD
368 ETHICS CORNER: Ethical considerations when informing patients about suboptimal treatment completed by another dentist
Reprinted with permission from the American Dental Association.
375 Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology: Case of the Month Diagnosis and Management
378 Value for Your Profession: A Potential Email Breach Could Be One of Your Biggest HIPAA Vulnerabilities
380 Classifieds
386 Index to Advertisers
Ronald C. Auvenshine, DDS, PhD
Barry K. Bartee, DDS, MD
Patricia L. Blanton, DDS, PhD
William C. Bone, DDS
Phillip M. Campbell, DDS, MSD
Michaell A. Huber, DDS
Arthur H. Jeske, DMD, PhD
Larry D. Jones, DDS
Paul A. Kennedy Jr, DDS, MS
Scott R. Makins, DDS, MS
Daniel Perez, DDS
William F. Wathen, DMD
Robert C. White, DDS
Leighton A. Wier, DDS
Douglas B. Willingham, DDS
The Texas Dental Journal is a peer-reviewed publication. Established February 1883 • Vol 141 | No. 6
Texas Dental Association
1946 S IH-35 Ste 400, Austin, TX 78704-3698
Phone: 512-443-3675 • FAX: 512-443-3031
Email: tda@tda.org • Website: www.tda.org
Texas Dental Journal (ISSN 0040-4284) is published monthly except January-February and August-September, which are combined issues, by the Texas Dental Association, 1946 S IH-35, Austin, TX, 78704-3698, 512-443-3675. PeriodicalsPostage Paid at Austin, Texas and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to TEXAS DENTAL JOURNAL, 1946 S IH 35 Ste 400, Austin, TX 78704. Copyright 2023 Texas Dental Association. All rights reserved. Annual subscriptions: Texas Dental Association members $17. Instate ADA Affiliated $49.50 + tax, Out-of-state ADA Affiliated $49.50. In-state Non-ADA Affiliated $82.50 + tax, Out-of-state Non-ADA Affiliated $82.50. Single issue price: $6 ADA Affiliated, $17 Non-ADA Affiliated. For in-state orders, add 8.25% sales tax.
Contributions: Manuscripts and news items of interest to the membership of the society are solicited. Electronic submissions are required. Manuscripts should be typewritten, double spaced, and the original copy should be submitted. For more information, please refer to the Instructions for Contributors statement included in the online September Annual Membership Directory or on the TDA website: tda.org. All statements of opinion and of supposed facts are published on authority of the writer under whose name they appear and are not to be regarded as the views of the Texas Dental Association, unless such statements have been adopted by the Association. Articles are accepted with the understanding that they have not been published previously. Authors must disclose any financial or other interests they may have in products or services described in their articles.
Advertisements: Publication of advertisements in this journal does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement by the Association of the quality of value of such product or of the claims made.
JKJ Pathology
Oral Pathology Laboratory
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Board of Directors
PRESIDENT Georganne P. McCandless, DDS 281-516-2700, gmccandl@yahoo.com
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Glen D. Hall, DDS 325-698-7560, abdent78@gmail.com
PAST PRESIDENT
Cody C. Graves, DDS 325-648-2251, drc@centex.net
VICE PRESIDENT, SOUTHEAST Laji J. James, DDS 281-870-9270, lajijames@yahoo.com
Annie C. Wilson, DDS 817-860-4343, annie@anniewilsondds.com
DIRECTOR, NORTHEAST
Shane A. Ricci, DDS 972-381-1888, riccidds@hotmail.com
SECRETARY-TREASURER*
Carmen P. Smith, DDS 214-503-6776, drprincele@gmail.com
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE*
Gregory W. Rashall, DDS 936-336-5171, rashdent@sbcglobal.net
PARLIAMENTARIAN**
Jodi D. Danna, DDS 972-377-7800, jodidds1@gmail.com
EDITOR**
Jacqueline M. Plemons, DDS, MS 214-369-8585, drplemons@yahoo.com
LEGAL COUNSEL
Carl R. Galant
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Linda Brady, CAE *Non-voting member **Non-voting
Malpractice insurance that’s all about you .
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Practices For Sale
FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH: Dallas GP in a beautiful retail center off a busy thoroughfare. The office is all digital with 4 ops and is in excellent condition. The practice collected over $466K on 4 doctor and hygiene days a week, plus 1 to 2 Saturdays a month. There are over 1,200 active patients that are a blend of 15% FFS, 80% PPO, and 5% children’s Medicaid. The seller refers out most specialties, leaving ample room for growth. Opportunity ID: TX-02114
HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH: Dallas GP in a professional building with great accessibility. The office has 3 ops and is in good condition. Currently using paper charts and is non-digital. The practice operates on 4 doctor days per week. Very real opportunity for growth by adding: a hygienist, new procedures, current marketing and/or extending hours. The practice has over 1,200 active patients who are a blend of 10% FFS, 50% PPO, and 40% Medicaid. Opportunity ID: TX-02061
FANTASTIC HIGH-END OPPORTUNITY: L.V.I. trained GP located in a Houston retail center with great visibility and a very popular anchor store next door. This office has 6 fully equipped ops and one unequipped but plumbed. The office equipment includes digital X-ray and Pano and has paperless charts. The practice is 90% FFS patients with a small amount of PPO. The office collected over $876K in a four-day workweek. This is a fantastic practice with the potential to grow for a motivated purchaser. Opportunity ID: TX-02041
MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR OPPORTUNITY: Large GP located north of Houston is available with real estate. The office is in a stand-alone building with 8 ops and is in excellent condition. It has digital X-rays, Pano, and paperless charts. The office operates 45 hours per week with 3 clinicians. There is over 6,500+ active patients, 70% Medicaid & 30% PPO/FFS, with an average of 96 new patients per month. Opportunity ID: TX-01979
membership awards
This special issue of the Texas Dental Journal recognizes members for their continual membership and contributions to the Texas Dental Association (TDA) for the following categories: 10 years, Good Fellow (25 years), Life (30 years), 50 years, and 60 years.
In addition to recognition at the TDA House of Delegates in May 2024, the following quotes and personal, professional, and membership experiences are highlighted to further honor their involvement with TDA and within organized dentistry. The entries are integral to submission in first- or third-person but may be edited for clarity and/or Journal style.
awards recognition
60-Year Members
The following recipients are recognized for reaching 60 years of continual membership and service to the Texas Dental Association.
Dr Roger E. Alexander
Dr James A. Archambeau
Dr James H. Atkinson
Dr M. Dennis Atkinson
Dr Chester H. Barker Jr
Dr Russell S. Barnett Jr
Dr Joseph H. Bell
Dr Robert A. Bettis
Dr L. Jack Bolton
Dr Frank E. Bonner
Dr J. Howard Carr Jr
Dr John R. Coats Jr
Dr Robert E. Courville
Dr Malcolm T. Dobbins
Dr Oren L. Duren
Dr Richard A. Eklund
Dr Donald E. Farrimond
Dr Michael A. Guzaldo
Dr James C. Haller
Dr E. Penn Jackson
Dr Walter M. Jarrell Jr
Dr Ben H. Jones
Dr Andrew B. Jordan Jr
Dr Jess N. Legg III
Dr William E. Litle
Dr David G. Lloyd
Dr Ernest T. Lontos
Dr Jerry L. Loveless
Dr Ronald T. Lowe
Dr Tom M. McDougal
50-Year Members
Dr David N. McGehee
Dr Winston O. Miller
Dr Louis Montanio
Dr William T. Morris Jr
Dr Robert W. Pritz Jr
Dr A. Gary Rainwater
Dr Weldon M. Reno
Dr James D. Rice
Dr Glenn A. Rogers
Dr Joe K. Smith
Dr Robert E. Sterns III
Dr Rodolfo Valle
Dr Alton V. Walker
Dr John H. Wilson III
The following recipients are recognized for reaching 50 years of continual membership and service to the Texas Dental Association.
Dr Nandkumar M. Ajwani
Dr Paul R. Alexander
Dr Robert A. Anderson
Dr Vincent C. Bash II
Dr Bobby L. Bates
Dr Eugene E. Bendele*
Dr John C. Besperka Jr
Dr Danny F. Bida
Dr Ronald E. Bosher
Dr Terry V. Braswell
Dr John N. Bridger
Dr David F. Bridgwater
Dr Walter A. Brinkman Jr
Dr Leslie E. Broline
Dr James L. Bruzzese
Dr James A. Bryan
Dr Neil A. Bryson
Dr John R. Burnett III
Dr William S. Cabaniss
Dr Randall L. Callison
Dr James D. Condrey
Dr Gerald F. Cox Jr
Dr Herbert F. Cross
Dr Benge R. Daniel Jr
Dr Roland S. Davies
Dr Daniel Ray Davis
Dr S. Spiker Davis
Dr Bill P. Devine
Dr James H. Donelson
Dr William L. Dubose
Dr Larry A. Dunn
Dr Tommy H. Dunn
Dr Arlet R. Dunsworth
Dr James R. Edwards
Dr Jimmy B. Eubank
Dr Ronald G. Evans
Dr James A. Fregia
Dr Ralph S. Fuller Jr
Dr Ronald L. Gallerano
Dr Richard C. Gleaton
Dr John J. Graves
Dr Charles M. Gray
Dr Richard V. Harbin
Dr Eugene W. Harper
Dr Stephen K. Harrel
Dr William G. Hendrickson
Dr Charles R. Henry Jr
Dr Jerry W. Herrington
Dr Norman E. Hillegeist II
Dr Dean A. Hudson
Dr Robert L. Huffman
Dr Robert F. Karr
Dr Harvey P. Kessler
Dr Michael L. Kirkland
Dr Howard S. Lasher
Dr Robert H. Levy
Dr Robert H. Lindsey Jr
Dr Paul L. Lively
Dr Donald M. Mabry
Dr Kent B. Macaulay
Dr J. David Malone
Dr J. Antonio Marquez
Dr Pierce L. Meadows Jr
Dr Donald R. Mehlisch
Dr Robert B. Mitchell
Dr H. Steve Morgan
Dr Robert B. Moseley
Dr Curtis A. Nicholson
Dr Richard B. Novick
Dr Larry L. Pace
Dr William T. Parker
Dr Manfred H. Peters Jr
Dr Donald R. Powell
Dr Charles H. Priess
Dr William D. Reed Jr
Dr Kenneth Rees
Dr John C. Reimers
Dr David N. Rickey
Dr Thomas M. Riggs
Dr Harold C. Riise
Dr Keith A. Robinson
Dr Lee M. Roe
Dr Jon R. Rollo
Dr Amos B. Ross
Dr Luther W. Ross
Dr Henry G. Schonenberg
Dr Robert E. Sears
Dr Tommy B. Shultz
Dr Douglas P. Sinn
Dr Benjamin L. Smith III
Dr Peter M. Spradling
Dr J. Barry Stovall
Dr Roger I. Van Horn
Dr Dennis C. Vaughn
Dr Carlos Vela Jr
Dr Jerry L. Wender
Dr John T. Wheeler
Dr David A. White
Dr Velton C. Williams
Dr Frank W. Wilson
Dr Craig M. Wright
Dr Roy B. York
Dr Lanny D. Youree
* Passed away March 2024
Life Members
The following recipients are recognized for achieving their Life membership status in the Texas Dental Association, which is 30 years of continual membership.
Dr John A. Adair
Dr Laura B. Adair
Dr James M. Alexander
Dr Charles M. Altman
Dr Michael Blackman
Dr William K. Bond
Dr Brian L. Britton
Dr Louis H. Cadena
Dr Kevin B. Calongne
Dr Thomas B. Campagna
Dr Tomas A. Canales
Dr Kevin L. Carlton
Dr Dave S. Carpenter
Dr Michael A. Casillas
Dr Douglas F. Chitsey
Dr Rodney D. Chowning
Dr Shelly K. Clark
Dr Charles W. Cline
Dr Devin S. Cochran
Dr Mark H. Copas
Dr Joseph C. Cowan
Dr Jodi D. Danna
Dr Jeremy A. Denman
Dr Kevin J. DiLeo
Dr Maxwell C, Elliott
Dr Jamiesue Ferguson
Dr Leopoldo R. Flores
Dr Keith O. Gerber
Dr Melissa L. Gerke
Dr Terri A. German
Dr Mark S. Geyer
Dr Andrea P. Gonzales
Dr Juan M. Gonzalez
Dr Alicia G. Gonzalez
Dr Shelby M. Green
Dr John W. Hammond
Dr Reba A. Harper
Dr Rick Herrmann
Dr John A. Jackson
Dr Elizabeth D. Jaynes
Dr Jeffrey C. Jaynes
Dr D. Lance Johnson
Dr Albert M. Jowid
Dr Chris L. Kirby
Dr Tsao-Chuen Ku
Dr Drew J. Lomonte
Dr Robert T. Long
Dr David Luck
Dr Lisa B. Masters
Dr Bridget D. McAnthony
Dr John R. McDonald
Dr Arturo Molina
Dr Kurt W. Myers
Dr Wesley W. Newell
Dr Daniel S. O’Dell
Dr Gino A. Orlandi
Dr Randy A. Parham
Dr Neela R. Patel
Dr Salvatore Pizzino
Dr J. B. Porsch
Dr Mark A. Porter
Dr G. S. Preece
Dr Michael A. Rainwater
Dr Jeffrey L. Ramirez
Dr Gregory D. Randolph
Dr Diana H. Raulston
Dr Steven J. Rodriguez
Dr Victor Rodriguez Jr
Dr David J. Saad
Dr M. Bernadette Sanchez
Dr Bret G. Sauer
Dr Kenneth Schaefer
Dr Jared S. Shultz
Dr Benjamin E. Smith Jr
Dr W. Randy Snyder
Dr John D. Stockman
Dr Isabel Vahedi
Dr Jill Wade
Dr Felicia M. Weatherall
Dr Robert F. Westmoreland
Dr Robert A. Whitmore
Dr George T. Wickersham
Dr Arvel A. Wilson III
Dr John B. Wise
Dr Michael A. Wong
Dr Thomas E. Young
Dr Dennis E. Youngblood
ORDER OF Good Fellow Members
The following recipients are recognized for achieving the Order of Good Fellow membership status in the Texas Dental Association, which is 25 years of continual membership.
Dr R. Ann Aduddell
Dr Brian K. Alver
Dr Rafael Aranda
Dr Shana M. Atassi
Dr Rupert D. Barron Jr
Dr Jason A. Berry
Dr Robert K. Bourquein
Dr Jimmie Brown
Dr Robert D. Brumbaugh
Dr Linda T. Burke
Dr Lisa R. Burkett
Dr Rowan H. Buskin
Dr Elizabeth S. Carlton
Dr Manuel C. Carrasco
Dr Johnny S. Cheng
Dr Jan X. Chiang
Dr Greg Condrey
Dr William J. Cruse
Dr Andres N. De La Garza
Dr Fidel Del Toro Jr
Dr Kurt E. Delius
Dr Deborah Diaz-Murphy
Dr Chad C. Duplantis
Dr Scott A. Elrod
Dr Sigurd Enoksen
Dr William B. Haley Jr
Dr Clinton R. Hardee
Dr Todd A. Harmon
Dr Anthony L. Harwell Jr
Dr Susie S. Hayden
Dr Gregory S. Hulings
Dr Chi H. Huynh
Dr Ralph G. Johnson III
Dr Stevan A. Koprivnik
Dr Galin L. Latham
Dr Lance E. Loveless
Dr Alexander M. Mazratian
Dr Shane L. Moore
Dr Nicholas L. Neville
Dr Kim-Loan T. Nguyen
Dr Lan M. Nguyen
Dr Nhung K. Nguyen
Dr Harold P. Olesen
Dr Cynthia A. Overholser
10-Year Members
Dr Stephen M. Parel
Dr David E. Parmer
Dr Janell I. Plocheck
Dr Neelanjani S. Prasad
Dr Arlynn G. Raez
Dr Steven L. Regan
Dr Joe C. Scasta
Dr Roger W. Schultz
Dr George G. Scott
Dr Adriana Segura
Dr Darrel R. Sherman
Dr Kendal H. Shipp
Dr Glenn A. Stern
Dr Gregory S. Tate
Dr Fernando A. Vignolo
Dr Marea White
Dr Raymond T. White
Dr Wendy S. Willett
Dr David E. Witherspoon
Dr Thomas L. Witte
Dr Johnny J. Zavala
The following recipients are recognized for reaching their first 10 years of continual membership in the Texas Dental Association.
Dr Arash Afkham
Dr Hany S. Ahmed
Dr Sridevi Alapati
Dr Nevin K. Allan
Dr Robert G. Appel
Dr Kristin V. Arnold
Dr Robert S. Arnold
Dr Christopher A. Atkins
Dr Adam S. Awtrey
Dr Jeff Baer
Dr Kevin Baethge
Dr Gayla M. Ballou
Dr Diane P. Banks
Dr Mariya Barnett
Dr AnneMarie J. Benage
Dr Leslie A. Blackburn
Dr Brian A. Bolerjack
Dr Jason R. Brock
Dr Hans C. Brockhoff II
Dr Kerin L. Burdette
Dr Marco V. Caballeros
Dr Randall Carlton
Dr Samuel A. Carrell
Dr Shannon C. Cestari
Dr Kyle R. Chambers
Dr Eileen L. Chen-Mizuuchi
Dr Thanh T. Chiem
Dr Ashley C. Coerver
Dr Kristen R. Crawford Ellis
Dr Hannah Dasari
Dr Matthew D. Davenport
Dr Cheryl E. Davis
Dr Deanna L. Davis
Dr Candice W. Denison
Dr Gary C. Dennis Jr
Dr Bernardino O. Elizondo
10-Year Members, continued
Dr Jason L. Espinoza
Dr Paul M. Esteso
Dr Jordan W. Felkner
Dr Melissa G. Fitzwater
Dr Brent A. Fleming
Dr Nathan J. Flesher
Dr Michael W. Ford
Dr Deborah R. Franklin
Dr Donna Franklin-Pitts
Dr Alexandria Garza
Dr Michael A. Gerlach
Dr Danielle R. Geshay
Dr Jaspreet Kaur Gill
Dr Adam K. Goodwin
Dr Brittany T. Greer
Dr Leonel Guardiola
Dr Gerardo J. Guillen Rivera
Dr James S. Guirguis
Dr Kalli E. Hale
Dr Charles C. Hanley
Dr John I. Hanna
Dr Spencer M. Hansen
Dr Grant Heller
Dr Bernard J. Hennessy
Dr Timothy G. Hill
Dr Duyen Ho
Dr Austin S. Hodges
Dr Patrick S. Hodges
Dr Amy Horton
Dr Kenneth C. Hsieh
Dr Virginia P. Humphrey II
Dr Clementine Ingabire
Dr Brent A. Jackson
Dr David E. Jaramillo
Dr Britany R. Jenkins
Dr Esther B. Jeong
Dr Christopher J. Johnson
Dr Kristi A. Karrington
Dr Nigel R. Kasali
Dr Stephen A. Katz
Dr Jo Ann H. Kim
Dr Phil J. Kim
Dr Raquel B. Kirwin
Dr Rebecca A. Koehler
Dr Gregory Kon
Dr Nada B. Kordab
Dr Elizabeth M. Laborde
Dr Eid Lahoud
Dr Victoria L. Leonhart
Dr Fredrick R. Lewcock
Dr Maureen R. Libby
Dr Rene Loera
Dr Timothy P. Long Jr
Dr Jared M. Louviere
Dr James R. Macholl
Dr Laith Mahmood
Dr Abby L. Mann
Dr Ashley E. Marcks-Lazar
Dr David D. Martinez
Dr Sukrita Matta
Dr Travis A. McAlister
Dr Mason W. McClintock
Dr David M. McGaffin
Dr Gezi Mebratu
Dr Carl M. Mentesana
Dr Emily Moers-Walding
Dr Ryan L. Montgomery
Dr Michael J. Morris
Dr Richard B. Moss
Dr Blake H. Mulgrew
Dr Chase Nesloney
Dr Phillip R. Newton
Dr Khoa H. Nguyen
Dr Luong H. Nguyen
Dr Timothy Nguyen
Dr Albert L. Ouellette
Dr Philip Pan
Dr Lacy R. Patterson
Dr Nathan J. Pettit
Dr Lynhthy T. Pham
Dr Tiana H. Pham
Dr Jennifer M. Phillips
Dr Thomas W. Pickett
Dr Steven F. Puffer
Dr Ricardo Ramirez
Dr Prashanth Ravi
Dr Kevin T. Ray
Dr Richard T. Rehnquist
Dr Niklas I. Resla
Dr Megan T. Robl
Dr Shawn M. Rodgers
Dr Randy R. Sanovich
Dr John L. Schneider
Dr Justin J. Seaman
Dr Garett J. Seeba
Dr Maryam Shariff
Dr Bethany J. Sharpe
Dr Jason M. Shroyer
Dr Khurram M. Siddiqui
Dr Mark A. Smith
Dr Rachel J. Speck
Dr Nisha Sundaragopal
Dr Vanessa M. Tanase
Dr Nilesh S. Thakkar
Dr Khin L. Thaw
Dr Jeremy M. Thompson
Dr Jennifer L. Tomblyn
Dr Travis G. Tomblyn
Dr Melissa Uriegas
Dr Kraig S. Vandewalle
Dr Amy R. Vela
Dr Harichandana Vemireddy
Dr Crystal E. Villarreal
Dr Travis E. Walding
Dr Jia-Woei Wang
Dr James M. Watson Jr
Dr Kemia O. Wendfeldt
Dr Randolph R. West
Dr Joshua C. Willard
Dr Lawrence L. Wong
Dr Amber O. Wooten
Dr Zachary T. Worsley
Dr Sneha Xavier
Dr Dong Yan
Dr Karissa A. Young
60-Year member
Dr Andrew “Art” B. Jordan Jr
60-Year Member • Lufkin, Texas Third District/East Texas Dental Society
I graduated from Baylor Dental College in 1964. I joined the Texas Dental Association that year to further my education leading to a successful dental practice. I was also fortunate to have a great mentor, Dr Andrew B Jordan Sr, my father, who practiced in Atlanta, Texas. After graduation my wife, Arline, and I moved to Atlanta until we decided to set up practice in Lufkin, Texas, in the fall of 1964. Arline is a graduate of the class of 1961 dental hygiene school. I was also blessed with my son, Dr Arthur Jordan, who joined my practice 30 years ago and has been a huge asset to the success of our practice.
The Texas Dental Association has been a big part of our success as a father-son practice. I would encourage
Dr Jordan and his wife Arline are pictured with their 4 children, their spouses, and grandchildren.
each one to join as it opens doors to continuing education and success with your practice as it has been for me.
Having had the experience of serving on the TDA Board from 1995-99 was a great honor and privilege.
Dr Jordan and his son Dr Arthur Jordan.
Front row (L-R): Dr Jordan, wife Arline, daughter Cynthia Bogle; back row (L-R): sons Jason Jordan, Andy Jordan III, Dr Arthur Jordan.
Dr Jordan and his son Dr Arthur Jordan are pictured with their staff.
50-Year member
Dr Danny F. Bida
50-Year Member • Arlington, Texas
Twelfth District/Fort Worth District Dental Society
I knew I wanted to be a dentist when I was 14 years old. I had a job cleaning my dad’s medical office, which was next to Dr Dekkar’s office. He was the team dentist for Arlington State College and would let me observe him extracting wisdom teeth and various other procedures. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, so I decided he would be my mentor. I believed he enjoyed having me hang around, and he would encourage me to keep my grades up.
I graduated from Arlington High School in 1968, UT Arlington in 1972, and Baylor College of Dentistry in 1975, and, yes, I was one of the 3-year wonders. While in dental school I was a PSI Omega, and they would have a party every weekend to blow off steam. I had an old 1962 Harley chopper and an old 1959 Triumph you could hand-crank to start that I would take to the parties. I still have them and I guess you could say I was somewhat of a hooligan in dental school. I especially enjoyed when I got up to clinic. I was a lefty and there were only 2 left-handed chairs in the clinic so I bought the one that I passed the board exam in and have it in my game room at my Arlington home. The grandkids love pumping it up. After I passed the board exam in 1975, I joined the ADA, TDA, 12th District Fort Worth District Dental Society, and the Fort Worth Academy of General Dentistry, and started my practice in my dad’s building. Dr Dekkar had me take over the UT Arlington team dentist duties and he introduced me to Coach Bud Elliot, various assistant coaches, and Head Trainer Bobby Lane. My dad, John F Bida, MD, did not see patients by appointment and just gave out numbers so I would go to his side of the building and see if those with high numbers wanted their teeth cleaned and checked while they waited to see my dad. In 1977 my little sister Janet Bida Ritchey joined us in the building and used this same technique to build her practice. We were the first and probably the last brother-sister duo to graduate Baylor College of Dentistry. My other 2 little sisters worked with us in the building with
Dr Bida keeps his L-3 Defender, a 1941 World War II airplane, at Lone Camp International Airport in Lone Camp, Texas.
