A Celebrated Dentist’s Quest for Sensitivity and Inclusion

Dr Fabiola Milord hopes recent action by the Association will put more dentists who look like her at the table

August 2021. The NYSDA House of Delegates, in session at the Westin Hotel in Jersey City, NJ, passed a historic resolution calling on the Association to recognize the designation of February as Black History Month. Specifically, NYSDA was asked to pay homage each year to an African-American member “who has significantly contributed to the profession” and to sponsor a credit-bearing course featuring an “African-American Speaker of Excellence.”

The maker of the resolution was Fabiola Milord, D.D.S., M.P.H., a general dentist from New Hyde Park, Nassau County. Dr. Milord was understandably elated to see the House adopt her resolution, which, she said, was borne out of frustration.

“The resolutions to observe Black History Month came out of dual observations. During the year 2020, as we were forced into a so-called ‘lockdown,’ and with the simultaneous George Floyd protests, a variety of speakers were offering various continuing education courses online. Very few of those speakers were African American. As companies and other entities were refocusing their efforts to be more sensitive and inclusive to the black experience, there seemed to be no such effort on the part of NYSDA. The observance of Black History Month by offering CE content by black dentists, as well as featuring a black Speaker of Excellence during the month of February seemed like a reasonable place to start the initiative of promoting the contributions of black dentists and noting their accomplishments.”

In 2019, Fabiola Milord, pictured at left, was honored for her humanitarian and academic contributions to dentistry at 10th annual Scrubs & Stilettos conference. With her are, from left: Mary Truhlar, then-dean, Stony Brook School Dental Medicine; Lidia Epel, past conference chair; Maria Maranga, Suffolk County, and Julie Izen, Nassau County, 2019 conference chairs.

THE CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL

What better place to begin the conversation than with Dr. Milord herself, an accomplished professional and ardent proponent of organized dentistry who has been recognized for her volunteer service and humanitarian outreach?

Dr. Milord is associate director for the general practice residency program at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and also maintains a private practice in New Hyde Park. She is a past president of Nassau County Dental Society; delegate to the NYSDA House; member of innumerable dental organizations; fellow of the American College of Dentists, Academy of General Dentistry and Pierre Fauchard Academy. She is a sought-after clinical and educational speaker; published author; and recipient of several awards recognizing her contributions to the profession, education, public health and service to others.

How she got here is the first measure of her success. In her own words:

“I was born in Kinshasa, Congo, to Haitian parents and moved to the U.S. at one month old. I have lived in Queens, NY, ever since. I’m a product of the New York City Public school system. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science from St. John’s University and Doctor of Dental Surgery from New York University College of Dentistry. I completed a general practice residency at Metropolitan Hospital Center, followed by a dental oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. As a result of the various medical missions I have participated in, I decided to go back to school and earned a master’s degree in public health from New York University College of Global Public Health.”

Last year, Dr. Milord received the Academy of General Dentistry’s Humanitarian Award for her “voluntary service, civic leadership and delivery of quality oral healthcare to the global dental community.” Over the past 20 years, Dr. Milord has taken part in more than 50 medical missions, treating marginalized communities in Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, South Africa, St. Lucia, St. Vincent’s, in the United States after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian.

“I got my start volunteering with the Max Cadet Dental Foundation working out of Port-au-Prince, Haiti,” Dr. Milord relates. “Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was also involved with Dorcas Medical Missions, a faith-based organization based out of Brooklyn. Dorcas introduced me to the majority of my international missionary work. Currently, I am the dental director for MediNova (formerly known as NOAHNY), a not-for-profit organization primarily serving the healthcare needs of those in northeast Haiti.”

Fabiola Milord, D.D.S., M.P.H.

NOT DONE YET

For all that she has contributed and accomplished, Dr. Milord believes there is more to be done and she wants to be part of it.

“Besides taking the best care of my patients, the greatest contribution I could make would be elevating the profile of the profession as a major stakeholder in healthcare through clinical and educational support, innovative research and advocacy. For far too long, dentistry has been relegated to secondary status in primary care.

“My other area of concern is emphasizing the access-to-care and fair reimbursement connection. Until such time that public, private and union-based third-party payers are made aware of how reimbursement rates affect access to care, there will always be a discrepancy between the numbers of in-network participating dentists and where, how and with whom individuals seek quality oral healthcare.”

Still, she is optimistic and heartened to see that NYSDA is on the right track to correcting diversity disparities in the profession and in patient care:

“I’m proud of the fact that the 2021 NYSDA House of Delegates adopted the resolutions recognizing February as Black History Month. Additionally, the formation of an Equity and Inclusion Task Force by NYSDA is also proof positive that more people of varying backgrounds will be invited to be represented at the table of organized dentistry. This does indeed put NYSDA on the right track in recognizing diversity disparities within the profession. More representation and visibility encourage the younger generation to consider joining it.”

Still, Dr. Milord says, there is unfinished business:

“As far as what remains to be done, my hope is that someday, NYSDA will be represented by an African-American dentist on top of its leaderboard as president.”