Dr. Chetty with his family.
program in 2016, but, to this day, we still talk every single day. If you have a patient in the chair and something is not going the way you need it to, you can just message the text group chat, and someone will respond and tell you exactly what to do. We have a lot of relatable experiences, and we continue to push each other. CE is No. 1, but along with that comes engaging with the community of dentists within AGD who really believe in each other. AGD helps you find your people.” But Chetty is also passionate about the benefits of AGD that members may not engage with directly. “I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the impact that AGD’s advocacy efforts have on our members,” he said. “That is kind of a secret, in a way, because the average dentist may not know all of the things we are doing for dentistry. I am very cognizant of the fact that a lot of the things I get to do today in my general practice are a result of battles that have been waged over the past several decades about dentistry and how we relate to specialists and even the medical profession. For example, in my practice, I do a lot of orthodontics and implants; I am very aware that I would not have that opportunity if AGD wasn’t there fighting in the legislative arena to protect our scope of practice. It’s enlightening to be on this side of leadership and see how the whole process works in terms of the efforts that we make as an organization and the passion from the people who
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AGD IMPACT
DECEMBER 2024
Dr. Chetty at AGD2023 in Las Vegas with Drs. Eric Wong, Michael Lew, Mike Bromberg and Howard Chi.
are on the front lines of our initiatives. Our advocacy efforts benefit all general dentists, not just those who are AGD members, so it’s a huge impact.”
“I would never have done the things I have done or achieved what I have achieved if I didn’t have that AGD education and philosophy throughout my career.” Challenges Ahead When asked about the biggest challenges AGD is facing as an organization and how he plans to address them during his presidency, Chetty said: “That’s the million-dollar question, but it’s also something we’ve been talking about within leadership for years. The Baby Boomer generation of dentists is starting to retire. As that happens, it’s changing the numbers and demographics of our membership. It’s also changing the needs of our membership, as many more of our members now work for corporate or large group practices. The landscape of dentistry is changing, and it’s important that we continue to evolve and
ensure we are responsive to the needs of our members today. We need to continue to stay relevant, and one of the ways we can do that is elevate and support our constituents, which are able to better engage and support the different needs of dentists in individual areas and communities. Our strength as a national organization comes from our constituents and their grassroots-level understanding of what dentists need. We are also in the process of renewing our strategic plan, and I am really excited and passionate about the process of evaluating what works and what can be added or improved upon to make our organization better than ever. As long as we make decisions as an organization that are informed by the voices of our members and our leaders, that’s perfect.” Chetty’s time as president will last until the end of the House of Delegates’ 2025 Annual Meeting, Nov. 14–16, 2025. “I’m so excited to have the opportunity to give back to an organization that has given me so much,” he said. “I also want to acknowledge and thank my wife because she’s the one who really encouraged me to do this. She has been by my side every step of the way and has been so supportive in allowing me to fulfill this dream. None of this is about me; it’s about what I can do for this organization, and I’m ecstatic to have that opportunity.” ♦ Caitlin Davis is associate editor of AGD Impact. To comment on this article, email impact@agd.org.