Dr Bida with his catch, a 13-pound bass.
Lizanne Bida as my dental hygienist and Melinda Bida as my dad’s nurse. Lizanne talked me into buying a Cessna 150, which I used to fly to the UT Arlington football away games. We both got our licenses, and she married our flight instructor Gary Gierczak. In 1976 with the help of Dr Tommy Thompson and his dental buddies, we started a dental emergency service for the 12th District with the help of Liz Lucas. We all ran this for about a decade and Tommy said that we should be called emergency restorative dentists so we would make up little plaques for those who helped with that designation on it. In 1975 I was taking impressions for making custom mouthpieces for the football team when I met the team physician Dr Charles Vavrin who talked me into buying a 1948 Navion 4-seater with him. We flew to the away football games and cheated death many times. He turned out to be my best friend and later his wife and my wife were best friends. My wife was a trainer for UTA and the cover girl for the UTA magazine. Dr Thompson’s wife set me up for a blind date at Billy Bob’s on a double date. Six months later we were married and had 2 precious girls. My wife took over as office manager and soon we outgrew our location and built an 8-op office with an upstairs lecture area with mirrors where my wife could have aerobic classes and a weight lifting area. I did my first implant on
Coach Lindholm when someone threw a whiskey bottle knocking out his front tooth at the game against the Ragin’ Cajuns in Lafayette. I was president of the North Texas Dental Implant Study in 1982. I would host the monthly meetings in my upstairs lecture area. I received my certification from the American Board of Oral Implantology in 1992. I published my best paper “The Use of Dental Implants in the Treatment of Athletic Injuries” in 1991 in the Journal of Oral Implantology. I also served as president of the Fort Worth Academy of General Dentistry which was a great honor since Dr Jack Clark was the founder of the academy. I made up a plaque of the past presidents going back to Dr Clark and met many wonderful dentists during that endeavor. In 1989 I bought a Nd:YAG laser and trained under Dr Terry Myers to become an instructor for the Institute of Laser Dentistry. I held classes twice a month demonstrating laser applications on patients with the class size limited to 6 to 10 dentists. I held these classes for about 5 years and met dentists from all over the USA. I also helped start the Texas Academy of Laser Dentistry, which helped promote laser dentistry throughout Texas. I made many friends as we battled the establishment bias against laser dentistry. I received my mastership in the academies of Laser Dentistry and General Dentistry during this time. I also helped Dr Harris develop a low-cost air abrasion unit that was known as the Micadent unit. I did a breakfast clinic at least 20 times during this time
on the topics of implants, sports dentistry, air abrasion, and lasers
as well as table clinics. During the early 2000s I gave lectures on lasers for the TDA Meeting and the Southwest Dental Conference, as well as others.
In 1997, I started a country practice in Lone Camp, Texas, called Mountainview Laser Dentistry, overlooking Lake Palo Pinto. I ran that for 25 years and built a grass airstrip called Lone Camp International Airport where I keep my 1941 World War II airplane, the L-3 Defender. I sold my practice in Arlington and left the UT Arlington team dentist position after 45 years. I now enjoy traveling with my wife whenever we can escape babysitting our 5 young grandkids, flying the L-3, and fishing with the bass club and grandkids. It’s been a great life, and I could never have done it without my lovely wife
Academy of Laser Treatment at Dr Bida’s office
Dr Bida is pictured on his 1952 Harley with his wife and 2 daughters.
PSI Omega party at Baylor Dental School
Laser class at Dr Bida’s office
Life members
dr Thomas Baxter Campagna
Life Member • Midland, Texas
Twenty-one C District/Permian Basin District Dental Society
Dentistry has been the vehicle that has guided me through life. It has been rewarding financially, but, more importantly, professionally and socially. So many lifelong friends have been made through my practice and continuing education.
I would advise new dentists to stay active in organized dentistry and CE. We are always learning! Being involved in both has kept me engaged. CE has helped me provide the highest level of dental care and kept me up to date with new and exciting technologies and techniques. After reflecting on my 35 years in practice, I am thankful to be part of such a great profession.
Dr Salvatore Pizzino
Life Member • Woodway, Texas • Eleventh District/Central Texas
Dentistry has never felt like a job to me. It has been a lifelong journey, and what a journey it has been. The ability to enjoy the relationships created and caring for the generations of families has been a blessing. Being able to provide for my family and create beautiful memories is something I will cherish forever.
The ability to give back to our country by joining the Navy at the age of 40 doing what I do best to improve the readiness of our sailors has been phenomenal. A lifelong dedication to learning, mastering, and delivering dentistry for the betterment of my patients’ overall health has been energizing to me.
To those new dentists who are still reading, I was told as a young dentist these words, “Dentistry is a marathon, not a sprint.” You must be able to conceptualize and create longlasting health for those who seek your work.
It is hard to believe that 30 years have passed, but the old saying is, “It’s not work when you’re having fun!”
good fellows
Dr Cynthia A. Overholser
Order of Good Fellow • Lake Jackson, Texas Ninth District Dental Society
I moved to Texas 28 years ago for a GPR and have never looked back. I practice general dentistry in a small town doing the procedures I love and referring out the ones I do not. It has been a wonderful career allowing me to make so many lasting relationships with my patients, staff, and the community. It is truly satisfying to have the children I treated return to me as adults and bring their children to me.
I highly recommend working with at least one other practitioner to consult on difficult cases, share emergency calls, commiserate on the hard days, and celebrate the good ones. I worked with an older dentist for years, bought him out, and then hired a younger dentist who traded roles with me years later. There is a real satisfaction in the continuation of our practice’s conservative dental care philosophy.
Most of all, I am thankful for the work-life balance that general dentistry has afforded my husband and I raising our 3 children. It has been a fulfilling career with more good days than bad. I wouldn’t change a thing!
Dr Overholser with her family
Fun with a patient and assistant
Drs Overholser, Gary Weeks, and Thomas Ellisor.
Dr Alexander M. Mazratian
Order of Good Fellow • Beaumont, Texas
Second District/Dental Society of Southeast Texas
I have been practicing periodontology and implantology in Beaumont, Texas, for 27 years. After graduating from The University of Texas Dental School in Houston, I went on to complete my periodontal specialty and master’s degree in education at Louisiana State University. My General Practice Residency took place at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and I have kept my California license, along with my Texas license, active to this day.
Continuing education has always been important to me, and I am proud to be an active member in my field. I currently have memberships with the American Dental Association, American Academy of Periodontology, Academy of General Dentistry, and American Society of Forensic Odontology. I am also a fellow with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.
When I first came to the United States from Iran at the age of 15, I was determined to be successful and create a fulfilling life for myself. I have always known my calling was in the medical field. Once I decided to fully commit to dentistry, I never looked back. After exploring and considering different areas of medicine, dentistry grabbed my interest like nothing else. Conversations with a wide range of medical professionals also led me to realize that this avenue would give me the ability to help a larger scale of people compared to many other specialties, and this greatly appealed to me. My decision to pursue this career has come with many challenges, successes, and lessons that shaped my growth and development as a person and a doctor.
Connecting with my patients is another meaningful aspect of my work. It is extremely rewarding to help them look and feel their best. The creative aspect of crafting personalized care for each individual is enjoyable and exciting. Of course, nothing I do would be possible without my exceptional staff. I am fortunate to have a fantastic team that goes above and beyond to keep everything on track and make sure our patients feel at home.
My advice for aspiring dentists is to cultivate a mindset of perseverance and put in the work. Practice your communication skills along the way and strive to be a better communicator. Remain curious, and remember to enjoy the process. I would not change a thing about my journey that has led me to where I am today. I look forward to continuing to serve and support my community for years to come.
10-Year members
dr Melissa Uriegas
10-Year Member • McAllen, Texas
Fifteen-B District/Rio Grande Valley
Reflecting on these past 10 years and my involvement in organized dentistry, I get emotional as I am so grateful for each opportunity I have had.
Completing my GPR program on the Jersey Shore was a unique place to jumpstart my advanced dental training skills that were ideal for my dental start up. I can hardly believe that I have owned my private practice for 7 years.
As a leader in my hometown community, I am the trusted voice of dentistry. Part of my joy comes from mentoring students who are interested in a career in our profession. I encourage you to find a mentor and be a mentor. It is amazing what can happen with mentorship!
A significant part of my dental journey has been the people who have become my friends in dentistry. Thank you to all of my mentors! It has been an honor serving our profession, most recently on the TDA Board of Directors this past year!
Dentistry is part of my life’s adventure...it really has been a blast these first 10 years.
Peace, love, and smiles.
Pictured at the ribbon cutting for the opening of her office are her husband Dr Michael Sullivan, Dr Uriegas, and her parents Linda and Alberto Uriegas.
Dr Nada Kordab
10-Year Member • San Antonio, Texas • Twentieth District/San Antonio
I would like to thank the Texas Dental Association for this wonderful opportunity. Reflecting on my 18 years of experience, I can truly say that the most important blessing I have received is the rewarding relationships, not only with my patients, but also with my team members and my family—my wonderful husband, Hafez, and my 2 amazing children, Samer and Sally, who are the inspiration and the loves of my life.
I graduated from the University of Tennessee, College of Dentistry in Memphis in 2006 and started my dental career when joining the Tennessee Department of Health by serving my community in that year and our service members during military events.
During my 8 years of experience at the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), whether in Bolivar practicing as a general dentist, or in Jackson as an adjunct faculty and a clinic director, I have adopted the TDH’s mission—“to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people”— into my everyday work and have kept it to this time.
Upon moving to San Antonio, Texas, in 2014, I have joined private practices and had the privilege of working with amazing groups of dentists and learning from each of my patients and their families. I have had the pleasure of joining the Global Dental Ambassadors in 2018 to travel to other parts of the world and meet other dental professionals in dental schools to share and exchange oral health knowledge and culture. In my efforts to give back to the community, I have been fortunate to participate in numerous dental events, including Give Kids a Smile and Special Olympics. I have also been involved in many outreach programs serving our veterans, Head Start children, and school children.
As an ADA member since graduation in 2006 and now a member of the tripartite ADA, TDA, and SADDS. I have been so grateful to be a part of these organizations. I would recommend any of my new colleagues to join, as not only does it offer great opportunities to meet other dentists, but it also allows us to have a voice to be able to make a difference in our profession and to ensure that we continue to provide the best in health care for the patients we serve.
50-Year members
Dr Robert F. Karr
50-Year Member • Arlington, Texas Twelfth District/Fort Worth
Reflecting back on the “where did the time go” over 50 years. Dentistry has been very generous to me and my family. Yes, the profession has provided sustenance but moreover, it has provided opportunities for personal growth in many arenas for which I am eternally grateful. Practicing dentistry has allowed me to develop a close personal connection with my fellow man. Applying health care through dentistry has gifted me with the intangible satisfaction of improving the lives of others. When I leave this Earth, I will know I have done my best to make it a better place.
Life for new dentists is one where new horizons are continually opening up. Being the achievers we are, it is important to select attainable goals with wise choices of which avenues we choose to travel. Your personal integrity is your most valued personal asset, do not compromise this for money or any other reason. If this is challenged…if the situation cannot be resolved…move on…you will find the right place for you. On the physical side, find a form of workout that you can adopt for a lifetime, and be consistent, it will develop within you a resiliency that will benefit you through the years.
Stay close to organized dentistry, you and your colleagues will be able to keep the flag proudly flying through the persistent winds of change.
Dr Robert L. Huffman
50-Year Member • Cleburne, Texas • Ninth District
Dentistry was a perfect fit for my personality. I enjoyed fixing things and have a real passion for order and cleanliness. It allowed me to help people and get to know them in a personal way. My wife and I were able to work together. She was good at management and accounting. The classmates and friends I made became lifelong relationships. Dentistry was a great fit for me and thanks to UTDB Houston for a well-rounded education.
Dr Charles R. Henry Jr
50-Year Member • Midland, Texas • Twenty-First-C District/Permian Basin
Being a part of the dental field for 50 years has been such an honor. I married my wife, Janice, in 1970 while attending Baylor Dental School in Dallas, Texas. My DDS degree from Baylor Dental School was obtained in 1972, and I received my MS degree from Loma Linda University in Southern California in orthodontics in 1974. From 1974 to 1976, with the rank of a major, I served in the Air Force as an orthodontist at Elmendorf AF Base in Anchorage, Alaska.
We had our first child, Kristen, while in dental school, and our second child, Carrie, during my orthodontic residency in California. Our third child, Blake, was born in Anchorage during our service time in the Air Force. Blake is now an orthodontist in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
It has been a joy seeing the impact of living and working in the dental field in one community for nearly 50 years. I moved to Midland in 1976 to start my private practice of orthodontics, and I retired in 2021 after 46 years of private practice.
The dental profession truly has been such a blessing to me and my family.
Not only has it allowed me to provide quality oral health care, it has opened doors for many areas of service in the community. I have had opportunities to serve on non-profit boards and local civic foundations. I have had opportunities to be in leadership positions with my church as well as local and national Bible studies. I have been able to coach kids and invest time in schools. I have also been able to be involved in my patient’s lives and serve families across multiple generations.
I discovered a long time ago that a dental practice is similar to a hospital. Every person that walks into the office has some sort of wound and often comes in needing more than a dental procedure. There are divine opportunities every day— opportunities to love on and serve people, opportunities to give an encouraging word and pray for people, and opportunities to be a positive influence on people.
I truly believe a dentist is a very important person in the community. I believe a dentist has the opportunity to be a person of great influence. A dentist can be a person that others trust and can truly make someone’s life better by providing more than just quality dental care.
The dental profession has given me opportunities to live my life by serving others. My hope and heart is that I have modeled this after the life and example of Jesus who reminds us in Mathew 22 that we should love God and love others. I tried to do this one patient and one smile at a time.
60-Year member
Dr Donald E. Farrimond
60-Year Member • San Antonio, Texas
Twentieth District/San Antonio
While attending Trinity University in San Antonio, I would often visit my older brother, Marvin Farrimond, at UTDB Houston. He was so engaged and enthusiastic about his dental school experience, that he inspired me to follow him into the profession. As a graduate of UTDB Houston Class of 1964, dentistry has been rewarding, exciting and gratifying for me every day of my 60-year practice. It has been a great honor to help generations of families throughout San Antonio and south Texas. Having and keeping my patient’s trust throughout so many years—so many decades—is my greatest privilege. I feel that all my patients are my family.
Pictured with Dr Farrimond are his daughter Elizabeth, wife Maxine, and daughter Lynette.
My career has included so many remarkable advances, which has reinforced the need to stay a lifelong student. I have enjoyed keeping up to date on the most current techniques, equipment, and materials. I encourage all dental professionals to stay curious and eager to learn.
Some of the most gratifying parts of my career have been improving the oral health of people and creating relationships along the way. It was important for me to be available. I would open my office daily before 7:00 AM and on Saturdays at times that are more convenient for my patients. Patients could call me at home with their emergencies and I would make myself available.
Dentistry has never felt like a “job.” I have always enjoyed the craftsmanship of this profession. I have cherished the one-on-one time that I get to share with each patient. Setting realistic expectations and avoiding stress were keys to a fulfilling career. I found that, although not every outcome can be ideal, you do your best work, and communicate as much as possible with your patients and success will find you.
Family Practice Dentistry has been a significant part of my life. I couldn’t be more blessed to have the loving support and encouragement of my family, especially my wife of 62 years, Maxine. We are so very proud of our 2 daughters, Lynette and Elizabeth, who with their families have filled our home and hearts.
I still enjoy going into the office each day, visiting with patients, working with my daughter, Elizabeth Farrimond, DDS (Baylor ‘97), and my nephew, Wayne Farrimond, DDS (UTDB ‘82) and consulting with my son-in-law, Jason Gillespie, DDS, MS (Baylor ’97, ’00), a prosthodontist practicing in San Antonio. I am very excited and proud of my granddaughter, Lauren Gillespie (UTDB Houston 2027), who just finished her first year and is where I wish I could be, starting anew. Sharing my passion for dentistry with my daughter and now my granddaughter makes me feel as if a little part of me will continue on even after I am gone.
Dentists run in the family. Dr Farrimond’s daughter Dr Elizabeth Farrimond, granddaughter Lauren Gillespie (dental student), son-in-law Dr Jason Gillespie, and nephew Dr Wayne Farrimond.
Drs Elizabeth and Don Farrimond.
Life members
Dr Robert A. Whitmore
Life Member • Arlington, Texas • Twelfth District/Fort Worth
Dentistry is an amazing ride. I can’t believe it’s been almost 40 years since I graduated from Baylor College of Dentistry. I plan to continue practicing because I enjoy my patients and realize I am making a difference in this world. You will come to realize that these 2 things outweigh the money you make by giving you purpose in what you do.
Dentistry has provided an opportunity for me to participate and lead numerous mission trips to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. I began in my freshman year of dental school with a trip to Matamoros, Mexico. A group from Baylor went to an orphanage to provide dental care for the kids. The seed was sown. The trips to Guatemala and Mexico have touched the lives of thousands. Over the years, over 200 volunteers have donated a week of their lives to make a difference in the dental health of people living in third-world countries. People who would have never had access to the luxury of a pain-free mouth we take for granted. Helping a person you have never met before and will never see again is truly altruistic, and gives incredible meaning to what you do. We are here on Earth to make the world a better place. Work with your church or other organizations to do what you can to make a difference; you don’t have to go to a third world country to find those who need help.
Dr Whitmore and patient in Guatemala.
Dr Whitmore and daughter Alexa perform a filling.
Clinic in Guatemala.
Local organizations are also important in my life. Be involved where you live or work. Here in Arlington, I have been active in Dental Health Arlington and Mission Arlington to help the people here in my hometown. I served on the Board of Dental Health Arlington for over 15 years. The people in our own community are just as important to serve as the impoverished people in other countries.
Organized dentistry is extremely important for the future of our profession. Be involved in your local study clubs, district meetings, etc. I have always been proud to be a member of TDA and the ADA. These organizations really proved themselves during COVID. Kudos to both.
Spend time with your family and loved ones. Let your employees know how much you value them. Enjoy the ride.
Dr Neela R. Patel
Life Member • Houston, Texas • Eighth District/Greater Houston
What Has Dentistry Meant to Me?
Dentistry has allowed me to blend my core passions during the last 30 years. My insatiable desire for learning, which stems from my father’s influence, combined with the rapid growth of the dental field, has enabled me to be a lifelong learner. Learning how to improve my treatment protocols and opening my eyes to different treatment options for patients has furthered my knowledge and supported my desire to serve others. Dentistry has also given me a sense of community. I have made lifelong friendships with other like-minded dentists who have studied alongside me. Reflecting on my journey, although I have endured some hardships, I feel that I have been blessed with a rewarding career that has provided me with numerous benefits personally and professionally.
Dr Whitmore holds a baby goat at his homestead in Arlington.
Pastor Isaac Batz and Dr Whitmore at Lake Atitlan in San Pedro, Guatemala.
Daughter Jenna Risher and Dr Patel before the Fellowship of Academy of General Dentistry award ceremony in Boston in 2016.
10-Year member
dr GERARDO JOSE GUILLEN RIVERA
10-Year Member • El Paso, Texas • Sixteenth District/El Paso
What Has Dentistry Meant to Me?
Dentistry represents a blend of science, artistry, and compassion. It’s not merely about fixing teeth; it’s about improving people’s lives by enhancing their oral health and confidence in their smiles. Dentistry encompasses preventive care to maintain healthy teeth and gums, restorative procedures to repair damage, and cosmetic treatments to enhance appearance. It’s also about fostering trust and comfort between dentist and patient, ensuring that individuals feel valued and supported throughout their dental journey. Ultimately, dentistry is a vital part of overall health care, contributing to both physical wellness and emotional well-being.
Furthermore, being an oral surgeon means possessing a unique blend of surgical skill, medical expertise, and compassion. It involves a commitment to improving the oral health and overall well-being of patients through surgical interventions. Oral surgeons are entrusted with complex procedures, ranging from wisdom teeth extraction to jaw reconstruction, addressing issues that significantly impact patients’ quality of life.
For me, being an oral surgeon also means being a problem solver and a source of support for patients during what can often be a stressful time for them. It’s about approaching each case with meticulous attention to detail, empathy, and a dedication to providing the best possible outcomes. Oral surgery isn’t just about fixing physical problems; it’s about restoring confidence, relieving pain, and helping patients regain their ability to eat, speak, and smile comfortably. I don’t take this responsibility lightly and feel blessed to have this task.
Share a Memory of a Special Time
I travel often to the Dominican Republic to tend to children with cleft palates. These children in underprivileged parts of our world deserve the same care and compassion, and they are a big reason why I enjoy being a part of this movement.
During one of my trips, I had the privilege of treating a young child born with a cleft palate. When the child and their parents first came to the hospital, they were understandably anxious and concerned about their child’s future.
We discussed the treatment options available, including surgery to repair the cleft palate and ongoing care to ensure the child’s speech and dental development progressed as smoothly as possible.
Throughout the process, I made sure to provide not just medical expertise but also emotional support to the family.
The day of the surgery was emotional for everyone involved. As the child was wheeled into the operating room, I saw the mix of fear and hope in the parents’ eyes. I assured them their child was in good hands and that we would do everything possible to ensure a successful outcome.
After the surgery, seeing the child in the recovery room brought tears to the parents’ eyes. While there was still a journey ahead in terms of recovery and rehabilitation, there was also a sense of relief and optimism for the future.
Over the following months and years, I had the pleasure of watching the child grow and thrive. With speech therapy and ongoing dental care, the child’s speech and oral function improved significantly. It was incredibly rewarding to witness the transformation and to know that I had played a part in giving this child the opportunity for a brighter, healthier future.
This experience reinforced to me the importance of not just treating the physical aspects of cleft palate, but also providing comprehensive care that addresses the emotional and developmental needs of the patient and their family.
Provide Words of Wisdom for New Dentists
For new dentists embarking on their professional journey, here are some words of wisdom from what I have learned over the years.
Never stop learning: Dentistry is a field that’s constantly evolving with new techniques, technologies, and research. Commit yourself to lifelong learning by attending continuing education courses, staying updated on the latest literature, and seeking mentorship from experienced colleagues. Continuing your education is the best way to treat a patient to the absolute best of your abilities.
Prioritize patient care: Your patients should always be your top priority. Listen to their concerns, treat them with empathy and respect, and involve them in decisions about their treatment whenever possible. Building trust and rapport with your patients is key to a successful dental practice no matter the specialty.
Develop your communication skills: Effective communication is essential in dentistry, both with patients and colleagues. Practice clear, compassionate communication to ensure patients understand their treatment options and feel comfortable asking questions. Additionally, foster open communication within your team to promote collaboration and efficiency.
Embrace technology: Dentistry is becoming increasingly digital, with advancements in imaging, diagnostics, and treatment modalities. Embrace technology in your practice to improve patient care, streamline workflows, and stay competitive in the field.
Take care of yourself: Dentistry can be physically and emotionally demanding, so it’s crucial to prioritize self-care. Maintain a healthy work-life balance, set boundaries to prevent burnout, and seek support from peers or professional organizations when needed.
Be adaptable: The dental landscape is constantly changing, and you’ll inevitably encounter challenges and setbacks along the way. Stay flexible and adaptable, willing to adjust your approach and learn from failures. Remember that resilience is key to long-term success in dentistry.
Build a strong professional network: Surround yourself with supportive colleagues, mentors, and peers who can offer guidance, advice, and encouragement throughout your career. Networking within the dental community can open doors to opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and professional growth. These networks will be vital to your growth and success.
Stay patient-centered: Ultimately, dentistry is about improving the lives of your patients. Keep their needs, preferences, and goals at the forefront of your practice, and strive to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care with every interaction. After all, we pick this profession to serve our community, we must remember that at all times.
It is my opinion that by embracing these principles and committing yourself to continuous growth and improvement, you’ll lay a solid foundation for a fulfilling and successful career in dentistry.
Dr Guillen is pictured with his wife Dr Michelle Espina at the University of Puerto Rico 2009 when he received his certification for oral surgery and she received hers for orthodontics.
good fellows
Dr Glenn A. Stern
Order
of Good Fellow • Canton, Texas • East Texas Dental Society
My road to dentistry was not a straight one. While at Texas A&M, I thought I wanted a career as a physical therapist. When that did not pan out, I came back home to Kerrville, Texas, after graduation to figure out what I would do next.
Dentistry, however, had always been in the back of my mind as a career option. The dental community in Kerrville, when I was growing up, was a group of professionals who had a great influence on me. They were truly dentists who did things the right way with integrity and functioned as colleagues in our town. E.C. Willman, Gary Crozier, H.L. Risinger, Mike Borchers, Keith Winslow, Gary Thorne, David Hunt, Byron Dahse, Scott Sachs, Charles Gray, and Wayne Rux were all dentists I knew and looked up to.
My father had a good friend named Jim Stokes, who was a new periodontist in town. He took an interest in me and put me on the road to dentistry as a career. He met with me, encouraged me, allowed me to work in his office, and helped me get my dental school application sent in one day before the deadline in Fall 1996. I will never forget his words, “Let’s send this in and see what happens.” An interview spot opened in January at Baylor (now Texas A&M), and my meeting with admissions director Jack Long could not have gone better. A few weeks later, I received my acceptance letter.
I came to Dallas for dental school and, in a few months, reconnected with a college friend, Julie Clayton, who was in law school at the time. A few months later, we were married.
In my third year of dental school, my wife began work as an attorney in Canton, Texas. Across the street was a nice dental office. Eventually she met the dentists there, Dr Ben Bratcher and Dr Mike Hackney. They were in the market for an associate. I visited and did a 1-week preceptorship there, and by the time I was in my fourth year, they had still not filled the associate position. I came on as an associate after graduation in May 2000.
After a year or so, as an associate, I became partners with Dr Ben Bratcher. I remain so to this day. Together, we have built a top-notch group practice in Canton with 4 dentists, 23 employees, on-site specialists, an on-site laboratory, and all the latest technology in dentistry. Our office was started in 1965 by Dr Mike Hackney, and we are coming up on 60 years of being in the Canton community.
I genuinely love being involved in a group practice in a small town. We practice every aspect of general dentistry, from children to seniors. The support, mentorship, collaboration, and team environment of a group, in my view, is unmatched. Being in a small one-high school community is a joy. Our office
Dr Stern is pictured with his partners, Dr Bratcher (left) and Dr Hackney (right).
can contribute to all kinds of community organizations, schools, etc. In 2020, we partnered with MB2 Dental, which has opened even more opportunities for our office to thrive and grow.
Over the course of my career, I have attained both fellowship and master status in the Academy of General Dentistry. I have done mission work in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and in the Texas Mission of Mercy program. For many years, Dr Bratcher and I have been adjunct faculty at Texas A&M College of Dentistry and hosted dental students in our office for their preceptor program.
I have 2 grown children. My son Clayton is a senior at Texas A&M and my daughter Caroline will be beginning there in the fall.
Dr Jim Stokes remained an influence on me until he passed away in 2009. He and my father remained best friends in Kerrville for many years. My sister ended up marrying his son, so we remain close to their family to this day. I still stay in touch with Dr Gary Crozier as well.
I am grateful daily for Dr Jim Stokes taking an interest and investing in me and all the dentists in Kerrville for their example through the years, and to Dr Jack Long for the interview and acceptance to Texas A&M College of Dentistry, and to Drs Hackney and Bratcher for the opportunity and mentorship in our office for the past 25 years.
The profession of dentistry is precious, and we are all caretakers of a precious, valuable gift. I hope we will continue to do the right things, the right way, for the right reasons.
Dr R. Ann Aduddell
Order of Good Fellow • Canton, Texas • Third District/East Texas
I’m always amazed at how quickly time passes. Seems like it was just yesterday I acquired a small, rural practice in Canton. I was eager to serve my patients and provide them with compassionate, high-quality dental care. Truthfully, I was fearful; I was all alone. So, I started attending the East Texas Dental Society (ETDS) meetings quietly, hoping to make new friends and “fly under the radar.”
Dr Dennis Stansbury and Dr David Bright requested I meet them one Friday morning at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Lindale. Dr Stansbury refused to discuss the issue over the phone. I don’t know why but I immediately thought the worst, like being called to the principal’s office. It crossed my mind that for some reason, I was about to be censured. After all, a private meeting requested by the local dental society’s president and vice president cannot be good. Imagine my surprise (and relief) at being asked to sit on the society’s board of directors—the first woman to do so! And, in 2013, I was honored to serve as the society’s first female president.
Long story short, the East Texas Dental Society reached out to me and made me feel like a welcomed and valued member of the dental community. I’m grateful for my colleagues’ support and fellowship and the service opportunities afforded me. Thank you, TDA and the East Texas Dental Society.
Dr Stern is pictured with Dr Bratcher (left) and the late Dr Stokes (right).
50-Year member
DR ARLET R. DUNSWORTH
50-Year Member • Dallas, Texas • Fifth District/Dallas County
My career in dentistry began in high school when my biology teacher, Mr Falls, encouraged me to pursue an occupation in health care. I selected a dental education track and was fortunate to attend both Baylor University and Baylor University College of Dentistry, followed by a Residency in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. It was during those years that I became a member of the Dallas County Dental Society, the TDA, and the ADA. Following 2 years of active duty as the chief of oral surgery with the rank of major at Maxwell Air Force Base Regional Hospital in Montgomery, Alabama, my wife Janell and I returned to Dallas with our newborn son. The ensuing years were rewarding both personally and professionally as a full-time faculty member at Baylor College of Dentistry with Dr D. Lamar Byrd and Dr John Allen for almost 8 years before transitioning to private practice.
Dentistry is undoubtedly the best of all health care professions primarily due to the opportunities to make independent decisions for location, hiring staff, vacation time, hours of operation, fees for service, etc., without external interference dictated by an employer or an insurance company.
The opportunities afforded by my participation in “organized dentistry” are too numerous to mention, but to have been able to serve in Dallas as an officer in the Dallas County Dental Society, including chair of the Southwest Dental Conference, and as the president and member of the Texas Dental Association Board of Directors holds special memories. Those years of cooperation with colleagues, who also became friends, allowed me to have relationships I would never have had without being involved in these groups. To have met and worked with Texas leaders like Drs Glen Hall, Rick Black, Mike Stuart, David May, John Findley, and Matt Roberts, just to mention a few, as well as the TDA staff, including Diane Rhodes and Jess Calvert, was of
Dr Dunsworth and his wife Janell are pictured in front of the star he constructed for the Dallas Lutheran School’s Gala Fundraiser.
inestimable value and a wealth of knowledge and influence. An additional benefit has been Janell’s participation in the Alliances of Dallas County and Texas Dental Associations.
One of the highlights of membership came during a monthly meeting in Dallas when shredding the mortgage note for our Dallas County Dental Society’s Executive Office building was done with great “Star Wars” fanfare. I must credit my colleague and friend Dr Hilton Israelson for his outstanding foresight leading to the purchase of our building, as well as his dedicated leadership of the TDA.
As far as “words of wisdom” for dentists who have completed their formal education and are entering the practice of their chosen profession are to be present, be approachable, be sincere, and kind to your patients, and do not hesitate to become involved with your local dental society. The rewards, both personally and professionally will be unmistakably invaluable as your career unfolds.
From a personal perspective, I have been retired for more than 10 years—not really missing the work but missing the staff and patient relationships. We are enjoying family life with 7 grandsons and their parents, the oldest having graduated from Baylor University last December and then married on the 30th. Janell and I celebrated our 50-year anniversary last year with a family cruise of the western Caribbean. We have been truly fortunate to have been able to travel, and I always have a project, or several, to occupy my time, including most recently the construction of a star entry for Dallas Lutheran School’s Gala Fundraiser. My hobbies include golf (I wish I could play better and more often), watching our resident owl in the box I built, framing jigsaw puzzles completed by grandsons and friends visiting in Colorado and frequenting estate sales because, as you know, “a person can never have too many screwdrivers.” And finally, from an unforgettable movie, “It has been a wonderful life” enriched by the innumerable friendships of dental professionals and their families.
Dr Dunsworth’s family is pictured on a Western Caribbean cruise trip vacation to celebrate his and Janell’s 50th wedding anniversary.
Drs Dunsworth, John Kostohryz, and Chris Cartwright play golf in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.
An owl takes residence in the box built by Dr Dunsworth.
60-Year members
Dr Tom M. McDougal
60-Year Member • Dallas, Texas • Fifth District/Dallas County
What Has Dentistry Meant to Me?
I could not have chosen a better profession than this. It was as if God put a desire in my heart at age 14 to be a dentist, and I never considered anything else. Fortunately, chemistry and biology were natural for me. I never considered the hand-eye coordination required to be clinically excellent. That came later, perhaps because my junior and senior years were easier for me in school.
Dentistry has given me the impetus to grow in formulating and running a business, as well as being able to practice the art and science required to be a master dentist. This profession has taught me to be a psychologist, excellent communicator, scientist, time manager, employer, and hopefully, role model. Remember: Your dental education is only the beginning. Purpose to be a perpetual student by selecting excellent continuing education and selecting great in-office consultants.
Share a Memory of a Special Time
I have had many memories and special times, including receiving awards, such as the Outstanding Baylor Alumnus Award in 2009 and the Dentist of the Year Award from Dallas County Dental Society in 2004. Being elected the president of Dallas County Dental Society in 1989 and president of the American Academy of Dental Practice in 1999 were also highlights.
Special times currently are my many friendships with my colleagues (not competitors) in dentistry. A beautiful, memory I shall forever cherish is how other dentists have unselfishly given me help and advice over the years.
Dr Tom McDougal and his wife Janet.
Dr McDougal was named Baylor Alumnus of the Year in 2009 and is pictured with his wife Janet, daughter Dianne Kannenwischer and her husband Horst Kannenwischer, and daughter Laura Swann.
Provide Words of Wisdom for New Dentists
Dr Tom McDougal— Brazil, November 2003
• Join and support organized dentistry. You must leave this profession better than you found it. Yes, there are many competitors in the market place but there is always room for the master dentist—one who is excellent technically, a great communicator, is likeable, has marvelous trust skills, and high integrity.
• Buy or associate with an established practice that has an excellent dental hygiene program. The equity in a dental practice is determined primarily the by strength of the hygiene program and secondarily by the reputation and skills of the senior dentist.
• Be a giver. I have always said that God’s mathematics are funny. The more generous we are, the more it comes back to us. Find a way to help others, expecting little or nothing in return, and see what comes back to you. Volunteering time at an indigent dental clinic or blessing the less fortunate in your office always yields big dividends.
• Become a businessman. Understand time economics in your practice and become very efficient in what you do. After establishing a good banking relationship, utilize this to invest in yourself or to invest in real estate, stock market equities, etc. Purpose to be financially free in a designated period of time. For example, if it is 25 years, establish 5-, 10-, 15-, 20- and 25-year goals with written timeline strategies every 5 years for this to occur. Always seek wise counsel from a financial planner or someone skilled in wealth accumulation.
Dr McDougal was #13 on the Baylor Dental basketball team, 1963-64.
dr Robert A. Bettis
60-Year Member • Irving, Texas Fifth District/Dallas County
Baylor College of Dentistry, Class of 1964
The profession of dentistry has been one of the most satisfying and rewarding endeavors of my life. Besides the obvious asset of providing a very satisfactory lifestyle, it has provided me with a most fulfilling opportunity to take part in health care for those that I can best describe as “good friends.”
Following my retirement from active private practice, I had the privilege of serving as a clinical assistant professor at Baylor College of Dentistry for several years. lt turned out that the role of interacting with the incoming first-year students and in the clinic with the third-year students was one of the most memorable periods in my entire professional career. The interaction with the students and their insatiable quest for knowledge was stimulating and renewing.
Life members
Dr Andrea P. Gonzales
Life Member • Murphy, Texas • Fourth District/North Texas
I vividly remember walking through the basement door at Baylor College of Dentistry in August of 1989 and being nasally assaulted by the aroma of formaldehyde wafting from the gross anatomy lab during our first week of dental school. It is hard to believe that 35 years have passed so quickly! I received my DDS in 1993 and completed my pediatric dental residency and master’s degree at Baylor College of Dentistry (now Texas A&M) in Dallas in 1995. I had a private practice, Dental Care 4 Kids in Flower Mound, for 22 wonderful years, and I missed watching my patients grow up after selling it in 2019. As my own children grew older, I had time to become more involved in organized dentistry. I have been very active with the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry for the last 10 years, and I’m still currently serving as both an examiner for the Written Exam Committee and the Oral Clinical Exam. I have also been involved in Texas dentistry while serving as a member of the Dental Peer Review panel for the TSBDE for the last 8 years. When my kids were both off to college, I went back to school and completed my master’s degree in Health Care Leadership and Management at the University of Texas at Dallas in 2022. I currently work for Blue Cloud Pediatric Dental Surgery Centers in Dallas and Grand Prairie providing full mouth dental rehabilitation for children in an OR setting. I also have a private practice that provides locums for pediatric dentists.
I have so many fond memories of dental school and pedo residency at “Mother Baylor,” and I’m lucky enough to stay in close contact with many of my dental classmates (now traveling buddies). Pediatric dentistry has provided me with a rewarding career of helping children and families, allowing me to incorporate my love of science along with my life goal of making kids’ lives better. Remaining active in organized dentistry has allowed me to stay current with new research, techniques, and materials, which I feel is essential to providing good patient care. If I could offer words of wisdom to new dentists, it would be to learn the business side of dentistry, too. In my private practice, I was “cross-trained” on how to do everything in the office, including entering patient info, filing insurance claims, posting insurance payments, and doing payroll.
Dr Gonzales is pictured with Dr Nancy Rajchel and Dr Jeff Jaynes in Scotland in 2019.
Dr Gonzales and her daughters, Sophie and Lauren.
Dr Kevin B. Calongne
This not only keeps you, the dentist, more attuned to the performance of your business, but it also gives you insight into what your team members deal with daily. Don’t be afraid to start your own practice, erect your own building, or learn a new facet of dentistry. Educated risks and change are scary, but you can’t grow without branching out!
On a personal note, I have 2 Texas A&M Aggie daughters (one is now attending grad school in Korea, one is a junior at A&M), one bonus daughter at the University of Arkansas, and a bonus son headed to OU in the fall. My husband, Dr Tim Church, is the chief medical officer of Wondr Health. In my spare time, I enjoy doing all types of yoga (which led me to become certified as a Vinyasa yoga instructor during COVID) and traveling the world.
Life Member • Houston, Texas • Eighth District/Greater Houston
In the fall of 1985, I was a college junior majoring in zoology at LSU with no clear path to a career other than I knew that I wanted to be in a medical field. I had some friends in the pre-dental curriculum, and I started to think about dentistry myself. Because I loved science and working with my hands, I felt dentistry might be a good fit for me. Seven years of post-secondary education later, I was a periodontist, but the periodontist that I was originally supposed to go in with changed his mind a month before I finished my post-graduate training. I had no place to go, but a very kind dentist named Ed Johnson gave me an 800-square foot office already built out for $800 per month and 6 months free rent. He and the other dentists in the building were so nice in referring patients and helping me to get started. I owe my success to them and to many other wonderful people. I came to understand that the vast majority of dentists are great people who love their patients as much as the practice of dentistry, and I found my own career to be extremely rewarding for the same reasons.
To those just entering the profession, I have some advice. One of the best things about being a dentist is the autonomy to make decisions for yourself and with your patients in recommending treatment and how you practice. This autonomy is paramount in the ethical treatment of patients and for your own happiness. I fully understand the difficulties of getting started out of school these days. The debt load and responsibilities that you carry are huge. I wish it were otherwise, and it was easy to get a loan, open an office, and treat your patients the way that you were trained and in a way that you are comfortable with. The reality is that most of you will go to work for corporate dentistry in some form or fashion at least on a temporary basis. In this reality, please keep in mind your own moral compass. When you develop a treatment plan and treat a patient, they are putting their trust in you as a clinician. Yes, they are paying your employer for the treatment, but you and you alone are who they respect and hold responsible for their treatment. You are smart and compassionate, or you wouldn’t be in this field. Please don’t ever allow anyone of any entity to come between you and what you know to be the honest and ethical treatment of your patients. Follow your moral compass, and you will have a long and prosperous career in dentistry, one that you will look back on someday at my age with fondness as I do.
Godspeed to you in your endeavors.
Dr Gonzales and her husband Dr Tim Church with their children, Lauren, Sophie, Lucy, and Charlie.
Drs Gonzales, Anne Mary Orr, Jackie Kleven in Las Vegas in the eary 2000s.
Drs Jyoti Vallabh, Jackie Kleven Vaughan, Anne Mary Orr, and Gonzales at BCOD Christmas Formal in 1990
10-Year members
Dr Nisha Sundaragopal
10-Year Member • Katy, Texas • Greater Houston Dental Society
It feels like I just wrote my essay for my college back in lndia, Boston University, University of Southern California and NOVA-Southeastern University. Education is a lifelong journey, and I have been married to dentistry. Dentistry is a part of my life, from BDS to DMD to MS to right now doing my PhD in dental sciences. I have been a life-long learner. I have gone through a tough path of dentistry in this country to start all over again. To do the National Boards, to study all the 4 years in 2 years, it has never been easy to repeat the clinical exam to look for that clinical lesions and pass those examinations in a single attempt. It has been a challenging life as a dentist and is never been easy for anyone. But I wish people, parents, and the other dentists understand and be nice to each other. I’ve been practicing as a solo practitioner in Katy, Texas, for the past 7 years and our office, Smile Rangers Dental, reflects a true Texan heart. I was very happy to see that Texas Dental Association recognized my 10 years of contribution as a Texas dentist. It means a lot to me. It means a lot to my team of Smile Rangers. I wholeheartedly thank my staff—RDAs Team Lead Miroslova Espinoza, Alicia Sardinas, Teresa Hernandez, Cristy Velasquez, Amtul Malik Farooqui, Norma Martinez, and my Manager Juni Garza.
I have been married to Mr Madhav Sadhu for past the 20 years—a computer engineer, senior vice president with Mens Wearhouse. I have 2 adorable kids, Harshith and Liya. Harshith is ranked fifth in Jordan High School, and he is a state winner in Vex Robotics. Liya is a fourth grader at Shafer Elementary, and she is an adorable, caring young sweetheart who is kind to all animals. She’s an artist who helps me with designing for plus-size models my Q Closet venture.
We have been working hard for all these years to make sure our community is aware of dental problems and free of toothache. We have a feeling of contentment when we heal pain, cure ailments, and bring happiness in our patients’ hearts and smiles to their faces. Technology has been advancing and making dentistry’s overhead inflated beyond imagination. The corporate dentistry has taken over a lot of solo practitioners, and the whole fabric of dentistry becomes more commercialized if running a practice is spoken of in terms of dollars. My practice is not focused on money, but we concentrate on a comprehensive quality care to our patients. “Caring for healthy smiles” is not just a tagline, it’s the mission and the vision of our practice. I was called Dr Nisha in lndia, and when I practiced at the border in Laredo, Texas, my hygienist called me Dr Sun, and it was a turning point. I only know myself as Dr Sun, and I have been working very hard to make sure my patients are happy, and I try to give my
Dr Sundaragopal’s family, her son Harshith Sadhu, her daughter Liya, and her husband, Madhav Sadhu.
(L-R): Harshith Sadhu, Teresa Hernandez, Miroslova Espinoza, Dr Sundaragopal, and Alicia Sardinas.
best efforts to provide them quality and affordable care.
After I finished my advanced standing program in Boston University, I thought my education was done, and I could never become a masters. Thanks to the distance learning programs, I am a specialist in geriatric dentistry. Words are not enough to describe the peace and contentment to serve our geriatric patients. The elderly patients worked their entire life, and adult Medicaid and other dental insurance plans do not provide much to them. I made sure that I’m going to work hard to help them and help ourself with good dental plans when we retire. I feel that we dentists have a lot of work to do to help our patients have good oral health. As good overall health is reflected from good oral care.
Apart from practicing dentistry, my office has brought on students from Katy ISD’s Miller Career & Technology Center. I have been teaching students for the past 4 years through PACE, and I am a PACE mentor, helping students pursue their further education in the pre-medical and the pre-dental program. Apart from that I am also a mentor for University of Houston shadow program and students visit on regular rotations for the pre-doctoral and pre-dental program with Smile Randers Dental as an externship site.
I also train many students and sometimes even my patients who want to follow a dental career, and they train with me at my office. They have become registered dental assistants, dental hygienists, and pre-dental students. I’ve sent many prospective candidates to UCSF, USC, Boston University, and New York University. I feel very accomplished to be able to contribute by preparing the next generation of good dentists. I have been conducting cancer awareness programs and cancer walks through Miss Bharat Texas, a platform that empowers women and men, at the Austin Capitol in 2022, at the Fort Bend County judge’s office in 2023, and this year we are planning it at the Statues of Equality in Houston in 2024.
I graduated from Boston University with the clinical excellence award from Dean Dr Hutter, and I was recently awarded as the “ Yellow Rose of Texas” by our Honorable Governor Greg Abbott for my contribution towards the community and helping them to have happy healthy smiles.
I have published my first research journal on cervical caries in older adults in a peer journal reviewed as a part of my master’s thesis program, and I want to continue more publishing and research. My vision and mission is to bring a change in this world by providing healthy smiles to many, and provide this world with abundance of knowledge and research about wisdom teeth and STEM cells.
I wholeheartedly thank ADA, American Dental Association, Texas Dental Association, and the Greater Houston Dental Society for this opportunity to publish my thoughts into this journal. Thank you for a sweet memorable journey for these past 10 years and let’s build more together. I want many more to join me.
dr Garett Seeba
10-Year Member • Webster, Texas Ninth District
Since coming to the Houston metro area in 2015, I have participated in many volunteer opportunities. One of the most memorable is St. Vincent’s Hope Clinic in Galveston, Texas. My wife and I moved to Galveston Island 6 years after joining my current practice (Oral Surgery Associates in Webster) . What I find unique and fulfilling about St. Vincent’s Hope Clinic is that it occurs every Saturday and assists underserved individuals on the island. The clinic has steadily grown since inception, and I get the unique opportunity to work with UTMB medical students and predental volunteers. St Vincent’s reminds me of the Moss Free Clinic that I volunteered at 22 years ago during undergrad studies in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Advice for new dentists:
1. You can learn something from every professional encounter that you have. Take notes — absorb what is useful reject what is useless.
2. The patient usually has the answer to their diagnosis it’s your job to bring it to light.
3. Dentistry is not supposed to always be easy; if it was, there would be no value in pursing it. Be consistent in your pursuit of excellence. Do something tough every day. For myself that is the pursuit of physical challenges; it provides meaning and purpose for your life as well as prepares you for challenges in the office.
good fellow
Dr Deborah DiazMurphy
Order of Good Fellow • San Antonio, Texas Twentieth District/San Antonio
Practicing dentistry has been an absolute honor and privilege. Throughout the journey, I have had the opportunity to meet a diverse array of individuals, each with their own unique stories and needs. Being able to contribute to someone’s smile or alleviate their pain is profoundly satisfying.
By imparting knowledge on better oral health care practices to our patients, we can empower the community to take control of their dental health and overall well-belng.
Dentistry can extend its reach beyond our communities and local borders. Participating in a mission trip to Ecuador was a humbling experience when I witnessed the long lines in the early morning hours waiting for us to open the clinic.
For me, going to work each day has never been a chore; it has been a joyous privilege. Over the years l’ve discovered that true fulfillment stems not from the tasks we perform or the challenges we overcome, but from a profound sense of purpose and satisfaction that accompanies each patient interaction.
The dedicated team members, the patients who entrust us with their care, and the colleagues who inspire and support us truly enrich the experience.
Dentistry is perpetually evolving. As new techniques, technologies, and research emerge, the landscape of our profession undergoes constant change. To the new generations of dentists who are just starting their careers I offer a simple piece of advice: never stop learning. Embrace each day with gratitude and enthusiasm and never lose sight of the profound impact you have on the lives of those you serve.
Dr Lance E. Loveless
Order of Good Fellow • Austin, Texas Tenth District/Capital Area
Dentistry means so many things to me. It was my driving force through college just to get into dental school. After dental school, it has been my driving force to become the best dentist I could be through continuing education. My thirst for knowledge has taken me to many places I probably would have never thought of going to both internationally and nationally, and I continue to learn.
Dentistry has been my outlet for my artistic expression, my profession, my hobby, my challenge, and my purpose. It keeps me sharp and is exciting. It is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get to do on any given day. Dentistry has helped me provide for my ultimate purpose (my family). It has given me the flexibility in my schedule to be “present” and to be involved in my children’s lives and has allowed us to create many memories through travel and time off from work. The many meetings I have been able to take my entire office to, like the TDA Meeting in San Antonio, and many others over the years have been great. I am so thankful that I found a profession that I truly enjoy and have a passion for.
Here is to the next 25 years!
60-Year member
Dr A. Gary Rainwater
60-Year Member • The Colony, Texas Fifth District/Dallas County
Dentistry has afforded me once-in-alifetime opportunities, unique challenges, and the ability to advance the dental profession worldwide.
At the early age of 8, I knew I wanted to become a dentist. After graduating from dental school, I established my practice in Dallas. I became involved in the Dallas County Dental Society, which served as training for skills that served me well as Speaker of the House of Delegates for Texas as well as the Speaker of the House of Delegates of the American Dental Association, and finally as president of the American Dental Association. The most memorable event when I was president of the American Dental Association was the honor of being able to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, DC.
During the years, I worked to dispel myths about safety in the dental office and worked to contribute time and effort to help underprivileged families. I addressed dozens of professional organizations and dental schools. I always stressed the importance of dentistry as a profession. If we reduce dentistry to a business where the bottom line is that “cheaper is better,” then that is a problem. That still stands true today. It’s an important reminder to dental students and dentists.
I am especially grateful that my son, Michael, took over my dental practice when I retired in 2005 and has continued to help unprivileged individuals and families.
In closing, I would like to share a memory of a special time in my life. When I was in early grade school in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, my father was Superintendent of Schools. Every day after school, I went to my father’s office and waited until he was finished with his business so we could walk home together. Some of these were long and boring hours. I would focus on a plaque on his wall, which has been ingrained in my memory for my entire lifetime. The writing on the plaque was from Grantland Rice, an early sportswriter, and it said, “For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He writes—not that you won or lost—but how you played the Game.”
When he was president of the ADA, Dr Rainwater laid the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, DC.
Life members
Dr Dennis E. Youngblood
Life Member • Las Vegas, Nevada • Fifth District/Dallas County
I became a dentist because my father (an optometrist) suggested it would be an “honorable way to make a living while also helping people and serving the community.”
As such, I concentrated my efforts from high school on becoming a dentist. While in dental school, I was introduced to oral and maxillofacial surgery, and I was hooked. I subsequently applied and was accepted for surgery residency. After residency, I returned to Dallas to practice where I grew up. Shortly thereafter, Dr Gil Triplett recruited me to Baylor College of Dentistry because he felt “it was important for minority students to be exposed to minority specialists to know that was indeed an option for them in dentistry.”
As I reflect back on my career in dentistry, I have been blessed to have private practices, and teach in 2 different dental schools, work as a dental director for 2 different insurance companies, and watch hundreds of dentists educated over these years. My father was indeed correct in his guidance, and I am forever grateful for it.
Dr Jamiesue Ferguson
Life Membership • Bartlett, Texas • Tenth District/Capital Area
I am honored to receive this Life Membership Award after 30 (Wow! Has it really been that long?) consecutive years of TDA membership. It is a blessing to be a member of this noble profession, which has afforded me the opportunity to balance career and family. The abilities and skills necessary to practice dentistry are God-given talents and truly a calling. Dentistry is a job of tremendous privilege and responsibility to treat patients and develop rewarding personal relationships with them to positively impact their oral health, smiles, and, ultimately, their lives for years to come. Praise the Lord for 3 decades of blessings, opportunities, privileges, and rewards!
Reflecting on the past 30 years, my words of wisdom:
D evelop listening skills.
E nthusiastically take pride in your work.
N ever live beyond your means.
T reat and care for your patients as if they were your closest, most beloved family members.
I nvest in your retirement, beginning with your first paycheck.
S tay positive, kind, honest, and conscientious.
T rain and educate; be a lifelong learner.
R emember to pay it forward.
Y ou: take care of yourself, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Dr Ferguson with her staff, Viviana Tutson, Paula Hinze, Tonya Bloedorn, RHD
50-Year members
dr JAMES H DONELSON
50-Year Member • Spring, Texas • Eighth District/Greater Houston
Notes to New Students
When asked to summarize the last 50 years, I would say fantastic! I could not have picked a more rewarding, challenging, and exciting profession. Rewarding in that you have the opportunity to make patients’ lives happier and healthier; exciting because there are always new procedures to learn, patients to meet and help, and colleagues to share your love of dentistry; challenging because each day you strive to be the best dentist you can be.
Looking back, I decided that I wanted to be a dentist after meeting with my lifetime family dentist at a junior high job fair. I never wavered from that goal, though there were ups and downs along the way. The late ’60s and early ’70s were challenging times because of the Vietnam War and the “counterculture” of the time. Many of my friends were being drafted, and it was difficult to focus on academics that could make or break dental school acceptance.
I can remember the day I received the acceptance letter from Baylor and a week later from UTDB in Houston. I had graduated and was working for Brown and Root at the time. It was a hard choice: Both were great schools. Baylor was farther away, had a large open clinic area, and the tuition was over 3 times that of UTDB. UTDB Houston was closer, with individual bays, and the tuition was $300 per semester. That was a lot of money difference back then for a poor country boy.
Dentistry has changed so much in 50 years that most of you younger dentists would not recognize what we had to work with back then and how we did dentistry, but it worked for our patients. Dentistry was simple paper records, with no computers for scheduling or patient records. Wet finger dentistry was the norm, amalgam fillings were the mainstay, but new composites and bonding agents were coming out. All we had in school were gold crowns and inlays, 3/4 crowns, so it was nice to have porcelain fused to metal crowns. At the time, UTDB did not do them in our classes. Impressions were hydrocolloid, rubber based, and the new silicone impression materials were just coming on the market. In 1975, I can remember going to one of
Dr Donelson and his wife Karen celebrate Easter with their grandchildren at their home in Boerne.
Dr Donelson with his wife of 47 years, Karen, board member and past president of ATDA.
the first meetings on the new idea of “dental” insurance. Those first dental insurance programs had a max of $500 to $1,000. (Some things never seem to change).
One of the biggest changes in how dentistry was practiced was caused by the HIV paranoia in the 1980s and COVID in recent years. But both pandemics completely changed how we practiced dentistry.
Today’s computer- and technologybased practices we have now would not be believed by the dentists of the ‘70s.
Technically, there is one thing that has not changed, and that is understanding occlusion. I feel going to the L.D. Pankey Institute and Pete Dawson’s classes on occlusion in the 1980s made me a much better dentist. Good occlusion is still the gold standard for the patients of today.
The other mainstay of my practice that I would have new dentists focus on is that I tried to treat all my patients as friends and family during the years I practiced. My advice is to strive for excellence but know you will not be perfect and know your limitations. I opened my dental practice in Spring, Texas, in the summer of 1976 and practiced dentistry for 47 years.
I was blessed to have a family practice where many times I treated 4 generations of the same family. I hope you will have that same opportunity.
Dentistry was perfect for me and has allowed me to enjoy my family, coaching soccer, traveling, hunting, fishing, and wildlife photography.
I am blessed with my wife, Karen, of 47 years, have 4 children and 8 grandchildren with one on the way. For the last 5 years, I have tried to spend 20-30 days a year snow skiing, have traveled the world, but most importantly, spent quality time with my family.
I cannot imagine having any other profession. I would still be working one or two days a week if I could. I miss all the patients who meant so much to me. I want to thank the TDA for the support it has given me all these years. Dentistry is not just a career; it is a life-affirming journey that I loved, and I thank God for allowing me to serve my community these last 50 years.
Dr John J. Graves
50-Year Member • Goldthwaite, Texas
Heart of Texas District Dental Society
Baylor School of Dentistry graduated 2 separate classes in 1974. I was in the fall graduating class. My dental career started in high school, being the son of the only dentist in a small town. I was his chairside for after-hours calls. I was his temp chairside in the summer when the regular chairsides were on vacation. Like my classmate, Griff Murphy, I am 1 of 7 dentists in my family. Back in those days, amalgams were measured in a balance bean that you pulled silver filings in one end and mercury from an open container in the other end.
I was lucky to return and work with Dad, one of the best dentists I’ve known. Under his tutelage, I had to learn to fracture off the distobuccal cusp of lower thirds with mallet and a chisel, which made tooth removal “easier.” I also had to wax a 3/4 gold crown on an upper central in the mouth. Because “that’s how we do it.” He once repossessed a set of dentures. He traded dentures and $75 for a bird dog that mom wasn’t proud of. We were privileged to be on staff at the local hospital with 2 other dentists, serving as chief of staff briefly when their rent-a-doctor quit. We had free oral cancer screening on one Saturday a year and early childhood pre-school checkups at schools, usually in August. In a small town, you can make house calls and nursing home calls. You can pull loose baby teeth in the parking lot on your way into church. You can treat jail inmates—even those indicted for murder. One was a lady. One was in high school with me. They brought inmates through the waiting room in handcuffs, attached to a belly chain and leg chains. I always made sure I had good anesthesia with them. Dentistry has been wonderful to me. I worry that the startup costs are so prohibitive for new dentists. I don’t see many small towns with a local dentist as a result. And that’s sad.
I joined the ADA/TDA as soon as I was licensed and have always been proud of that. I feel they always represented what is best for organized dentistry.
His new passion—skiing! Dr Donelson has skied over half a million vertical feet in the last couple of years!
Dr Donelson married his wife Karen in May 1977.
50-Year members
Dr Bill P. Devine
50-Year Member • Grand Prairie, Texas • Twelfth District/Fort Worth
50 Years in Dentistry!
I graduated in 1969 from UTA and taught science in a private school for a year! I decided to apply to dental schools and was accepted at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry Class of 1974! I graduated and set up a private practice in the then small town of Mansfield, Texas. It turned out to be the perfect town for me and my wife Andrea (Andi) who I met in Louisville. She was a dental hygiene student when we met. She has been my support and partner in life. With the help of the Almighty, we raised our 4 children, Alexa, Chad, Andrew, and Darby, in the growing city of Mansfield, Texas. I used to tell my 4 wonderful children that raising them was like being pecked to death by chickens!
I practiced dentistry for 31 years in Mansfield. Being a dentist was rewarding, challenging, and a continuous learning experience. I met so many great patients and had lots of conversations! Helping people to have a healthy smile is a great feeling. Being a member of a community and a health professional is something I am very proud of!
As life would have it, in 2006, I was offered a job to start a school Healthy Smiles Dental program at John Peter Smith Hospital. This program was to provide exams, dental education, fluoride, and sealants to the schools in Ft Worth.
What a challenge! With the help of the director of dentistry, Dr Huda, a new chapter of my life began! For the next several years, my team serviced schools, homeless shelters, immigration centers, pregnancy centers, and senior citizens.
Through my work with the immigration center, I even published an article in the Texas Dental Journal titled “Are You Ready for the Betel Nut?” Immigrants from Burma chewed the betel nut routinely, and it left a black stain on their teeth that some patients did not want to be cleaned off! Never thought I would be published, but decided to share my experience!
I retired in 2018. Dentistry has provided me an amazing, rewarding career. I met so many wonderful patients, staff team members, teachers, students, and dentists! I always considered my team members as the most important part of my dental practice, and I am so grateful they were on our team!
Would I Do It Again?
Yes, but probably do some things differently, as life gives us lessons every day! I’ve learned to be thankful for every blessing I’ve been given! I still catch myself humming the school education song we sang every visit to the schools: “Teach Me How to Brushy!”
To new dentists, be open to new opportunities and ideas that may come your way. Thank the people who support you, and enjoy the ride! Have a great day! Thanks, TDA!
Dr Devine wrote an article that was published in the August 2012 Texas Dental Journal.
Dr Bill Devine—JPS Staff Dentist
Family of Bill and Andi Devine
Dr S. Spiker Davis
50-Year Member • Houston, Texas Eighth District/Greater Houston
I graduated from the University of Texas Dental School in Houston, Texas, in June 1974.
What an awesome adventure this has been, bar none. I knew I wanted to be a dentist at age 8, and my parents made me go to Johnson O’Conner Testing Center at age 14. I tested out to be a great dentist, not only that, but they concluded I would enjoy dentistry and have fun. We have all heard that if you love your work, you will never work a day in your life, and that is me! I believe that God put me here because I love working with people, and I love getting handshakes, hugs, and kisses for what I do. What other profession provides that? And I truly do love it!
In my first year out of school, I went to the Pankey Institute to hone my skills. Dr Pankey told me I would be so happy with my chosen profession, and he was right. At the time, I was working with the best dentist I have ever known, Dr Larry Byrd. Larry taught at the Pankey Institute, The Pete Dawson Academy, and the Bioesthetic Institute. Dr Byrd started me on my dental path, and within a few years, I had gone to all of the Pankey and Dawson courses. Before long I was a master in the Academy of General Dentistry and Accredited with the Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. The point was that I was mentored by one of the best dentists ever. That encouraged me to seek continuing education. We all know that dentistry is constantly evolving. We must keep up or fall behind.
One of my fondest memories was being able to hire Dr Pete Dawson’s dental assistant. She had transferred to Houston because her husband was going to law school here in town. I had just put an ad in the Greensheet newspaper, and she answered the ad. She
would tell me how often Dr Dawson would receive gifts from patients for doing an outstanding job. One of my patients overheard that discussion, and the next week, my patient delivered a stainless and gold Rolex watch to my office to say thanks. I still have it to this day.
Several very special memories come to mind that I really enjoyed. First, I had the privilege of working with Dr Byrd as the team dentist with the Houston Rockets. It was a great thrill to be on the court with the team. Later, I enjoyed being the team dentist for the Houston Oilers during the “Luv Ya Blue” days. It was so energizing to be on the field in the Astrodome. Later on, I enjoyed being the official dentist for the Miss Houston and Texas Pageants, which culminated in working with Miss Universe, Chelsea Smith. The most privileged and honored memory was having President George H. Bush as my patient and enjoying the classy socks that he always wore to the office. I truly miss him and his values.
I have several pieces of advice for younger dentists. It mainly revolves around the fact that we are in a unique profession of privilege and that is a privilege to serve all of our patients from all walks of life. In addition to service, in my opinion, if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail! Develop a plan that revolves around continuing education and values. Become the best dentist you can be and prove it. Always stay true to your values. If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything! Also, surround yourself with team members who share your values and have an attitude that the glass is always half full. Many patients are seeking the best or seeking someone who aligns with their own set of values. Stick to it.
I look forward to passing the torch someday to my younger partner.
At a ’70s party in Fredericksburg, Texas, for the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024, with his wife, Betty.
10-Year members
Jason Brock
10-Year Member • Houston, Texas Eighth District/Greater Houston
I have had the pleasure of being a member of the TDA for 10 years now and have felt very fortunate to be a dentist in this great state of Texas. Having served locally in the Greater Houston Dental Society in various ways, I have seen how many dentists care and want to give back to their communities and their profession.
On the state and national level, it is great to see how our fellow dentists work so hard to guarantee someone in our profession is looking out for us in navigating the political arena. Having given some of my time at the local San Jose Clinic in Houston, it is rewarding to help those that don’t have the resources to get proper health care.
To new dentists I would say, Learn to give back. There is always a place to fit in in dentistry, find new colleagues, and give back in time and/or money. You just have to be open to taking that step in finding out about what is in your area.
dr chris johnson
10-Year Member • Dallas, Texas • Fifth District/Dallas County
I can’t believe it has already been 10 years of celebrating membership with the TDA. Practicing oral and maxillofacial surgery this past decade has provided so many rewarding experiences. I am proud to practice in the state of Texas and be a part of organized dentistry. Over the past 10 the landscape of dentistry and my specialty has changed drastically, and organizations like the TDA have been vital to preserve our wonderful career.
Helping people in need never gets old. My life was forever changed by my local OMFS, I am so fortunate to be part of a large community of health professionals whose focus is to change their patient’s lives.
Dr kerin burdette
10-Year Member • Waxahachie, Texas
Fifth District/Dallas County Dental Society
I knew I wanted to be a dentist at the age of 12. I remember shadowing my dentist, who lived around the corner from my home, just like it was yesterday. This memory still brings a smile to my face.
I love dentistry! I feel so blessed to be able to improve the oral health of children in the community, teach the dental students at Texas A&M University School of Dentistry (TAMSOD), mentor students interested in dentistry through TAMSOD’s Bridge to Dentistry Programs, and connect with colleagues through organized dentistry.
My words of wisdom to new graduates, “Never lose your integrity, treat your patients like your most significant other, and be sure to give back.”
Drs Burdette, Carmen Smith (TDA Secretary-Treasurer), and Stephen Morgan from Houma, Louisiana.
Dr Burdette is pictured in March 2024 at the American Dental Education Association “New Beginnings, Endless Opportunities” annual session meeting for Section on Addiction Education (SAE), of which she was the outgoing chair.
10-Year members
dr Tiana Pham
10-Year Member • Fort Worth, Texas • Twelfth District/Fort Worth
I became a dentist because it allows me to work with people, create with my hands, and help patients every day.
Being a teenage immigrant from Vietnam in 1997 and witnessing my parents’ sacrifices, commitment, and hard work have shaped who I am today. Those earlier years in America have cultivated my tenacity to face many challenges in dentistry and life.
The most rewarding moment in my career has been an international mission trip to Vietnam in 2019 with my husband and children. That trip is a constant reminder of how blessed we are, the importance of giving back and it has changed the trajectory of my goals in life. Since then, we have been involved in several more local missions and are planning on our next international mission for 2024.
I also enjoy guiding pre-dental students in their journey in discovering and see if dentistry is a good fit for them.
The everchanging world of dentistry keeps me learning and growing in all of its disciplines and that keeps things really exciting for me.
After 15 years of practice, dentistry continues to be a great joy, a fulfilling passion, and affords me the privilege to serve patients from all walks of life.
“The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The work of life is to develop it. The purpose of life is to give your gift away.”
Dentistry is my gift, both given to and by me.
Dr Pham’s artwork from a team-building event for her practice, Vibrant Smiles Dentistry in Fort Worth, Texas.
Interacting with a student at a local elementary school career fair.
Dr Pham treats a patient during an international mission with Hand-In-Hand Share Missions.
She is pictured on an international mission with a young patient from Kon Tum Province, Vietnam.
Dr Paul Esteso
10-Year Member • Frisco, Texas
Fourth District/North Texas Dental Society
What Dentistry Has Meant to Me
I started my journey late as my chosen path combined with family obligations were a priority that put my dream to sleep, but the passion for dentistry never went dormant. Becoming a dentist was the beacon that encouraged me to close my life at age 47 and pursue this adventure. The journey was unknown and the possibility of success uncertain, but I knew that there was only one way to achieve it and that was to try and give it all I had. I believed I had the skill and proficiency but also a deep understanding of the profound meaning dentistry holds in the lives of those we touch.
The gratification of alleviating pain, the artistry of restoring a smile and changing the life of a patient were some of the ideals I envisioned dentistry would offer. These combined with the business skills acquired in my life, my creativity, compassion and never-ending willingness to learn seemed like a perfect match. The 8 years of rigorous education and training allowed me to develop and refine my skills, mastering the intricate techniques that enable us to restore oral health and enhance quality of life.
In the years that I have been practicing I have realized that beyond technical expertise, the essence of dentistry lies in empathy and connection. We must recognize the vulnerability of our patients and strive to create a safe and compassionate environment. Patients come to us to resolve their concerns, fearful of pain and costs, and many share their life tribulations with us. These forge meaningful connections that transcend the confines of the dental chair. Fostering our patient’s trust and understanding requires that we become not only healers but also confidants and advocates for their well-being.
Restoring a smile does much more than alleviate debilitating pain, it is a boost to self-confidence, and in many instances elevates the patients dental IQ improving their oral home care. These moments of transformation fuel the passion I feel reminding me why I chose this profession.
I embrace innovation and the transformative power of the profession. Staying abreast of the latest advancements in technology and techniques through ongoing education allows me to offer more services while upholding the highest standards of care.
My memory would not be complete without recognizing all the incredible people that supported me along the way. If you are reading this and you are one of them, thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me be where I am.
Share a Memory of a Special Time
I had a patient who had seen many dentists, she was in her 30s,
worked for an insurance company in customer service making close to minimum wage, and single. She was extremely thin as she could barely eat or sleep due to the condition of her teeth and pain. She had major dental issues on top of extreme fear of dental work, but she knew she had to do something, so she had been preparing economically and emotionally for the journey ahead. She had been told over and over that all her teeth had to come out and be replaced with implant supported restorations. This approach was too much for her and not convinced, continued her search.
We offered her a different alternative that consisted of some extractions, root canals, crown, and bridge but most of all I demanded that she see her primary care physician as I feared for her life. She was amicable to that idea and decided to move forward. The work took a couple of months and multiple visits, but we transformed her smile. Soon after, she got a 6 figures job in Houston using training she had received in the Navy, got engaged, and her life started smiling at her. To date she continues to come to Dallas for her dental work, including hygiene. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life.
Provide Words of Wisdom for New Dentists
First of all, congratulations on embarking on a noble journey filled with endless opportunities for growth, impact, and fulfillment. As you step into the world of dentistry, enjoy the privilege of serving, be a lifelong learner, cultivate empathy and compassion, prioritize communication, practice ethically, seek balance in your life, embrace technology and new challenges as these will provide opportunity for growth, give back to your community, and motivate and promote the wellbeing of your staff, and you will undoubtedly find fulfillment and success along the way.
50-Year members
Dr Benge R. Daniel Jr
50-Year Member • Fort Worth, Texas • Twelfth District/Fort Worth
As a child, I never had any intention of being a dentist. Growing up in Lubbock, Texas, my mother always wanted me to be a “doctor.” All of my studies in high school (Lubbock High School) were guided toward medicine. In my first 2 years at Texas Tech, all my classes were pre-med. After that, social activities were a bigger part of college/fraternity life. I finally got a B.A. in history as the draft lady knocked on my door. All of my electives turned out to be science, chemistry, and biology courses. My best friend Michael Jones, who was my tennis doubles partner in high school and college and who recently had an article published in the Texas Dental Journal, had left Tech to go to dental school (U.T. Houston) after 3 years. That is when I started thinking about dentistry as a career.
After graduating from Texas Tech, l joined the Air Force and went to basic training and Officer Training School at San Antonio. I left as a second lieutenant and was stationed at Webb AFB in Big Spring, Texas, for pilot training. From there, I went to Lowry AFB in Denver, Colorado, for munitions officer training. My first duty assignment after all of that training was in Duluth, Minnesota, as a munitions officer for the 87th Fighter Wing, with nuclear safety, explosive safety, and explosive ordinance disposal as side jobs. lt was at Duluth that Dr Leonard Abramson was instrumental in my going to dental school at the University of Minnesota. Like any other dental school, the first year was not easy, but it wasn’t easy for anyone! After graduating, I eventually went to a postgraduate course in periodontology at UT Houston and the USAF Medical Center in San Antonio in 1979.
Following dental school, I remained in the U.S. Air Force for a total of 22 years, retiring in 1991. My family moved to Fort Worth, where I practiced for 32 years as a periodontist. I retired 2 years ago. I don’t miss the work as much as I miss my patients. Dentistry has provided me the opportunity to be a part of the dental community (l held all offices in the FWDDS) and of the community in general. Being a dentist opened many doors,
A FWDDS tennis tournament: Bottom row: (left) Dr John Jacobi’s wife, Dr Daniel’s wife Jackie (right); second row, from left: Dr John Jacobi, Joan Cordell, Charley McCluer, William Cook, Richard Mc Donald, and Dr Daniel; third row (L-R): Bill Roddy, third is Corky Cordell, behind McDonald is John Quincy, and Bill Runyon.
Dr Wayne Schuricht (ER doctor) and Dr Daniel won the base tennis championship at Carswell AFB, Texas, in 1983.
Pictured is the ROD Club (Retired Old Dentists). Dr Daniel says he kept this picture because it shows Dr Gene Wood (front row, white shirt and tie) who was a terrific mentor to him as he started private practice in Fort Worth.
both professionally and socially, in Fort Worth. As a dentist, you will not just have dental friends (and families), but other professional friends as well. There is still great camaraderie amongst my dental colleagues, and that will last forever. The periodontists in Fort Worth are a very supportive group, most attending the same meetings together and all taking ACLS together. I was very fortunate to be a part of it all. My wife Jackie, my son Robert, and my daughter Lauren were there all of the time as the best support group ever!
Share a Memory of a Special Time
When I was in dental school in Minnesota, we were all placed in 6-man rows at our lab stations in the basement of Ohre Hall. We worked on plastic teeth (from the typodont) with our wax carvings. A friend of mine went with his carving to have it checked by our instructor, a very rigid fellow. He looked at the carving and said, “Do my eyes deceive me, or is this an optical illusion?” The phrase that became much used humorously amongst ourselves. The instructor crushed the carving and suggested that my friend would be better off if he tossed the smashed carving off of the Washington Avenue Bridge. My friend later became an orthodontist in Minnesota, finishing first in our class.
Provide Words of Wisdom for New Dentists
1. Be honest with your patients. Their health is more important than your bottom line.
2. Own up to your mistakes. Don’t try to hide them or place the blame on someone else. Your patients will appreciate your truthfulness, and so will your employees.
3. Be kind to your employees. Your patients are coming to see them, too, not just you. A happy employee is a productive employee.
4. Make sure that you come to work on time. Patients will be irritated if they are there before you are, and they will know it.
5. Stay involved with organized dentistry. Be active in your local and state dental organizations.
Dr Donald R. Mehlisch
50-Year Member • San Antonio, Texas • Tenth District/Capital Area
Dr Mehlisch received his undergraduate education at Graceland College, in Lamoni, Iowa, and the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Professional education includes a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the University of Iowa, College of Dentistry and a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Minnesota, College of Medicine. He performed his residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and received a Master of Science in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr Mehlisch has held positions as adjunct professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston, Texas, and clinical professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, Baylor University in Dallas, Texas.
Dr Mehlisch served a rotating internship in the US Air Force as a captain and later joined the Texas National Guard as a Medical Corp flight surgeon with the rank of major. He has held membership in the American Medical Association, American Dental Association, American Academy of Pharmaceutical Physicians, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, American Pain Society, International Association for the Study of Pain, and the American Society of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, among others. He is a diplomate of several medical and dental boards. Dr Mehlisch has published over 50 articles and book chapters. He has participated in over 425 clinical research trials as an investigator, medical monitor, project manager, or consultant. Dr Mehlisch has lectured in over 36 countries and has traveled to all 7 continents, including National Geographic Expeditions in Antarctica and Bhutan.
While he had an aggressive career in clinical research, he had an active oral and maxillofacial surgery practice in Austin, Texas, for 35 years. He has also served on the Scientific and Medical Advisory Boards of 15 pharmaceutical companies during his 35 years of clinical research experience. His representation of numerous pharmaceutical and medical device companies at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes both Vioxx® and Celebrex® for which he conducted numerous pivotal trials as Principal Investigator. He has been a consultant and advisory board member to a large number of pharmaceutical companies in the United States and Europe.
Life members
Dr Louis H. Cadena
Life Member • Del Rio, Texas • Twentieth District/San Antonio
Thank you for your recognition of the many years of service to my dental community. It seems surreal that so many years have passed, and the adage “time flies” is appropriate. Dentistry is an art and science that constantly evolves and is never mastered. I believe for that very reason, it continues to challenge me to continually improve and learn. The trials and tribulations of managing a business, compounded by the ever-changing clinical environment, are at times overwhelming. Despite all these impediments, the satisfaction of easing our patients’ discomfort and changing their lives for the better makes it all worthwhile and deeply satisfying.
My only words of advice to younger dentists are:
• Strive to always be better. Continuing education is paramount.
• Treat your patients with their best interest at heart.
• Treat your employees with respect and like family.
• Take each day as a challenge.
• Never neglect your family or your physical and spiritual health.
• Humility is the key; respect for the profession and your patients builds your reputation.
Your legacy will be reflected in all the gratitude you receive, and the young minds you inspire to follow in your footsteps by setting the right example. “I have come to serve, and not be served” is what Jesus stated. That should always be your mantra as a practicing dentist. This will serve you well, and ensure an upward trajectory for your life and career.
Dr Randy A. Parham
Life Member • Fort Worth, Texas • Twelfth District/Fort Worth
I am blessed to have had a productive and successful career in dentistry. I graduated in 1981 from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. I was determined to give it my all and to become a successful dentist. I worked in the summers painting the houses of dental instructors to pay for tuition, and my wife kept the children of the dental faculty. I should have been awarded a 30-year Life Membership in 2011, but in 1994, there were struggles, and I could not pay the ADA dues that one year. I missed one payment in the last 42 years. So, it is with considerable pride that I am now awarded this prestigious award. Even though I have retired, I will continue to be a member and support ADA, TDA, and the Fort Worth District Dental Society because of the tireless work they continue to do on behalf of our profession.
Dentistry is a rewarding profession; I was able to provide a great life for my family, educate my children, and help my church and community. I always looked forward to going to work and seeing patients, who many, after 42 years, were more like family. I enjoyed every day providing treatment to these patients, changing smiles, getting a patient out of pain, or reconstructing an oral cavity. Caring for these patients has been a privilege. My life in dentistry has been good. You need to be the expert on every aspect of your practice. I encourage any dentist to fully understand their practice inside and out and to include your spouse. I am fortunate that my wife is a dental hygienist. We worked side by side for 22 years, and she knew our practice intimately.
If you treat patients well and do your best to provide good dentistry, your practice will thrive. My best advice is to understand the business side of dentistry. A great staff is a bonus, but it is easy to sit back and let them run the show; be careful not to get caught up in them running your practice.
Dr Bridget D. McAnthony
Life Member • Fort Worth, Texas Twelfth District/Fort Worth
Dentistry has been a part of my life since I was 15 years old. I started out as a dental assistant. As a pediatric dentist, I have enjoyed practicing dentistry on children and adolescents. Dentistry has blessed me by allowing me to help and treat patients from various backgrounds. I would advise any new dentist to first enjoy what you do and be passionate about the art of dentistry. The best memory I have from dentistry has come from being able to help a young boy with an undiagnosed heart condition.
60-Year members
Dr Roger E. Alexander
60-Year Member • Dallas, Texas • Fifth District/Dallas County
Back in 2013, after my retirement from academic and clinical practice, I edited a publication for the Dallas County Dental Society titled “Professional Retirement Planning Guide.” In it, I quoted humorist Richard Armour: “Retired is being twice tired. First, tired of working, then tired of not working.” I then wrote “The goal is to avoid the latter. Dentists will eventually tire of the new ‘-ings’ in their lives (golfing, fishing, reading, cleaning, napping, etc.)”
I’m happy to say that 11 years later, I’ve managed to follow my own advice. I’ve kept a small, controllable presence in my profession by continuing to serve several dental journals as a prepublication manuscript referee (confining myself to certain foundational topic submissions). I contribute interesting articles to the monthly magazine of the retirement community where I live. I have a hobby that periodically consumes some time. The rest of my time is spent giving back (volunteering between naps). I have found it very fulfilling and rewarding. The weeks whiz by, filling the void that used to be my job. Although I have limiting physical problems, my nearly-84 years-old mind is still (occasionally) functional. I approach my limitations using a philosophy of the US Marine Corps—analyze, adapt, overcome.
Much of my time these days is serving as a volunteer ambassador for a charitable organization (Patriot Paws Service Dogs.org) in Rockwall, Texas, that raises, trains, and certifies service dogs (valued at $46,000), then donates them (with no government financial support) to disabled military veterans at no cost. It has become my third “career” (first, a Navy Dental Officer and then a dental school professor). Accompanied by a trainer and a dog-in-training, ambassadors present programs, including demonstrations from the dogs, to interested DFW groups, help conduct tours of the training center and
Dr Roger Alexander with his rescue dog, Layla (12 years old).
communicate with affected military veterans.
Dentistry is a rewarding (and demanding) career, but when it comes time to think about hanging up the handpiece, look around. Plan ahead for what might replace dentistry in your life and bring you continued fulfillment. Without fulfillment, you will look forward to years of “-ings”. There are many organizations who would benefit from your knowledge, skills, and leadership.
You can find fulfillment in retirement after dentistry.
Dr Ronald T. Lowe
60-Year Member • Arlington, Texas
Twelfth District/Fort Worth
Dentistry has been a very gratifying profession for me and still can be for a young, caring individual.
Keeping in close contact with one’s peers along the way is a special blessing, I maintain a cherished friendship with Dr Ned Momary, a pedodontist from my USC Dental School days, alongside many others in the profession that I hold dear. They are great resources both in and out of the office.
As a general practitioner, I had the opportunity to get to know and enjoy entire families through the generations. They became dear friends, as well as patients, through the ups and downs of life as we shared celebrations and challenges.
Early in my career, I was offered the chance to provide free dental care in my office for hundreds of young people living at Christ’s Haven, a residential facility for children whose families could not provide for them.
Their appreciation, hugs, and healthy smiles gave me a genuine sense of purpose and the good feelings that come from community service.
Dentistry also offered me the flexibility that comes with being your own boss. I could set my own schedule, coach my kids’ sports and follow my own passions (family and tennis).
Being a dentist offered the ability not to get rich but to obtain a secure, stable standard of living with integrity, purpose, and the respect of my community.
I hope the dental students of today will seize similar opportunities and joys in the profession.
Dr Roger Alexander with a young service dog in training at Patriot Paws Service Dogs Organization, Rockwall, Texas.
Texas Rangers Spring Training in Florida, March 1999. Left to right: Madison Moseley, Dr Lowe’s sonin-law Dr Ned Momary, Dr Ron Lowe, friend Joe Barry, and Dr Lowe’s son Christopher Lowe.
Dr Ronald T. Lowe with his son Christopher Reagan Lowe
10-Year members
dr Mike Ford
10-Year Member • Harker Heights, Texas • Eleventh District/Central Texas
Dr Ford finished high school in Newark, Ohio in 1972. This is where 1 year earlier he had met his bride to be Sandy Randles. With a low draft number the “one-day-to-be “Dr Ford” enlisted in the US Air Force.
Dr Ford married his wife Sandra in 1973, taking her to Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base where he worked as a techtherapist in in-patient psychiatry, starting at an E2 and eventually the noncommissioned in charge of the 28 bed inpatient unit.
Separating from the Air Force and reserves in 1978, Dr Ford and his bride moved back to Ohio where he worked a factory job with Owens Corning Fiberglass for 2 years until he began classes at The Ohio State University regional campus in Newark. Their first daughter, Christina, was born in Newark in 1978. They moved to Columbus to finish his undergrad senior year in 1980, then he began dental school in 1981.
Their second daughter, Laura, arrived in a record cold in January 1985.
Finishing dental school in 1985, Dr Ford decided to increase his knowledge of general dentistry by accepting a 1-year general practice residency program. Dr Ford was commissioned by the US Army and moved their family to Fort Riley, Kansas, for a 1-year GPR.
A follow on tour took the family to Worms, Germany, for 5 years—a great “European vacation.”
Returning stateside and working at Fort Rucker, Alabama, Dr Ford was chief forensics officer and troop commander.
Dr Ford was selected for his endo residency program at Fort Gordon in Georgia. Pursuing a masters degree with the Medical College of Georgia, Dr Ford completed the endodontic certificate and masters degree in 1995.
The “Dive Tribe” prepping for a dive trip to Bonaire in 2022.
Family portrait, 2023.
Dr Ford and Sandy with the dental staff on their 50th anniversary in 2023.
Wedding day, March 31, 1973.
In 1993 Dr Ford joined the American Association of Endodontists, where he is now a life member.
Concurrent with supporting his specialty, Dr Ford has also been a desultory member of the American Dental Association since 1985.
The next military assignment took his family to Fort Hood, Texas, where he served as chief of endodontics for Perkins Dental Clinic. Dr Ford began his private practice on a part-time basis “moonlighting“ in August 1996.
With his wife Sandy by his side as practice manage, his youngest daughter Laura would fill in at front desk from time to time.
Dr Ford retired from the Army in May 31, 2001, and began his full-time private practice, in Killeen.
Opening a satellite clinic in Temple, Texas, in 2005, Dr Ford, with the help of other part-time endodontists, continued to run both practices until 2010 when another endodontist joined the practice as a partner.
Dr Ford‘s wife Sandy retired from practice management in 2010, and was replaced by their daughter Laura. Sandy and Laura continued to work on the “fun things“ of an active PR program. Changes in social media platforms gave things a new twist.
In 2015, Endodontic Associates of Central Texas opened a 6,500 square-foot 10-operatory endodontic practice in Harker Heights.
Cutting-edge technology has always been the hallmark of our services.
The partnership relationship flourished until August 2021 and the two practices separated.
Dr Ford has enjoyed TDA membership activities since 1995 with the local AGD chapter (now closed), and the ADA component of the Central Texas Dental Society serving as member (2005) then chairman of the Judicial Committee since 2015. He has participated in local children’s dental health month and Texas Mission of Mercy activities.
In June 2023, Dr Ford‘s practice was purchased by long-time friend and previous independent contractor, Dr Brian Bickel. Since that time Dr Ford has worked as an independent contractor in the same practice that he began in 1996.
Dr Ford is loving his semi-retirement status: “It has been an awesome journey, it is very fulfilling to help educate patients to save their teeth, to have a healthy mouth, and to relieve their pain.”
We have participated in all of the major changes in technology for endodontics, which helps us to provide a better service.
Our practice management software indicates that we have touched the lives of over 65,000 patients in the area and around Killeen.
Ford and his staff as he opens his first full-time civilian dental practice, 2001.
Reflecting on his semi retirement, Dr Ford says, “I am pleased to be able to spend more time for other activities and travel with Sandy, my wife of 51 years.“
Dr Ford will continue to work part time in the practice until “it isn’t any more fun.“ He says, “I don’t see that happening anytime soon”.
Dr Ford’s first dental staff as “the boss”. Captain, US Army. Worms, Federal Republic of Germany, 1987.
Dr
Dental staff circa 2008.
50-Year members
Dr Harvey P. Kessler
50-Year Member • Southlake, Texas • Fifth District/Dallas County
My association with organized dentistry actually began in 1971 when, as a first year dental student, I became a student member of the ADA. Upon graduation in 1974, I entered the U.S. Army and became a military ADA member. While in the Army, I received a Master of Science Degree in Oral Biology from George Washington University and additional training in Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology, eventually becoming a Diplomate of both the American Board of Oral Pathology and the American Board of Oral Medicine. I maintained my ADA membership until I retired from the Army in 1998. I then moved to Gainesville, Florida, teaching Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at the University of Florida College of Dentistry. I was a member of the Florida Dental Association there from 1998 until 2001, when I left Florida and moved to Texas, becoming a member of the Texas Dental Association. For the next 16 years, I taught Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at the then Baylor College of Dentistry (now Texas A&M College of Dentistry). I retired at the end of June 2017, and I am now an emeritus member of the ADA and the Texas Dental Association. My career highlights are quite varied. I was the chief of forensic dentistry and a member of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner team that identified all casualties during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1990-91. I was a director of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology from 2000-2007, serving as secretary-treasurer from 2003-2006, and president from 2006-2007. Subsequently, I was elected vice-president, president-elect, and president of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology from 2008-2011. I served as associate editor of the Texas Dental Journal from 2011-2017, when I retired. I served on the ADA National Board Test Construction Committee for Oral Diagnosis from 2014-2016. I was appointed by Governor Rick Perry as a commissioner on the Texas Forensic Science Commission, serving from December 2014 until December 2016.
Looking back, I am proud of my many accomplishments and would say that choosing dentistry as a career was the best decision I could have made coming out of college.
dr Lanny D. Youree
50-Year Member • Denison, Texas • Fourth District/North Texas
When I graduated Baylor College of Dentistry in 1974, I had no idea I would still need practicing and learning 50 years later. The time seems to have propelled me into another world of new technology in the blink of an eye. I still get excited to learn new things every day. Things I could not have imagined would be possible many years ago. It’s important in our profession to keep our minds open and aware of all the changes happening in dentistry and keep moving forward. I feel I am just getting to the best part.
Dr William D. Reed Jr
50-Year Member
West Columbia, Texas Ninth District Dental Society
Thank you for the opportunity to express what dentistry has meant to me. I graduated from UTDB in 1975. I moved to Angleton, Texas, and became an associate with Dr Marvin Russell. He was an excellent mentor and very active in the ADA, TDA, and the Ninth District Dental Society. So we attended meetings and classes together. I bought his practice and the building and worked there until retirement.
What an exciting time to be in dentistry. You start dental school learning to mix metal and mercury together with a mortar and pestle to create amalgam, and then all the exciting changes in dental materials. Basically, going from GV Black dentistry to our modern materials, delivery systems, and implants.
I always loved what I was doing, so going to the office every day never seemed like work. My advice to a young dentist is to take all the continuing education you can. Stay active with the tripartite of the ADA, TDA, and your local chapter dental society.
Life members
Dr Steven J. Rodriguez
Life Membership • Killeen, Texas • Eleventh District/Central Texas
Hello to all!
Dentistry has enabled me to travel across the United States and visit other countries like Germany, France, Spain, Korea, Thailand, and Japan. My career began in the U.S. Army Dental Corps.
During my time in the service, I met lots of good people. I was able to learn about all the disciplines in dentistry from specialty doctors that I was interested in. I met a lot of people and learned about different cultures. This experience opened up my world.
I am grateful that the Lord gave me the ability to help so many people with their dental health. In doing so I have come to make lifetime friends from dental school, the Army Dental Corps, and places in my travels.
My wife Vanessa and I decided to settle in the great state of Texas to raise our family. If I had a choice in the future of selecting another career, I would pick dentistry. The people who work in the profession of dentistry are great folks!
Dr Lisa Masters
Life Membership
San Antonio, Texas
Twentieth District/San Antonio
I have many fond memories of my involvement with TDA. The years I spent on the TDA Board and then on the Council on Annual Sessions (2010-2017) are still some of my most favorite times of being a dentist. I made friends across Texas, and the country because I was intimately involved in organized dentistry. I was the go-to person in San Antonio if you needed to know what was going on in Austin. Whether it was legislative information, State Board stuff, or CE events, I was the official source of information. I am still very connected and feel that my career has been more enjoyable and more fulfilling because of my involvement with TDA. Thank you for recognizing my years of membership.
Dr Jill Wade
Dr D. Lance Johnson
Life Membership • Sherman, Texas • Fourth District/North Texas
Dr Johnson graduated from University Mississippi School of Dentistry in 1994.
Life Member • Frisco, Texas • Fifth District/Dallas County
Wow! 30 years! Seems like yesterday I was stepping foot onto Mother Baylor’s campus to begin this adventure. I’m so proud of this profession, and I love it today as much as the first day that I started. So many memories of school, patient’s lives I’ve touched, and patient’s that have touched mine. The team members that grew up with me, the kids we raised side-by-side, and all the fun we had together continuing to learn along the way.
I feel I have been blessed with a career that was able to support my lifestyle AND bring me great joy, as many days simply felt like performing my artistic hobby. I have loved building a business in the heart of Frisco, Texas. Who would have known when I began Stonebriar Smile Design in 1999, when the population was 14,000 people. It would grow to be over 233,000 and is still growing. Being a leader in this community in its formative years has blessed our practice with success. It was an unexpected treat to have my best friend from dental school, Dr Jodi Danna, join the practice just 3 years ago. Never did we dream that we would practice together … and yet we are having a blast and wonder why we didn’t do it sooner.
I believe that dentistry is and will continue to be the LEADER of prevention in health and wellness. I am still committed to doing my part to lead the charge and be the voice of dentistry in medicine. The best is yet to come!
10-Year members
dr Lonnie Guardiola
10-Year Member • Wylie, Texas • Fourth District/North Texas
A decade dedicated to dentistry has been a profound odyssey, shaping me personally and professionally. The journey has been a fusion of science, artistry, and relationships. Initially, it was about mastering techniques and procedures, but as the years accumulated, it evolved into a synthesis of technical expertise mixed with compassionate care.
We know in our offices every patient has their own story. We’ve witnessed the spectrum of emotions: from apprehension to relief, from embarrassment to confidence. Through it all, I’ve learned to navigate with empathy, to ease anxieties, and to celebrate victories, no matter how small.
Beyond the clinic walls, dentistry has taught me resilience and adaptability. The field is dynamic, ever-evolving with advancements in technology and techniques. Staying up-to-date with these changes has been both exhilarating and demanding, pushing me to continuously refine my skills and broaden my knowledge.
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of this journey is the relationships forged along the way—with patients, colleagues, and mentors. Each interaction is a reminder of the privilege and responsibility bestowed upon me as a dentist.
In reflection, these 10 years have offered some of my greatest challenges and triumphs, each contributing to the fabric of my identity as a dentist and as a person. As I embark on the next decade, I do so with gratitude for the lessons learned and the lives touched.
dr Sneha Xavier
10-Year Member • Sugar Land, Texas
Eighth District/Greater Houston Dental Society
What Dentistry Has Meant to Me
Coming from a family of dentists, I got introduced to dentistry from a very young age. I was amazed by the positive outcomes dentistry can have on people’s lives. I realized that through dentistry, I can directly improve the lives of patients by promoting oral health, relieving pain, and restoring smiles. I obtained my Doctor of Dental Medicine from the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and am committed to use my education and expertise to provide my patients with the best health care possible.
Dentists have the opportunity to showcase their creativity and craftsmanship in crafting beautiful and functional smiles for their patients. Dentistry allows me to build long-term relationships with their patients. I consider building trust, empathy, and communication with my patients as the fundamental aspects of my work. Establishing trust and rapport over time fosters a sense of connection and satisfaction in providing personalized care.
Each patient and case in dentistry is unique, presenting a variety of challenges and opportunities for problem-solving. Whether it’s improving patients’ smiles, alleviating pain, or promoting overall well-being, you are positioned to make a difference in people’s lives. This diversity keeps the work intellectually stimulating and prevents monotony. Additionally, through continuous learning and growth in dentistry, you can leverage the latest advancements and techniques to provide the best possible care for your patients. For me, dentistry is a very deeply rewarding and fulfilling career that offers a unique blend of clinical, artistic, and interpersonal elements.
Words of Wisdom to New Dentists
Values: Identify what values you hold and ensure those values are instilled in your profession and practice. My core values include honesty, kindness, and compassion.
Commitment: Commitment to service is integral to social responsibility and you have to make sure it always reflects on your work.
Patient-Centered Care: Understand that building trust, empathy, and communication with patients are key for any health care provider.
Stay connected: Affiliations with professional groups like American Dental Association (ADA), Texas Dental Association (TDA), and Greater Houston Dental Society enables you to stay informed and connected and offers various opportunities to help yourself and your community.
Find time for yourself: Always prioritize “me time”. I love spending time with my family, traveling and trying new recipes.
Listen: Patient feedback will continue to inspire us to be better.
Continuous Learning and Growth: The importance of continuous learning and growth cannot be emphasized enough. As dentistry and technology continues to evolve, staying updated with the latest advancements and techniques to provide the best possible care for your patients is key.
Community and Collaboration: Dentists can play a crucial role in promoting public health by educating patients about oral hygiene and preventive care. Participation in community outreach programs and initiatives can provide you with a sense of fulfillment in contributing to the well-being of your communities.
Texan Smile—Milestone in My Journey
Early in my career, I gained experience in both private and corporate dental practices. This experience helped me to establish a patient-centered approach, one that prioritized understanding each individual and delivering tailored care. This aspiration led to the creation of Texan Smile.
Texan Smile serves as my platform for delivering dental care on my own terms. Here, I have the freedom to shape the direction of patient care in alignment with my vision and values. Building and nurturing this practice has been immensely fulfilling. Witnessing my vision materialize and witnessing the positive impact on patients’ lives fills me with pride and satisfaction.
60-Year members
Dr M. Dennis Atkinson
60-Year Member • Longview, Texas Third District/East Texas Dental Society
Thank you to the Texas Dental Association for this recognition.
I had wanted to be a dentist since I was in the 9th grade. Dentistry was my first choice. It wasn’t my second choice of medicine. It occurred to me that medicine would require more hours that most likely have to come from family time. That would be a detriment to a balanced life. My family dentist, Dr Marion Brown of Little Rock, Arkansas, had told me what a great profession dentistry is. It is a profession that you can be proud of. You are helping your patients and community, and you have a comfortable living.
I have not regretted a single day I have been a dentist. On second thought— there may have been 1 or 2 days. DENTISTRY IS NOT FOR SISSIES. Just think of working in a space the size of a billiard ball through an opening the size of a quarter (sometimes an eyelash). You also have to deal with a tongue 90% of the size of the billiard ball and changing position and size unexpectedly. I almost forgot the amount of saliva produced by the patient. Taking that into consideration—I would recalculate my happiness with dentistry to 98%. Dentistry is a wonderful endeavor and is constantly changing. Each day is different, and I am very thankful that I made this choice.
My advice to a dental student would be:
1. Get involved and support organized dentistry (TDA, ADA, etc).
2. Treat other dentists as colleagues rather than competitors.
3. Never stop your continuing education.
4. Treat your patients and staff like they are family.
5. Get involved with civic groups, churches, charities, etc.
I would like to thank:
1. My wife, Diane, and adult children, Denise and Derrick. Diane and I met when I was in dental school (Washington Retirement, 2005.
Dr Atkinson and his wife Diane celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2024.
dr J. Howard Carr Jr
60-Year Member
Uvalde, Texas
Twentieth District/San Antonio
dr E. Penn jackson
University in St Louis), and she was in nursing school at Barnes Hospital. Conveniently, they were right next to each other. We will celebrate our 60th anniversary this year. I credit dentistry with bringing us together. She helped me start and grow our practice. She was cross-trained, and anytime I was shorthanded, she would step in and help. Denise, as a teenager, helped develop x-rays, clean and sterlize instruments and operatories, and seat patients. Derrick did office landscaping and lawn care.
2. My loyal staff
3. My patients
4. My colleagues
5. God and my parents for giving me the opportunity to go to dental school and encouraging me every step of the way to becoming a dentist.
60-Year Member • San Antonio, Texas • Twentieth District/San Antonio
FAGD, 1979.
Dr E. Penn Jackson and his son, Dr E. Penn Jackson Jr, at the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry in Chicago.
(L-R): Dr Brian Ulman, Dr Bill McHorris, Dr Jackson, Dr Pete Dawson, Dr John Martin, and Dr Don Downs.
50-Year member
Dr kent b. macaulay
50-Year Member • Round Rock, Texas Tenth District/Capital Area
The practice of dentistry has been a blessing to me for the past 50 years. After Baylor Dental School, I served in the US Army at Fort Hood, Texas. I started a solo practice in Round Rock, Texas, in 1977. In Round Rock I started my volunteerism in service to my community, including Round Rock Kiwanis, Round Rock Chamber of Commerce, and Round Rock Sertoma. Sentoma stands for Service to Mankind, and I have held every office in the club, awarded Sentoma of the Year and the Lifetime Service Award. I am still an active member today.
My service to the dental community began in earnest with my first Texas Mission of Mercy (TMOM), in 2002 and with my wife, Elle, continued to volunteer with the Texas Dental Association Smiles Foundation having attended more than 70 TMOMs, supported the programs and I continue to support Smart Smiles.
Season for Caring, 2023.
Locally, I was a founding member of the Capital Area Dental Foundation, and I am proud of our programs to support those in need of our care, including the Multiple Community Dental Days. In 2023, I was fortunate to be honored by the TDA with the Service Recognition Award.
I left my practice in Round Rock in 2005 and was asked to join a practice in Georgetown, Texas. Joining Dr Beverly Zinser and Dr Paul Stubbs, the only practice to have 3 Capital Area Dental Society Dentists of the Year and 3 nominees for the Texas AGD Dentist of the Year. It was such a joy to work and have fun with our great team. The camaraderie was such a value to me though hardship of loss.
I feel it is up to each of us to give back and help our fellow man take care of the underserved. I urge new dentists to get involved with organized dentistry and volunteer in your community and in your state.
TMOM, Bonham, Texas, in 2023.
Smart Smiles 2024 in Marble Falls, Texas.
Rainbow trout caught in Patagonia in 2024.
60-Year members
Dr Winston O. Miller
60-Year Member • Lago Vista, Texas • Twentieth District/San Antonio
I graduated from The University of Texas Dental School in Houston in 1964. I was honored to receive an award for finishing in the top 3 of my class.
At that time, we were engaged in the Vietnam War, and I had been deferred from military duty until graduation. I immediately went into the Air Force for 2 years. That was the beginning of my actual career as a dentist.
After completing my military assignment, I returned to my hometown area and started a practice in Nederland, Texas.
I feel as though I was quite privileged with my practice and believe it was successful. The success was brought about by a wonderful staff and great patients. I am most grateful for the lasting friendships which came from these associations. In 1993, I sold that practice and relocated to San Antonio, opened an office in the Medical Center, and worked there until I retired in 2020. My goal was always to work until I was 80, and I made that goal.
Dr Miller with Nederland dental assistant Sheila Frederick.
Dr Miller (top back right) receiving his 50 Year TDA Award.
I do miss the daily interactions with my patients. And, I miss the opportunity to serve those who may need additional help caused by circumstances beyond their control. I always wanted to be charitable and give back. I believe I owed that because the Lord had always been so good to me.
For those starting a new practice, I’d offer the following advice:
• Put together the best staff possible—people who are dedicated and particularly kind and intuitive to the needs of others.
• Continuing education is invaluable to staying ahead.
• The bottom line is not really about money. It is about service. If patients recognize that, they will advertise your practice, and you will build it by their words of praise.
I feel privileged to have been a part of this profession. I am thankful for organized dentistry and the protections and benefits it provides. The TDA and ADA have done an excellent job with this.
Thank you for this award. It means a lot.
Dr James A. Archambeau
60-Year Member
Dallas, Texas • Fifth District/Dallas County
My dad was a dentist in the Texas Panhandle, so dentistry is my blood. As a child, I went through orthodontic treatment, and by 8th grade, I knew I wanted to be an orthodontist. It’s a decision I will never regret!
People ask, “How do you get to 85 years of age”? One, you have to stay active and keep a positive attitude. I still take care of my own yard and still ride my bicycle. Two, you have to find your purpose in life or do what you love. I love wisdom and humor.
One of the funnier memories I had while practicing orthodontics was my stomach growling next to a patient’s ear. The patient asked if that was my stomach growling, and I replied, “It growls, but it won’t bite!”
Dr Joe K Smith
60-Year Member
Lockhart, Texas
Tenth District/Capital Area
Dentistry was a wonderful life choice. Very demanding and rewarding. Surely, this career choice and life partner, Peggy, were strongly influenced by God.
Life members
Dr Daniel S. O’Dell
Life Membership • San Marcos, Texas • Tenth District/Capital Area
You hear the phrase, I was born to do this. I was fortunate that my genetic makeup was to be a periodontist. I am thankful for the opportunities dentistry has provided throughout my career, but mostly for the opportunity to improve individual’s lives, and form lasting relationships with those patients, staff members, and colleagues.
My advice to new dentists would be to have a hobby that is challenging, such as working on an antique car or old house. A hobby that will keep you physically fit and force you to work through adversity, such that running your practice will seem easy in comparison. Protect your body from repetitive injury. Try to spend more time with family. Be active in organized dentistry. Lastly, have a patient-centered and not financially centered practice, and you will do just fine.
Dr O’Dell works with The Foundation for the International Relief for Children in Trujillio, Peru, (top) and at a clinic in Agallapampa, Peru (below).
Dr O’Dell works on old cars in his spare time.
Dr Kevin L. Carlton
Life Membership • Abilene, Texas
17th District Dental Society
Just a short note to say I am honored to receive the TDA Life Membership Award. It has been a privilege for me to serve my community and the TDA for 30 years. Dentistry and the specialty of orthodontics have been very rewarding and has opened many opportunities for leadership roles in various organizations in our community. Mostly, I have enjoyed the relationships that have been built with my patients and staff members and the joy that comes with every great smile.
Dr Charles W. Cline
Life Membership • League City, Texas
Eighth District/Greater Houston
After graduating from The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston, I entered and completed a 2-year hospital-based general practice residency program at LSU and Charity Hospital of Louisiana. That decision impacted my dental career extensively. The hospital based residency associated with LSU School of Dentistry allowed me to be exposed to situations that were not originally in my comfort zone. For example, my first rotation when I arrived was a 2-month rotation in general anesthesia. Yes, that was a wake-up call and a great way to start the residency, although it was very challenging. My boundaries and limitations were being stretched. I have always believed that for a dentist to participate in health care in a hospital setting is similar to going to live in a foreign country. The language and customs are foreign. One must learn new customs and a new language in order to navigate life successfully. Another benefit of the residency was to create a thirst for learning or gaining more knowledge to apply to the practice of dentistry. The participation in a general practice residency program was invaluable to my professional and personal life. And after 35 years of practice as a solo general dentist, I am still reaping the benefits.
Horseback riding in Colorado, New Mexico, and Burnet County.
10-Year members
dr Rebecca Koehler
10-Year Member • McAllen, Texas
Fifteen-B District/Rio Grande Valley
I started playing the violin at age 3. I decided I wanted to be a dentist at age 4. I remember a conversation with my childhood dentist where he told me I didn’t have to pick one over the other, so I continued playing with both my violin and PlayDoh Doctor Drill ‘n Fill. In college I completed my BA in music and fulfilled my pre-med requirements and headed to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, graduating in 2002.
Throughout the years I have been active playing both classical violin and Irish fiddle music while having a career as a dentist. I’ve recorded several CDs and performed in the US, Canada, and overseas. Texas has thrown me a bit of a loop with Texas swing fiddling and Mariachi, but for now I’ll focus on providing dentistry to the underserved population in the Rio Grande Valley and performing and recording Irish fiddle music with my sister Gretchen Koehler on fiddle and my husband Professor Brandt Kronholm on guitar.
FIve-year-old Dr Koehler competed in front of tens of thousands of people at Peace Train’s New England Fiddle Contest, Bushnell Park, Hartford Connecticut, summer 1979.
A soloist with the Johannes Kepler Orchestra and accompanied by her husband Brandt on guitar, Dr Koehler performed an arrangement by her sister Gretchen of Copland’s Hoedown at the Brucknerhaus, Linz, Austria, in 2015.
dr Thomas Pickett
10-Year Member • The Woodlands, Texas
Seventh District/Brazos Valley
There may be a few Texas A&M/Baylor graduates out there that have earned the Horace R. Beachum Award in Denture Prosthesis. As his great, great grandson, I’m pleased to know that his name has been associated with so many great dentists over the years. And over these last 10 years, I’ve taken great pride in continuing the family tradition in dentures—I’m a graduate of UT Houston Graduate Prosthodontics and currently have my dental practice in The Woodlands.
The profession of dentistry has been connected to my family for generations. As a child, I can remember my grandfather’s dental office. Dr Jerry Beachum (a TDA 50-year member) had his dental office outside of Dallas from the 1960s to the 1990s. He made a commitment to dentistry throughout his life and he always enjoyed dentistry. That left a lasting impression on me and helped drive my decision to become a dentist. My grandfather was a 1959 graduate of Baylor University School of Dentistry. His grandfather, Dr Horace Beachum, was a 1910 graduate of The State Dental College as it was known at that time. Prior to that Horace’s father, Dr James R. Beachum, was an 1893 graduate from Vanderbilt University Dental School and practiced in Dallas.
And the family connections to dentistry continue to grow. As a dental student at UT Houston, I met my future wife, Dr Zelina Pickett. We’re both full-time practicing dentists and we have 3 wonderful children. The family memories connected to dentistry have been a blessing and I’m excited to see what the future holds.
Dr Pickett and his wife, Dr Zelina Pickett.
Diplomas of Horace Beachum, DDS, and James Beachum, DDS.
Dr Pickett and his grandparents, Ann Beachum and Dr Jerry Beachum.
50-Year member
Dr David N. Rickey
50-Year Member • San Antonio, Texas
Twentieth District/San Antonio
I decided I wanted to be a dentist at about age 10. I had a great uncle and his son, my cousin, who were dentists. They were the examples for me of a profession I might like to pursue. At age 16, I spent 3 weeks in the summer working at my cousin’s practice. He said it was to find out if I was cut out to be a dentist! I loved every minute of it while cleaning instruments along with charting missing teeth, decay, and existing fillings. I sat chairside and mixed amalgam and suctioned. I was excited to start. I graduated from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry in 1973. I entered the US Air Force Early Commissioning Program as a freshman dental student and fulfilled my 2 years of active duty obligation at Webb Air Force Base in Big Spring, Texas.
I passed the Texas Dental Board in 1974 as Judie, my wife, and I had decided to stay in Texas. Several dentists in Big Spring encouraged me to establish a practice there as they were overwhelmed by the demand for appointments. They made sure that I joined the Texas Dental Association and took me to the District 21-C dental meetings. They also made sure of my participation by putting me on several district committees, and eventually, I participated in TDA activities by serving on state level committees.
My practice flourished from day 1 as my local colleagues referred new patients to my office. Our schedule was full for 2 weeks on the first day we opened for business. Solo practice was a challenge and rewarding. After a decade or so I was welcoming the children of patients who I had treated as teens or young adults. What an unexpected pleasure that was. Something I hadn’t foreseen as a logical progression. An opportunity later presented itself and after 17 years I sold my practice to accept a commission in the US Navy Dental Corps. Judie quit her executive position in publishing, we sold our house and embarked on a 3-year commitment that led to 20 years of travel.
My second career in dentistry was challenging and rewarding in different ways. Judie and I enjoyed travel and
Judie and David Rickey ready for graduation, June 1973. Dental treatment 1980s style: wetfingered dentistry.
LCDR Rickey treats a sailor onboard the USS Kearsarge.
LCDR Rickey, USS Kearsarge, Mediterranean Sea, 1995.
USS Kearsarge on deployment 1995. LHD-3 pier side in Alicante, Spain. May 1995. Did public ship tours at this port.
sought assignments that would take us to new places to live. We lived on the East Coast, the Gulf Coast, the West Coast, and the North Coast (Great Lakes). We also spent 4 years overseas in London, England, and 4 years in Yokosuka, Japan. I retired, completing 20 years of active service, in 2010. My favorite tour was as a dental officer for the U.S.S. Kearsarge (LHD-3), an amphibious assault ship. I was part of the commissioning crew in 1993 and sailed on her first deployment to the Mediterranean in 1995. It was akin to having a private practice again. I was caring for 1156 crew members in my own brand new 4-chair dental clinic.
Upon retirement, Judie and I moved to San Antonio, where I could contribute my still active dental skills at San Antonio Christian Dental Clinic (SACDC). It is a nonprofit dental organization founded in 1983 to serve very low income and homeless residents of Bexar County, Texas. I’ve served as a clinical volunteer, as interim CEO, as dental director, as well as on the Board of Directors, including 2 terms as vice president and 2 terms as president.
My graduating dental class in 1973 were all white males. There were no women, no minorities, and no people of color. The changes I see in the mix of students who come from UT Dental School in San Antonio to rotate at SACDC is a great boon for access to dental care given the diverse population we have today. When I graduated we couldn’t bond restorations, porcelain fused to metal crowns were a very new technique, and implants were really only a dream.
With an investment of time and travel, I achieved a Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry and received a Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition from that esteemed dental
organization. I was also selected to be a fellow in the International College of Dentists supported by my Navy dental colleagues.
For students and new graduates, my advice is as follows. Be a continuous student. Stretch your skills and seek out teachers and mentors who can help you provide the best quality care to every patient you have the privilege to treat. Set aside some time to provide charitable dentistry for the disadvantaged in your community. It is important to pay it forward. Giving someone a literal smile pays dividends to the person, their family, and society that you may not comprehend.
For me, 50 years has sped by. I couldn’t have foreseen all I have done, experienced, and enjoyed in this profession. As John Denver sang, “Some days are diamonds, and some days are stones!” Don’t let the stones outweigh the diamonds. I wouldn’t trade it for any other life.
Judie and I spend our free time planning travel and traveling to interesting places in the world. We’ve been to 120 countries and are still going strong. TDA, thanks for the opportunity to present my story; a kid from Ohio who was told by the government to go to Texas for 2 years and ended up staying, mostly for a lifetime.
D. N. Rickey promotion to Captain, US Navy, Yokosuka, Japan, 2003.
Dr Rickey received the AGD Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition award in 2012.
Judy and Dave in Ethiopia in 2019.
David and Judie Rickey in Newfoundland, Canada, 2022.
David and Judie Rickey at home in San Antonio, 2022.
Life members
Dr Jodi D. Danna
Life Member • Frisco, Texas • Fifth District/Dallas County
What an honor it is to celebrate 30 years in dentistry! Every day is a gift in this profession because of the impact I get to make in my patients’ lives.
I graduated from Baylor College of Dentistry in 1995 and then received my Advanced Education in General Dentistry post-grad in 1996. Since then, I’ve been blessed with Memberships, Fellowships, Chairs, and Offices in many dental organizations nationally, in Texas, and local to the Dallas area. It’s meant so much to me to serve on the Board of Directors for the TDA for the past 3 years, so I can give back to a professional organization that has given me so much.
When I think about all that I’ve accomplished in my years of dentistry, I can’t stop smiling about all the relationships I’ve built. Some of my patients were my very first patients and have stayed with me all this time. My dental team is like
family, and they have been invaluable in helping me build and enhance these patient relationships. I’m so grateful to them for taking on this important work with me.
Some of my fondest memories and proudest moments are when I reimplanted teeth for a cheerleader after a sports injury. And when a divorced gentleman came to me when he wanted to start dating again. We removed every tooth to give him an amazing smile and he said it changed his life! I’ve also donated emergency dental care to victims of domestic violence.
Dr Mark H. Copas
Life Member • Tomball, Texas • Eighth District/Greater Houston
What Has Dentistry Meant to Me?
I’ve found dentistry to be a very fulfilling occupation. The relationships built with patients, friends, and neighbors make coming in to work a pleasure. Also, I’ve never regretted becoming a dentist. I appreciate other professions, I but never really considered a career change. Since sixth grade, dentistry has been the choice for me.
Share a Memory of a Special Time
We recently had an office party with our patients. The Tomball Chamber of Commerce were invited to attend, celebrating 30 years in business at our small solo practice. The love and gratitude shown was overwhelming. I felt like Sally Field at the Oscars. It made all the years of hard work feel worthwhile.
Working in dentistry has also allowed me to focus on my most important relationships—my family. I’ve been married for over 30 years and have 2 amazing daughters.
I feel so lucky to be in a position to improve people’s quality of life one smile at a time.
Another special memory — marrying the love of my life, Roslyn, 5.5 years ago. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. She has taken control of the front desk and worked tirelessly to keep things running smoothly.
Words of Wisdom to New Dentists
1. Keep in mind what is in the best interest of the patient. Be truthful in your treatment presentations. Listen to the patient and let your conscience be your guide.
2. Find outside interests to make life fuller and not just work-centered. Faith and religion, family ties, vacation time, hobbies—all are necessary for good mental health.
3. Try to stay physically fit—40 years of twisting sideways can be hard on a spinal column. Regular visits to a physician and/or chiropractor can help tremendously.
4. Always do your best work—as if a kind instructor were looking over your shoulder. Double check and make sure everyone is on the same page before rendering treatment.
5. Know your limitations. Patients will appreciate a referral to a specialist you trust. Don’t be pressured into something you’re uncomfortable with.
6. Keep up with current developments and innovations. Critically evaluate new treatments and don’t fall for the latest gadget unless it’s really useful.
7. Be thankful for the good things. They’ll outweigh the negative.
50-Year members
Dr Donald Mabry
50-Year Member • Southlake, Texas • Twelfth District/Fort Worth
Dr Mabry with his associate, Dr Travis Aduddell, (left) and his friend, US Congressman Dr Brian Babin, at a Dallas meeting (right).
Dr Mabry and his team are pictured celebratiing birthdays, team building, St Patrick’s Day, and Christmas.
Dr Amos B. Ross
50-Year Member • Fort Worth, Texas Twelfth District/Fort Worth
September 1974, I graduated from Baylor College of Dentistry and began practice in Ft. Worth. Looking back, a general practice residency would have helped greatly, but none was available. I developed the skills necessary to master the practice of dentistry, care for patients, manage a staff, and run a business, all while continually learning from continuing education. I am a fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry. Over the years, 11 young men and women who worked for me while going to TCU, have gone to dental school, and become practicing general dentists, oral surgeons, and periodontists. I take great pride in that!
I have enjoyed my patients and loved creating new smiles and restoring occlusion.
I am especially proud of the Texas Dental Association as it has created an organization that fosters growth and continuing education in dentistry and management. It is a very important asset that protects the dental profession.
My son-in-law, Dr Alex Cammack, has assumed the practice of Ross Cammack Family Dentistry. This transition has been successful and has assured the care of my patients and retention of my staff. When he came, he was so pleased that I had kept up with all the technology and equipment. We have everything up to date!
I want to encourage young dentists, hygienists, and assistants to consider dentistry as a career as it offers freedom of self direction and fulfillment. Even after 50 years, I still love it.
Michael Mabry, DDS, MAGD — The early days.
Dr Mabry and his daughter Jacquelyn Mabry of Los Angeles advertise for one of his courses during a vacation, and he and his friend Carol Godbey of Fort Worth, a fellow member of his scuba club, advertise Invisalign.
Life members
Dr W. Randy Snyder
Life Member • San Angelo, Texas • Twenty-one A District/San Angelo District
Dentistry has meant the ability to help people in a positive way and to enjoy a career that I feel is important and fulfilling. By having my own office, I was allowed the flexibility to work where and when I wanted. Before dental school, I was a forensic chemist for the state crime lab.
One case that I worked on involved searching a car for trace evidence from a crime scene. During the search, I discovered a tooth from the victim (most likely from the victim, but back then, there wasn’t DNA testing available.) The tooth was taken to a local dentis,t who identified it as a human upper lateral incisor. It was amazing to me how he knew this. This sparked my interest in dentistry, and several years later, I went to dental school in Houston, specializing in endodontics. Not wanting to stay in Houston, I moved our family to San Angelo and opened my endodontics practice there, bringing the specialty to an area that did not have an endodontist.
Dr Snyder and his family in front of his first office in 1995.
Dr Snyder at his retirement party in 2022.
Office staff
As far as a special memory of dental school, I would say spending 2 years with my classmates in the upstairs lab rooms, learning the basics of tooth anatomy, and performing lab work. Another special memory, though maybe more tragic, was taking the dental board exam. Didn’t we all have nightmares about that? Personally, I also have special memories of vacation time spent with my family traveling around the US and abroad.
What would I tell future dentists? Find your balance between work and play. Don’t be afraid to enjoy your time off. Life is short. Also, be kind and caring to those who work for you and to your patients, and do what is just. Be sure you love what you’re doing, and you will enjoy going to the office.
Dr M. Bernadette Sanchez
Life Member • Houston, Texas Eighth District/Greater Houston
Thank you for the invitation to be recognized. Dentistry has provided me the opportunity to make a small difference in the smiles that I have been entrusted to. The lifetime relationships created by this vocation has genuinely been rewarding and has made my life fulfilling.
It all began sweeping a broom as a teen in my father’s office. I was taught that we are called to serve. My dad, Emilio A. Sarabia, often said, “We are not working on teeth. We are working with people.” Later, as an assistant, I would follow him to nursing homes and the San Jose Clinic. He would take me with him to the Greater Houston Dental Meeting. The energy buzzing in this environment was exciting for me. He would meet with colleagues and vendors. The trust he built in these relationships was something I wanted to be a part of.
I went on to become a hygienist for 10 years before following my brother Emilio A. Sarabia, II to the University of Texas Health Science Center, now called UT School of Dentistry. There I was mentored by the most humble and generous faculty. The late Dr Zeb Poindexter was key to understanding that one progresses in life when one has opportunity. I am glad to offer my time and talent to those who benefit. Since graduating in ‘95, it has been a pleasure to work side by side with my brother and share stories with my father, age 91. It is an honor to follow in his footsteps, and he is very proud of my brother and I as we hope to follow his legacy.
Endodontists meeting in Denver.
Mont St Michel in France.
Dr Snyder’s lab mates in his first year of dental school, 1989.
10-Year members
dr RJ Loera
10-Year Member • Mesquite, Texas • Fifth District/Dallas County
It is very challenging to put into words what dentistry has meant to me during my 10-year career. Dentistry has given me the opportunity to serve my community in multiple ways. Its platform has allowed me to forge relationships with patients, learn their stories and help them regain their confidence and dental function once we have treated their needs. Above all else, it has helped me to invest in my community by being present for its current and future generation.
My biggest piece of advice for new dentists would be to treat the patients as if they are your family and to do the right thing for the right reason.
The TDA has been invaluable through the years in offering guidance that has helped me, my practice and patient care evolve. They offer a support system that is always available when needed.
Dr RJ Loera and his family during the ribbon cutting for his dental office, June 2023.
Pictured are Dr Loera and his wife Margaux at graduation from Baylor College of Dentistry, May 2014.
Dr Loera during dental implant placement, March 2024.
dr John Hanna
10-Year Member • San Antonio, Texas • Twentieth District/San Antonio
CMDA Eagle Pass mission trip, September 2013.
CMDA Del Rio mission trip, October 2013.
IDEP graduation party, 2015.
In 1990, 8-year-old Dr Hanna shadowed his dad during a plastic surgery.
50-Year members
Dr Pierce Lamar Meadows Jr
50-Year Member • Richmond, Texas • Eighth District/Greater Houston
I was born in 1948 when my dad was a second year dental student at UT Dental School on Blodgett Street in downtown Houston. When I joined him in our Rosenberg, Texas, practice in 1975, he’d been in practice 25 years to the day. I worked in the same office for 42 years until retirement in 2017, which meant over 65 continuous years of dental services by our family in our hometown. Although I am retired, I am thrilled to still receive clinical questions and calls from my former patients regarding their dental issues. I am excited when I speak to other dentists about the evolution of dentistry in our lifetime. Dentistry has provided my family with a great life, and I appreciate it now more than ever. I would like to share one pearl of wisdom that my father gave me. There is one sure-fire way of making a great living in dentistry and that is to work harder honestly. That way, one honors oneself and one’s profession.
Dr Curtis A. Nicholson
50-Year Member • Midland, Texas Twenty-one C District/Permian Basin District
I was fortunate enough to know that I wanted to pursue a career in dentistry when I was in junior high school due to the influence of my orthodontist. After I graduated from dental school, I worked for 2 years for the US Air Force. I then started my private practice in Midland, Texas, in 1975 and worked full time until my retirement in 2021. I never considered my vocation as work, as I loved every minute. I developed a relationship with my patients and tried to meet their needs, whatever they were. That would be my one piece of advice to all new dentists—meet your patients needs where they are in life. In looking back over my life, I feel so blessed to have chosen dentistry as my career.
Dr J. Barry Stovall
50-Year Member • Fort Worth, Texas Twelfth District/Fort Worth
Just a brief note to say that I am honored to be considered for TDA’s 50 year award. The profession of dentistry was a most valued and important component of my life.
Dr David A. White
50-Year Member • Johnson City, Texas Twenty-one B District/Heart of Texas
Although being happily retired for the past several years, I thoroughly enjoyed my practice of general dentistry. When I came to Johnson City in 1975, I was the only full-time dentist in the county. Going to the Heart of Texas TDA meetings was fun and informative. Being able to interact with members from the other small towns spread across the large geographic area of Central Texas and discuss similar situations was definitely a pleasure. Attending the annual state meeting just down the road in San Antonio was an excellent way to stay connected with new methods and updated treatments being developed. All in all, I wouldn’t trade for my past 50 years in the TDA and the profession.
Dr Keith A. Robinson
50-Year Member • Katy, Texas Eighth District/Greater Houston
Dr Richard “Rick” B. Novick
50-Year Member • Las Vegas, Nevada Sixteenth District/El Paso
I decided I wanted to be a dentist in 1961, when I was 12 years old while going through orthodontic treatment in El Paso, Texas. My orthodontist, Dr John T. Kelley, was always in such a good mood, making jokes and keeping his patients laughing while creating beautiful smiles. I thought to myself, “Maybe I’d like to do that someday.” Thirteen years later, I graduated from the UT Dental Branch-Houston at the age of 25 and opened my own office of general dentistry in El Paso. During my senior year in Houston at “the DB,” my family member, orthodontist Dr Jacob Geller, who was a faculty member at the dental school, advised me to go out and practice general dentistry to find out what dentistry was all about. He said that if I was still that interested in orthodontics, I could always come back to school. That turned out to be great advice. I ran my general dentistry office for 7 years before returning to Houston in 1981 for my 2-year orthodontic residency at what was then the UT Health Science Center-Houston. After earning my orthodontics certification, I returned to El Paso and purchased the practice of Dr Kelley, my mentor, who set me on the course to a wonderful career. I had originally intended to practice orthodontics for 25 years, but having failed at my attempt to retire in Las Vegas, Nevada, I’m still straightening teeth, now in my 41st year, practicing in the Las Vegas offices of A+ Dental Group.
While practicing general dentistry in El Paso from 197481, I pursued another boyhood passion, a fascination with radio. I became a disc jockey on the #1 Rock-and-Roll radio station in El Paso. I hosted a radio show from 1975-80 called “Rock With the Doc” on KPAS-FM94. Later, after becoming an orthodontist, I studied for and passed the required FCC exam to earn a license as a ham radio operator. I was assigned the call sign, KB5MGF and later upgraded to KK5FP. I was able to communicate with people all over the world from my own amateur radio station at my El Paso home.
Being an orthodontist has kept me young at heart and in mind, as I’ve been able to treat children and young adults for over 40 years. My career has been a labor of love, one that continues to give me much pleasure.
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Friday, October 25, 2024 9am-4pm
• Gain insight into various insurance plans, translating benefits & COB rules.
• Review the upcoming 2025 CDT code changes
• Assess Procedures Requiring Pre-Certification
• Discuss HCFA 1500 Claim Form Basics
• Hands-on/Mock Coding of Claims
• Translate Medical Insurance Terminology
• Select Medical Codes for Dental Procedures (exercise)
• Review Sample Letters of Medical Necessity with handout
• Learn effective systems for efficient revenue cycle management
• Classify Dental Procedures considered to be Medically Necessary
If planning a t am building trip discount d room rat includ s up to 4 gu sts to wat rpark. Email S minar@IAPlus.com or call 800-683-2501 for mor d tails
Complimentary biopsy kits
There are options for spa experiences, bowling, shopping, zip lines, live entertainment, restaurants, escape room, plus an indoor water park with a 900 foot lazy river and adult swim up Grotto Bar Includes 6 CE Credits and hot lunch buffet.
Delivery via FedEx, local courier or USPS • Diagnosis within two business days of receiving most biopsy specimens. • UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and UTHealth Medical School available for consultations as needed. • Affiliated with UT School of Dentistry at Houston.
Guest Speaker: Leslie Icenogle, an industry expert in the field of dental and medical billing.
Severe mandibular crowding and clear aligners
This article presents a case report highlighting of a severe mandibular crowding treated without extraction and using clear aligners.
Introduction
In cases with moderate and severe crowding orthodontists frequently decide for interproximal reduction, posterior tooth distalization, and tooth extraction, among other possibilities. So, it is important that the orthodontist identifies the treatment goals, develops the force system, establishes the treatment sequence, and select the best device to reach the goals.
Diagnosis and etiology
A 56-year-old Caucasian female was seeking for an orthodontic treatment to improve dentofacial esthetics. Her chief complaint was the severe mandibular crowding (9 mm) and buccal dark corridors. Incisors were slightly retroclined, and posterior dental segment presented accentuated lingual inclination (curve of Wilson).
Clinical considerations
After a critical discussion of the treatment plan with the patient, and considering the advantages and disadvantages of both extraction and non extraction orthodontic treatment approach, a non extraction approach was decided. Factors such as compliance, tooth arch discrepancy, cephalometric discrepancy, mandibular incisor inclination, facial profile, anteroposterior relationships, and periodontal health, led to the non extraction decision.
Virtual treatment plan
Final photos and evaluation
As planned for the mandibular arch, intercanine width was maintained (slightly reduction of 0.2 mm), intermolar width was increased (5.5 mm), and the incisors were slightly proclined (6.0°). The total of interproximal reduction on the mandibular anterior teeth was 2.0 mm.
Conclusions
After a 13 months of treatment and 3 sets of clear aligner (50 active trays), the malocclusion was resolved and the facial esthetics was significantly improved. To achieve such results, proclination of the incisors and transverse dental expansion were necessary as well lower anterior dental interproximal reduction. To maintain the outcome, upper (removable) and lower (fixed and removable) retainers were delivered and patient was oriented to keep periodontal control regularly.
Helder Baldi Jacob, DDS, MS, PhD, Associate Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry
Guest Editor Rade D. Paravina, DDS, MS, PhD
ethics corner
TDA Council on Ethics and Judicial Affairs
Ethical considerations when informing patients about suboptimal treatment completed by another dentist
QAs an experienced general dentist with more than 30 years in practice, one of the most difficult ethical issues
I have been concerned with lately is when I evaluate a new patient for either comprehensive oral health care or a second opinion, and I discover multiple examples of recently rendered treatment that are not acceptable and will need to be replaced. The process of informing the patient about the inadequate treatment is difficult. This dilemma becomes even more complicated when the colleague who placed the restorations is an experienced oral health care provider whom the patient trusted and had built a good relationship with over many years. What are the ethical considerations when explaining to a patient that treatment by an experienced colleague needs to be replaced?
AIn the practice of dentistry, there are instances in which we critique our own completed treatment and perhaps we are not always fully satisfied with the outcome. Examples of this are when a crown margin has a slight imperfection but is still clinically satisfactory or when the shade that was selected for a composite restoration appears to be slightly lighter or darker than the adjacent tooth, but the patient accepts it anyway. However, we have a professional and ethical obligation to correct any treatment that would not be considered satisfactory in the eyes of our peers because it would adversely affect the oral health of patients if left untreated. This general rule of thumb should apply to any treatment we render to patients. When recommending treatment to a patient, I often ask myself to consider whether I would be doing the same for a family member or close friend. These personal gut checks help me continue using ethics as the fundamental guideline for any decisions I make when treating patients. Even with a gut check, the American Dental Association Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct (ADA Code) should be an external guide for practitioners when making decisions regarding patient treatment.
The preamble of the ADA Code clearly states that “the ethical dentist strives to do that which is right and good.”1 As dental professionals, the relationship we have with patients is based on a foundation of trust and honesty. The preamble of the ADA Code also calls on us “to follow high ethical standards which have the benefit of the patient as their primary goal.”1 The ADA Code also obligates us to maintain the knowledge and skill that are necessary to provide optimal care for patients.1 It is our professional obligation to become perpetual students, regardless of whether we are newer or more seasoned practitioners. As the preamble states, the “qualities of honesty, compassion, kindness, integrity, fairness and charity are part of the ethical education of a dentist” and “help to define the true professional.”1
Typically, when a patient has been informed of their treatment options, including any alternatives, they have many questions they would like answered and may request a follow-up consultation visit so that they have more time to process the information they were given and to discuss the details with a trusted friend or a family member. In Section 1 of the ADA Code, the principle of Patient Autonomy (“self-governance”) states that as dentists, our “primary obligations include involving patients in treatment decisions in a meaningful way, with due consideration being given to the patient’s needs.”1
During a dental examination on a new patient, several ceramic crowns were present that had been completed by a colleague within the past 2 years that had severely inadequate open margins. Recurrent caries was already evident both clinically and on the radiographs. In this case, the patient must decide whether to proceed with replacement of these substandard crowns. However, the patient may choose to avoid any treatment for the time being, even though that would not be recommended. The patient may also consider seeing another dentist for a second opinion and ask that their dental records be sent to the
we have a professional and ethical obligation to correct any treatment that would not be considered satisfactory in the eyes of our peers because it would adversely affect the oral health of patients if left untreated. This general rule of thumb should apply to any treatment we render to patients. When recommending treatment to a patient, I often ask myself to consider whether I would be doing the same for a family member or close friend.
other dentist. According to the principle of Patient Autonomy, we must “provide any information in accordance with applicable law that will be beneficial for the future treatment of that patient.”1
If the patient makes the decision to avoid treatment altogether by not having the restorations replaced, the dentist is obligated to help them understand what direct effect that will have on their oral health moving forward, including more extensive care later on. Section 2 of the ADA Code, the principle of Nonmaleficence (“do no harm”), “expresses the concept that professionals have a duty to protect the patient from harm.”1 In this particular case, avoiding treatment will certainly not be the best option for this patient. Section 3 of the ADA Code, the principle of Beneficence (“do good”), obligates dentists to “do good” for patients. As their trusted oral health care providers, we have a duty to promote patient welfare by encouraging them to make decisions that will benefit their oral health, which in this case means having the faulty dental work replaced.
Using the principle of Justice (“fairness”) from Section 4 of the ADA Code as a guide, the dentist’s “primary obligations include dealing with people justly and delivering dental care without prejudice.”1 In addition, Subsection 4.C (Justifiable Criticism) states that the patient should be “informed of their present oral health status without disparaging comment about prior services.”1 In the event that the suboptimal treatment was more recent, the patient may also consider personally reaching out to their previous oral health care provider to determine whether they may offer them some type of credit toward having the treatment replaced. This holds true especially if the dentist was someone the patient
had confidence in and trusted before they decided to see another dentist. As the patient’s current oral health care provider, it is also reasonable for you to contact the previous dentist to discuss the recommended treatment. According to Advisory Opinion 4.C.1 of the ADA Code, when you have concern about the treatment provided by another dentist you “should, if possible, [consult] with the previous treating dentist(s), in accordance with applicable law, to determine under what circumstances and conditions the treatment was performed.”1
When dealing with the process of informing a patient of substandard previous dental treatment, the principle of Veracity (“truthfulness”) in Section 5 of the ADA Code is also important. This involves coming from a position of respect and trust above all else.1 “Under this principle, the dentist’s primary obligations include respecting the position of trust inherent in the dentistpatient relationship, communicating truthfully and without deception, and maintaining intellectual integrity.”1 It is especially important to be direct with the patient about your findings without using any overly negative remarks when describing the treatment itself, so as to avoid unjustifiable criticism as discussed above. It is also critical that you avoid any specific reference to the previous oral health care provider, even if the patient attempts to steer you in that direction in the discussion. In this particular case, the current treating dentist’s professional obligation is to describe the findings to the patient without any judgment of the prior oral health care provider and to let the patient know that replacement of the restorations is recommended to prevent further progression of the caries.
CONCLUSIONS
When informing patients that substandard treatment performed by another dentist should be replaced, all 5 of the principles of ethics— Patient Autonomy, Nonmaleficence, Beneficence, Justice, and Veracity— should constantly serve as our ethical compass so that we can continue to help patients make decisions that are beneficial for their oral health. As dental professionals, we are held to a special position of trust within society. For this public trust to continue, we must individually make the commitment to follow high ethical standards of conduct when providing dental treatment to patients. The ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct serves as a consistent guide for us to follow and adhere to when confronted with difficult ethical dilemmas in our everyday practice of dentistry. It is usually understood that we should
constantly improve on our technical skills as part of our ongoing dental education. However, we must also remember that the “qualities of honesty, compassion, kindness, integrity, fairness and charity are part of the ethical education of a dentist” and “help to define the true professional.”
Dr Pappas is a general dentist, Arlington Heights, IL, and is a member of the American Dental Association Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs.
Address reprint requests to the American Dental Association Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs, 211 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611.
Disclosure. The author did not report any disclosures.
Ethical Moment is prepared by individual members of the American Dental Association Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs (CEBJA) or guests of CEBJA, in cooperation with The Journal of the American Dental Association. Its purpose is to promote awareness of the American Dental Association Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct. Readers are invited to submit questions to CEBJA at 211 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, email: ethics@ada.org.
The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the American Dental Association Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs or official policy of the ADA.
Reference 1. American Dental Association. Council on Ethics, Bylaws, and Judicial Affairs. American Dental Association principles of ethics and code of professional conduct, with official advisory opinions revised to November 2020. Accessed June 21, 2021. https://www.ada.org/en/about-the-ada/ principlesof-ethics-code-of-professional-conduct
LAW OFFICES OF MARK J. HANNA
• Representation Before the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
Mark J. Hanna JD Former General Counsel, Texas Dental Association
ORAL and maxillofacial
pathology
case of the month
CLINICAL HISTORY
An 18-year-old Hispanic male presented to the UT Health San Antonio Graduate Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic with a chief complaint of “I have a ball in my mouth that’s painful to eat and brush.” The patient presented with a 1 cm x 1 cm smooth-surfaced, mucosa-colored mass of the right mandibular anterior lingual ridge with slight buccal displacement of #26 and 27 (Figure 1). The patient reported pain and expansion of the lingual ridge for the past year. He denied a history of trauma and orthodontic treatment. Pain was elicited upon palpation and the patient denied paresthesia and changes in biting habits.
AUTHORS
Sydney Chung Fourth-year Dental Student, School of Dentistry, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
Juliana Robledo, DDS Assistant Professor/ Clinical, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
Edward Ellis, DDS, MS, FACS Professor and Chair, Department Of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
Anne Cale Jones, DDS Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
Figure 1 A&B Clinical photographs demonstrating a smooth-surfaced mucosa-colored mass of the right mandibular anterior lingual ridge with slight buccal displacement of
#26 and 27.
The panoramic radiograph revealed a 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm well-circumscribed circular, unilocular mixed radiopaqueradiolucent lesion with corticated borders spanning from #25 to #27 (Figure 2). Similarly, CT imaging of the mandible demonstrated a wellcorticated mixed lesion, predominantly hypodense with scattered areas of hyperdensities and notable thinning of the lingual cortex without perforation (Figure 3). Based on the clinical exam, a provisional differential diagnosis by the oral and maxillofacial surgeon included central giant cell granuloma, peripheral ossifying fibroma, or glandular odontogenic cyst.
The patient did not have any pertinent past medical, surgical, nor family history and denied use of tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs. The patient reported no current use of medications or known drug allergies. Review of systems was non-contributory for any significant medical conditions.
The mass was surgically excised under local anesthesia and the soft tissue was submitted for histopathologic examination. Solid bony architecture was noted with no bony defects following curettage of the lesion in its entirety. The radiograph of the excised specimen revealed a predominantly radiolucent lesion with focal radiopacities of varying size and densities, with a “snow-flake” appearance (Figure 4).
2. Panoramic radiograph - 1.5cm x 1.5cm well-circumscribed circular, unilocular mixed radiopaque-radiolucent lesion with corticated borders spanning from #25 to #27.
Figure 3 A, B & C. Maxillofacial computed tomography scan. Well-corticated mixed lesion, predominantly hypodense with scattered areas of hyperdensities present and notable thinning of the lingual cortex without perforation.
Figure 4. Radiograph of excised specimen revealing predominantly radiolucent lesion with focal radiopacities with a “snow-flake” appearance.
Figure
ORALand maxillofacial pathology
PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS
Histopathologic examination revealed a tumor composed of spindle cells organized in sheets, whorls, and strands, encased by a thick fibrous capsule. (Figure 5). Duct-like structures composed of a central space surrounded by a layer of columnar epithelial cells, demonstrating polarization of the nucleus away from the lumen, were also present (Figure 6). Rosette-like structures with an eosinophilic material were present and calcified matrix in different shapes were scattered throughout the tumor. (Figure 7).
What is the final diagnosis?
See page 375 for the answer and discussion.
Figure 5. Odontogenic tumor composed of spindle cells organized in sheets, whorls, and strands, encased by a thick fibrous capsule composed of dense fibrous connective tissue (H&E: original magnification 4x).
Figure 6. Spindle shaped cells arranged in whorls with multiple ductlike structures and globular calcified material throughout (H&E: original magnification 10x).
Figure 7. Rosette-like structures with an eosinophilic material with globular calcified material (H&E: original magnification 20x).
ORAL and maxillofacial pathology
diagnosis and management—from page 374
DIAGNOSIS: ADENOMATOID
ODONTOGENIC TUMOR
Discussion
Based on the clinical and radiographic findings, the differential diagnosis for this case included: calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC), cemento-ossifying fibroma (COF), focal cemento-osseous dysplasia (FocCOD) and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT).
The calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) is a rare developmental cyst believed to originate from odontogenic epithelial remnants trapped within the surrounding bony architecture or gingival tissues.1 This pathologic entity was first described in 1962 by Gorlin and associates, coining the name Gorlin cyst among the wide range of existing nomenclature, (i.e. calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor, dentinogenic ghost cell tumor, ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma) based upon the diverse spectrum of clinical presentations.2 The average age of diagnosis for this cyst is 30 years old, with no gender predilection. Approximately 65% of cases arise in the anterior region of the maxilla or mandible. COCs may be associated with other odontogenic tumors, such as odontoma, ameloblastoma, adenomatoid odontogenic tumor, ameloblastic fibroma, and ameloblastic fibro-odontoma; the association with complex odontomas is the most well-established in the literature.3,4 When they occur in conjunction with odontomas, they are frequently seen in a younger population. Extraosseous examples of COCs represent 5%-17% of cases and present as sessile or pedunculated gingival masses with no distinct clinical features.2 Radiographically, COCs typically appear as a unilocular well-defined radiolucency, with or without calcifications. In the one-third to one-half of cases in which calcifications are present, they may be irregular or resemble tooth-like structures. In one-third of cases, COCs may be associated with an unerupted tooth, most frequently a canine.2 Root resorption or divergence may be noted in the teeth adjacent to the lesion.5 Histologically, the cystic lesion is lined by odontogenic epithelium with the presence of ghost cells, which are altered epithelial cells with loss of nuclei with preserved cell outline, that are distinctive of COCs.2 The treatment of choice for COCs is surgical enucleation, with a very low recurrence rate reported in the literature.6
The cemento-ossifying fibroma (COF) is a relatively rare, benign neoplasm composed of fibrous stroma and mineralized tissue thought to originate from the periodontal
ligament.7 This pathologic entity belongs to the category of benign fibro-osseous lesions (BFOLs), which also include fibrous dysplasia and cemento-osseous dysplasias. These unusual bone lesions represent a phenomenon in which normal bony architecture is replaced by fibrous stroma with variable amounts of mineralized material, supported by the shared microscopic characteristics of these pathologic entities.7 COFs affects a higher proportion of females than males, and occur over a broad age range peaking, in the third and fourth decades of life. Most small examples of COF are asymptomatic, and are detected as an incidental radiographic finding, while larger lesions have been reported to produce painless jaw swelling and facial asymmetry. The classic clinical presentation of a COF is a solitary swelling in the mandibular premolar or molar regions.2 Radiographic presentation of a COF ranges from a well-defined unilocular radiolucency to a mixed radiolucency and radiopacity, dependent on the amount of mineralization. This lesion is also characteristic for its centrifugal growth pattern, producing a round mass.8 Microscopic examination of COFs demonstrate a mixture of disorganized mineralized material, including woven bone, lamellar bone, cementum-like particles, and fragments of fibrovascular connective tissue. The amount of mineralized material is reflective of the age of the lesion.2 The presence of prominent osteoblastic rimming is characteristic of COF and can be used to distinguish it from other BFOLs.9 Treatment of COFs is dependent upon the size of the lesion at diagnosis. Most cases are well-demarcated from the surrounding bone, allowing for complete removal via curettage or enucleation with very low recurrence rate.8
Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia (FocCOD) is also a benign fibro-osseous lesion (BFOL), sharing probable etiology of periodontal ligament origin and microscopic characteristics with the other BFOLs. Focal COD is one of three variants of cemento-osseous dysplasia; the other two being the periapical and florid variants which differ from FocCOD in their clinical and radiographic presentation.2 FocCOD has been reported over a broad age range, with Black middle-aged women being the most commonly reported demographic.9 The location of these solitary lesions demonstrates a predilection for the tooth-bearing areas of the posterior mandible.2 On radiographic exam, the lesions may appear radiolucent in the early osteolytic stage, mixed radiolucentradiopaque, or entirely radiopaque with a rim of radiolucency, in the late osteosclerotic stage, as seen with other BFOLs.10 Most FocCODs are asymptomatic and the adjacent teeth are vital, hence most lesions are discovered incidentally on radiographic imaging. FocCODs are self-limiting and rarely exceed 1.5cm.9 There is a marked similarity between FocCOD and COF based on clinical and radiographic presentation due to their solitary nature and round shape, which is an indication for establishing a definitive diagnosis.10 Grossly, FCOD appears as gritty, fragmented tissue whereas COF typically separates easily from the adjacent bone in one piece.10 The microscopic characteristics of FocCOD is similar to that seen in all three variants of cemento-osseous dysplasias: variable amounts of mineralized tissue intertwined with fibrovascular connective tissue.2 Due to the nonneoplastic nature of FCOD, once a diagnosis has been established, periodic follow-up is recommended, and no further treatment is required.11 Surgical
exploration for definitive diagnosis is only recommended in cases with nodular expansion, secondary infection, or rapid growth.12
In the present case, histopathologic examination confirmed the definitive diagnosis of adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT). AOT represents 2%-7% of all odontogenic tumors, making it the fourth most frequent odontogenic tumor.2 Similar to other odontogenic tumors, the precise etiology of AOT is of great debate, but it is undeniably of odontogenic origin based on its histologic characteristics that resemble the enamel organ and its location in tooth-bearing areas.13 The name, adenomatoid odontogenic tumor, stimulates further discussion on whether the tumor represents a hamartoma or a true neoplasm. There is increasing literature to suggest that the AOT represents a hamartoma based on its small size and almost nonexistent recurrence rate.14,15 Several immunohistochemical studies have identified a diverse number of tumor markers associated with AOT, including keratin, vimentin, amelogenin, enamelin, and matrix metalloproteinases 7 and 2616.
Adenomatoid odontogenic tumors are unique in their marked predilection for young females and location in the anterior maxilla; females are affected twice as often as males and most AOTs are diagnosed in the second decade of life.2 AOT has earned the colloquial name as the “two-thirds tumor”, as approximately two-thirds of AOTs occur in young females, two-thirds are associated with impacted teeth, two-thirds of cases are associated with canines, and two-thirds of cases occur in the anterior maxilla.17 Variants of AOT include the follicular, extrafollicular, and peripheral types, with the vast majority
of cases classified as intraosseous variants (follicular or extrafollicular), and only 2.3% belonging to the peripheral category18. The follicular variant of AOT is most frequent of the three and most commonly involves the crown of an erupted canine.2 The extrafollicular variant demonstrate an association with roots of adjacent teeth, with 89% occurring adjacent to a permanent canine.13
One of the most common presenting complaints of a patient with an AOT is the delayed eruption of a tooth, as expected with the high incidence of cases associated with impacted canines. Most asymptomatic lesions are discovered incidentally on radiographic examination to determine the cause for lack of eruption of a tooth.19 When clinically evident, this lesion is observed as a slow-growing, sessile mass, rarely exceeding 3cm, that is indistinguishable from other peripheral gingival lesions. Radiographically, the follicular variant of this lesion is classically observed as a unilocular radiolucency surrounding the crown of an unerupted tooth, sometimes extending apically past the cemento-enamel junction.2 The presence of fine calcifications within the lesion may help distinguish it from a dentigerous cyst.20
Grossly, the AOT is a solid or cystic mass surrounded by a thick capsule.20 Microscopically, all variants of AOT share the same histologic characteristics.21 The tumor is composed of spindleshaped epithelial cells forming sheets, strands, whorled masses of cells in fibrous stroma; some of which form rosette-like structures that stain for amyloid. Other distinctive microscopic characteristics of AOT that may be present, but are not required for a diagnosis, include duct-like structures and scattered calcification throughout
the tumor.2 Careful histopathologic examination of this lesion is required to distinguish it from other odontogenic tumors.
With respect to patient age and location, our case of AOT is one that does not strictly adhere to the familiar “two thirds rule.” This extrafollicular example of an AOT highlights the importance of the correlation of clinical and radiographic findings with histopathologic examination. The treatment modality of choice for this pathologic entity is conservative surgical enucleation.19 Adenomatoid odontogenic tumors have excellent prognosis, both due to its hamartomatous nature as well as its fibrous capsule thus allowing for complete and easy enucleation from surrounding hard tissue.2 The patient did not return for the scheduled one-week follow-up appointment to receive the biopsy results. Despite excellent prognosis of an adenomatoid odontogenic tumor, follow-up remains important to monitor for recurrence and status of involved teeth.16 This unusual presentation of AOT, characterized by its uncommon location in the anterior mandible and marked lingual expansion, highlights the importance of correlating clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic findings for an accurate diagnosis.
References
1. Zornosa, X., & Müller, S. (2010). Calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor. Head and neck pathology, 4(4), 292–294. https://doi. org/10.1007/s12105-010-0197-z
2. Chi, A., Neville, B., Damm, D., Allen, C.. Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, 5th Edition. 2024 Elsevier Inc. St. Louis. MS. (US).
3. Basile, J. R., Klene, C., & Lin, Y. L. (2010). Calcifying odontogenic cyst with odontogenic keratocyst: a case report and review of the literature. Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology, oral radiology, and endodontics, 109(4), e40–e45. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.tripleo.2009.12.026
4. Altini, M., & Farman, A. G. (1975). The
calcifying odontogenic cyst. Eight new cases and a review of the literature. Oral surgery, oral medicine, and oral pathology, 40(6), 751–759. https://doi. org/10.1016/0030-4220(75)90444-2
5. Rajendra Santosh A. B. (2020). Odontogenic Cysts. Dental clinics of North America, 64(1), 105–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cden.2019.08.002
6. Shear M. (1994). Developmental odontogenic cysts. An update. Journal of oral pathology & medicine: official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology, 23(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0714.1994. tb00246.x
7. Triantafillidou, K., Venetis, G., Karakinaris, G., & Iordanidis, F. (2012). Ossifying fibroma of the jaws: a clinical study of 14 cases and review of the literature. Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology, 114(2), 193–199. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.tripleo.2011.07.033
8. Katti, G., Khan, M. M., Chaubey, S. S., & Amena, M. (2016). Cemento-ossifying fibroma of the jaw. BMJ case reports, 2016, bcr2015214327. https://doi.org/10.1136/ bcr-2015-214327
9. Ravikumar, S. S., Vasupradha, G., Menaka, T. R., & Sankar, S. P. (2020). Focal cementoosseous dysplasia. Journal of oral and maxillofacial pathology: JOMFP, 24(Suppl 1), S19–S22. https://doi.org/10.4103/jomfp. JOMFP_209_19
10. Seifi, S., Ghorbani, H., Khakbaz, O., & Bijani, F. (2022). Focal Cemento Osseous Dysplasia: A Case Report. Journal of dentistry (Shiraz, Iran), 23(2), 151–154. https://doi.org/10.30476/ DENTJODS.2022.88067.1309
11. Summerlin, D. J., & Tomich, C. E. (1994). Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia: a clinicopathologic study of 221 cases. Oral surgery, oral medicine, and oral pathology, 78(5), 611–620. https://doi. org/10.1016/0030-4220(94)90174-0
12. Su, L., Weathers, D. R., & Waldron, C. A. (1997). Distinguishing features of focal cemento-osseous dysplasias and cemento-ossifying fibromas: I. A pathologic spectrum of 316 cases. Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology, oral radiology, and endodontics, 84(3), 301–309. https:// doi.org/10.1016/s1079-2104(97)90348-6
13. Rick G. M. (2004). Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor. Oral and maxillofacial surgery clinics of North America, 16(3), 333–354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. coms.2004.04.001
14. Thakur, A., Tupkari, J. V., Joy, T., & Hanchate, A. V. (2016). Adenomatoid odontogenic
tumor: What is the true nature? Medical hypotheses, 97, 90–93. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.mehy.2016.10.024
15. Ide, F., Kikuchi, K., & Kusama, K. (2017). Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor revisited. Medical hypotheses, 104, 35. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.mehy.2017.05.016
16. Kamble, A., Shimpi, M. R., Dash, J. K., Sahoo, P. K., Chaudhary, S., & Doiphode, M. (2021). Adenomatoid Odontogenic Tumor of the Maxilla in a 13-year-old Patient: A Rare Case Report with a Review of Literature. International journal of clinical pediatric dentistry, 14(4), 596–600. https:// doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1771
17. Sadasivan, A., Ramesh, R., & Kurien, N. M. (2020). Peripheral Adenomatoid Odontogenic Tumor - A Rare Cause of Gingival Enlargement: A Case Report with CBCT Findings. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dentistry, 12, 297–304. https://doi.org/10.2147/CCIDE.S261308
18. Philipsen, H. P., Reichart, P. A., Siar, C. H., Ng, K. H., Lau, S. H., Zhang, X., Dhanuthai, K., Swasdison, S., Jainkittivong, A., Meer, S., Jivan, V., Altini, M., Hazarey, V., Ogawa, I., Takata, T., Taylor, A. A., Godoy, H., Delgado, W. A., Carlos-Bregni, R., Macias, J. F., … Adebayo, E. T. (2007). An updated clinical and epidemiological profile of the adenomatoid odontogenic tumour: a collaborative retrospective study. Journal of oral pathology & medicine: official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology, 36(7), 383–393. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.16000714.2007.00536.x
19. Handschel, J. G., Depprich, R. A., Zimmermann, A. C., Braunstein, S., & Kübler, N. R. (2005). Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor of the mandible: review of the literature and report of a rare case. Head & face medicine, 1, 3. https://doi. org/10.1186/1746-160X-1-3
20. Vasudevan, K., Kumar, S., Vijayasamundeeswari, & Vigneswari, S. (2012). Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor, an uncommon tumor. Contemporary clinical dentistry, 3(2), 245–247. https://doi. org/10.4103/0976-237X.96837
21. Bilodeau, E. A., & Collins, B. M. (2017). Odontogenic Cysts and Neoplasms. Surgical pathology clinics, 10(1), 177–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.path.2016.10.006
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A Potential Email Breach Could Be One of Your Biggest HIPAA Vulnerabilities
By Robert McDermott President & CEO, iCoreConnect
Security experts are ringing alarm bells warning the health care industry that their data, their patients, and their practices are at risk.
Email is one of the most frequent ways hackers gain access to patient data or business-critical credentials. But because many practices are struggling with staffing, security procedures, protocols, and policies are often taking a backseat to other concerns.
Hackers and bad actors are aware of vulnerabilities and have increased efforts to access data and networks through email. The risk is too significant for practices to continue putting off security measures.
Email security must be a top priority for every dental practice.
Top Reasons Email Breaches Occur
An email breach is a serious security incident where a single email, email account, or email system has been “impermissibly used or disclosed.” In other words, someone who shouldn’t have access to your email does; and your data might be hijacked.
Here are a few top reasons breaches occur—and tips on how to avoid a breach at your office.
1. Human error and poor training. 61% of health care security breaches involve human error. Many of these could have been prevented with proper and complete security training for staff. You must educate your employees on security issues—on what not to do as well as what they must do for HIPAA compliance. Both are important when it comes to protecting patient data.
2. Phishing attacks are prevalent. Phishing attempts replicate the look and feel of emails from known vendors or partners (e.g. Amazon or a bank) so that recipients who are unaware, untrained, or simply overwhelmed by email volume are vulnerable to making mistakes. Phishing attacks can open the door for more dangerous ransomware attacks, locking access to your network or data until a ransom is paid.
3. Lack of encryption or appropriate security. If your email service doesn’t provide encryption, stop using it right now. If you’re not sure your email service is 100% HIPAA compliant (beyond just encryption), then it probably isn’t.
What’s Required?
The rules regarding HIPAA compliance specific to email aren’t always clear. Let’s key in on the basics.
The HIPAA regulations governing email and other electronic communications revolve around the assurance of both security and privacy when it comes to ePHI and electronic health records (EHR) sent via electronic mail.
Among the first requirements is: messages must be encrypted. Anywhere there is PHI, there must be encryption—whether PHI is in the body of the email or in attachments. This includes patient-initiated emails and emails shared within a health care organization.
There are 5 Technical Safeguards required for HIPAA-Compliant email.
1. Access Controls: Access to PHI must be restricted to authorized individuals only.
2. Audit Controls: Email history and transmissions must be monitored and an auditable trail maintained.
3. Integrity Controls: Practices must employ policies and procedures to ensure ePHI is not improperly destroyed or altered.
4. Authentication: Security measures must verify an individual’s identity prior to granting them access to electronic protected health information.
5. Transmission Security: As noted above, transmitted PHI must be encrypted.
What can you do to improve your email security?
Security experts are letting dental leaders, practice managers, and those in private practice know there are ways to mitigate security risks and protect patients and their data.
1. Create, update, or enhance your security protocols and policies to include email security.
2. Train your staff in all security risks and concerns—especially in recognizing suspicious emails and the proper actions to take.
3. Employ vendor risk-management strategies such as Business Associate Agreements (BAA) with your vendors and partners.
4. Monitor email for security risks and actively monitor your networks for breaches or attacks.
5. Ensure all applications and hardware are up to date regarding security patches.
6. Regularly audit email communications to look for potential risks or vulnerabilities.
7. Consider a full HIPAA risk assessment that includes email.
8. Employ a secure, HIPAA compliant, email solution that protects your email with end-to-end encryption and safeguards storage.
Regardless of size, medical offices and dental practices must take sufficient steps to safeguard what could be an open window into their practices.
TDA Perks Program-endorsed iCoreExchange provides encrypted HIPAA email that protects your patient data and practice while creating a simpler workflow for your staff. Visit tdaperks. com (Compliance & Supplies). Book a demo at iCoreConnect.com/TX7 or call (888) 810-7706 to talk with an iCoreConnect representative about iCoreExchange.
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Opportunities Online at TDA.org and Printed in the Texas Dental Journal
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PRACTICE OPPORTUNITIES
ALL TEXAS LISTINGS FOR MCLERRAN & ASSOCIATES. AUSTIN-NORTH (ID #604):
Legacy FFS practice with an impeccable reputation located in a budding community north of Austin. The office has relied solely on word-of-mouth referrals with very little marketing/advertising and refers out many specialty procedures leading to upside potential for an incoming buyer. The real estate is also available for purchase.
AUSTIN (ID #636): Rare opportunity to purchase a turnkey, FFS/PPO general dentistry practice and real estate in Austin. This spacious 2,500 sq ft office features 4 operatories, digital radiography, iTero, and paperless charts. The practice is situated in a highly desirable Austin community.
AUSTIN (ID #662): Large, general dentistry practice (with a recent focus on implants) located in a free-standing building with great visibility in north Austin. Large facility with 8 fully equipped operatories, digital radiography, an iTero digital scanner, and a 3D CBCT unit. FFS/PPO patient base, over 2,000 active patients, and has a stellar reputation. The owner invested heavily in growing the implant side of the business.
DALLAS-PEDO/ORTHO (ID #665): Legacy pedo/ortho practice in the heart of north Dallas. Thriving practice, large fee-for service patient base, revenue of seven figures. Over 2,800 sq ft, fully digital with computers in the operatories, digital radiography, and a digital pano. FORT
WORTH (ID #664): Established, fee-forservice general dentistry practice in Fort Worth with computerized operatories, digital X-ray sensors, CBCT, and paperless charts. There is plenty of room to continue growing by adding several specialty procedures currently being referred out.
HOUSTON-SOUTHWEST (ID #627): Legacy
GD practice with majority FFS patient base in a growing southwest Houston suburb. Located in a retail center on a busy intersection, this 1,200 sq ft office features 4 fully equipped ops plumbed for nitrous, computers throughout, digital radiography, a digital scanner, intraoral cameras, and paperless charts.
HOUSTON-SOUTHEAST (ID #644): 100% FFS, legacy practice in SE Houston. The 2,500+ sq ft office features 7 ops, computers throughout, digital pano, digital X-rays, digital scanner, intraoral cameras, and paperless charts.
If you’re looking for a centrally located, profitable practice with a dedicated patient base and room to grow, call us now for more details.
HOUSTON-ORTHO (ID #673): Rare opportunity to purchase an orthodontic practice and real estate in a well-established north Houston suburb. State-of-the-art facility, top-of-the-line digital technology, including a digital pano and a digital iTero scanner. The practice has shown consistent annual growth over the past years on 3 doctor days per week.
HOUSTON-SOUTHWEST (ID #674): Highly profitable, turn-key, PPO/FFS general dentistry practice southwest of Houston. High-visibility office, 4 computerized operatories, digital X-ray sensors, digital pano, Cerec scanner, Cerec milling unit and oven, and intraoral cameras. The practice has exceptional net cash flow. 1,400+ active patients, 20+ new patients per month, 30% hygiene production and exceptional net cash flow. The real estate is available for sale.
HOUSTON-SOUTH (ID #682):
Established, multi-specialty dental office in a suburb about 20 miles south of Houston. The office is in a large (4,000 sq ft), easily accessible office condo with 13 equipped
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operatories, computers throughout, CBCT, and digital scanner. They treat a massive PPO/FFS patient base (3,000+) with over 50 new patients visiting the office per month. The practice revenue averages over 7 figures annually with strong net cash flow, and there is room for expansion through enhancing the hygiene recall and focusing on standardizing the procedural mix. With approximately 55% of the dentistry being restorative, 25% pediatrics, 10% ortho, and 10% OMS, the office is on a stable foundation with the opportunity to take it in whatever direction you choose.
NORTHEAST TEXAS (ID #584): 100% FFS general dentistry practice in a desirable town in northeast Texas with 7 figures in revenue and strong net income. The turnkey practice features 4 fully equipped operatories with digital radiography, intra oral cameras, paperless charts, CBCT, and a digital scanner.
SAN ANTONIO (ID #654): PPO/FFS general dentistry practice in San Antonio. The 3,000+ sq ft office is prominently located on a busy street and features 6 computerized operatories, digital X-ray sensors, digital
pano, digital scanner, intraoral cameras, and paperless charts. With 2,000+ active patients, 25+ new patients a month, and a stellar reputation, this practice is poised for continued success.
SAN ANTONIO (ID #681): GD practice and real estate in NW San Antonio. Legacy practice, 100% fee-for-service, multi-generational patient base, stellar reputation. Four fully equipped operatories with digital radiography, computers and intraoral cameras throughout, and a digital pano. The practice has consistently increased revenue year over year and has a strong hygiene recall program with nearly 30% of annual production coming from the hygiene department. SOUTH TEXAS (ID #651): General dentistry practice located in south Texas. This state-of-the-art office occupies 3,500 sq ft with room for 10 total operatories, is fully digital with CBCT, a digital scanner, handheld X-ray units, and a 3-D printer. The practice serves a large PPO/Medicaid patient base with over 3,000 active patients seen over the last 24 months with a strong monthly new patient flow.
SOUTH TEXAS (ID #668): Thriving south Texas practice (with real estate) that has
established itself as the premier dentistry provider in the local community. This one-doctor practice has a massive active patient base, strong hygiene production, and generated revenue of 7 figures. The real estate is available for purchase and features 6 equipped operatories and stateof-the-art equipment (CBCT, digital intraoral scanner, and CAD/CAM milling unit). This may also be an ideal fit as an associate-run practice for a Texas-based group practice owner. TO REQUEST MORE INFORMATION ON MCLERRAN & ASSOCIATES’ LISTINGS: Please register at www.dentaltransitions. com or contact us at 512-900-7989 or info@ dentaltransitions.com.
EAST
TEXAS: Exceptional practice opportunity in Troup, Texas. Seeking associate to join high quality, wellestablished dental practice with a long history of excellence. This is an exceptional opportunity to move into ownership after a successful initial employment phase. Must be committed to providing optimal patient care with exceptional technical skills, strong people skills, personal integrity, honesty and a passion for excellence. This practice
has a dynamic, experienced team and a strong emphasis on Christian values and professional growth. Our office expansion should be complete mid to late September 2024, but the new associate could begin in August if he/she would like. Please reply in confidence with your CV and a letter outlining your future objectives and goals to: drmay@troupfamilydental.com or call our office at 903-842-4600.
McLerran & Associates is the largest dental practice brokerage firm in Texas. When it’s time to buy or sell a practice, we’ve got you covered.
DSO C S PRACTICE SALES
Austin 512-900-7989
DFW 214-960-4451
Houston 281-362-1707
San Antonio 210-737-0100
South Texas 361-221-1990
Email: texas@dentaltransitions.com PRACTICE APPRAISALS
www.dentaltransitions.com
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HOUSTON: General practice (reference: “Southwest”) in the southwest area practice near a main highway in Houston. Collections in mid-6 figures. Production is growing. Practice in a strip shopping center. The office is 1,475 sq ft with 3 total operatories: 2 for dentistry and one for hygiene. Please let me know if you need anything else from me. A fourth operatory area is plumbed. Contains reception area, dentist office, sterilization area, lab area. Majority of patients are 30 to 65 years old. Practice has operated at this location for over 35 years. Practice sees patients about 16 to 19 days per month. Collection ratio of 99%. Practice is a fee-for-service and PPO practice. Contact Christopher Dunn at 800930-8017 or Christopher@DDRDental.com.
NORTH TEXAS: If you don’t want to deal with insurance, have the skillset to keep some specialty procedures in house, and want the autonomy to do things your own way, this is the practice for you. It’s located about two hours north of DFW. Weíre a completely OON office. Our staff is a great close knit group of people. Wonderful patient base. We do a little bit of everything
from bread and butter crowns and fillings, to root canals, implants, and AOX and cosmetic/full mouth rehab stuff. We got in on scanning, milling, and printing pretty early and have an amazing workflow that lets us do a lot of our own custom lab work for a more aesthetic and personal touch. This includes 3D printing our own dentures, partials, and nightguards, as well as milling our own crowns and AOX prostheses. We have a lab grade 5-axis mill, 3D printer, IO scanner, CBCT machine, intraoral cameras, digital X-rays, etc. All brand new in 2022. 4 ops, 1 full-time hygienist and 1 parttime. Last year we did over 7 figures in collections and are on track to beat that this year. The practice is also newly remodeled. I would be willing to consider an immediate purchase or an associate with the option to buy me out after a smooth transition. If interested, please call/text Chandler at 801-895-0514.
ROCKPORT: Practice for sale in Rockport. Two chairs, plumbed for 3. Currently being worked 3 days a week producing near mid-6 figures. Fee for service, no DMO, HMO or PPO contracts. Hygienist 3 days a week and will stay, been with practice since
2019. Digital X-rays, paperless, Newtom 3D/Panorex, (3) X-ray sensors. Practice is in older house, which can be leased or purchased. Great starter practice or for someone slowing down and wants to live on the coast. Send inquires to jim@jlongdds. com or call: 281-726-1812, leave message.
TRINITY: Six operatories, 3,700 sq ft office. Retired from practice established in 1973. No other practicing dentist in the county. Contact Dr Bubba Hirsch 936-594-2424 or drbubbahirsch@gmail.com.
WATSON BROWN PRACTICES FOR SALE:
Practices for sale in Texas and surrounding states, For more information and current listings please visit our website at www. adstexas.com or call us at 469-222-3200 to speak with Frank or Jeremy.
OFFICE SPACE
PLANO: Dental office space in Plano for rent or purchase: 2,978 sf space in the 75024 zip code. Plumbed for central nitrous for 4 ops. Large waiting area, front office, 4 enclosed ops, 1 consultation
room, open hygiene bay (plumbed for 4 chairs), sterilization/lab room, X-ray room, manager’s office, doctor’s office, staff lounge with lockers and restroom, patient restroom, storage area, nitrous closet, equipment closet. Current tenant is a pediatric dentist. Space will be available in Dec 2024/Jan 2025. Interested tenants or buyers please message Dr Patel at 972-8143545.
SAN ANTONIO: Ready to go dental space for lease with chairs and some equipment in place. Great northside location at Hwy 281 N and Brookhollow. The space is 1783 SF and rents for $2,407/mo modified gross. Two restrooms in the suite, floor plan available. Broker is BK Properties 210-4900483 or 210-887-8828.
INTERIM SERVICES
HAVE MIRROR AND EXPLORER, WILL
TRAVEL: Sick leave, maternity leave, vacation, or death, I will cover your general or pediatric practice. Call Robert Zoch, DDS, MAGD, at 512-517-2826 or drzoch@yahoo. com.
