NYSDA News December 2022

Manhattan Oral Surgeon Races Across the Finish Line

Dr Gregory Shank tests his mettle in New York City Marathon .

When Gregory Shank, D.D.S., completed his dental residency, he turned his attention to his physical well-being.

“Like most people in residency, I did not have time to exercise and didn’t really prioritize my health. When I moved back to New York from D.C., I joined a running club called Brooklyn Track Club and got back into shape.”

That the young oral surgeon chose running as his ticket back to health is not surprising. The Long Island native was captain of the Chaminade High School cross country and track and field teams. Now, with dental school (Stony Brook University) and postgraduate training (Medstar Washington

A Capitol Salute

NYSDA recognizes its 2022 sustainers of the Empire Dental Political Action Committee 4

Saratoga County Couple Takes Unusual Route to Reach Patients

Volunteers with Floating Doctors don’t exactly walk on water, but they do arrive by water 6

Changing of the Guard

New York State Dental Foundation announces leaders for 2023 11

THEY CAME BY WATER — PAGE 6

Dear Capitol Club Colleagues:

ON BEHALF OF THE EDPAC Board of Directors, I want to recognize our Capitol Club contributors and thank them for their generous contributions to the 2022 EDPAC Capitol Club.

It is because of their support that dentists have a strong voice in Albany, heard by both the governor and the Legislature. It is gratifying to know that we can count on them to ensure that our presence remains solid and the profession is able to withstand the many challenges it faces today and in the future.

The list of 2022 Capitol Club members (as of December 12) appears beginning on page 4 of this issue of the NYSDA News. Again, thank you for all your support.

Sincerely, Michael E. Breault, DDS EDPAC Chairman

Gregory Shank is all smiles after his successful completion of New York City Marathon.

Touro Alumni Named Smigel Scholars

Seven Touro College of Dental Medicine alumni received the prestigious Smigel Scholarship to attend the American Society for Dental Aesthetics (ASDA) annual conference in Palm Springs, CA, in October. Each of the award winners received the “Smigel Scholar” certificate at the conclusion of the conference, attesting to their attainment of knowledge and education in aesthetic dentistry throughout the three-day conference. They are:

Dr. Margaret (Maggie) Eason (’21); Dr. Si Yeon Kim (‘21); Dr. Aman Kumar (‘20); Dr. Madeline (Maddy) Maas (’21); Dr. Zaid Nesheiwat (‘22); Dr. Troy Neureuter (’21); and Dr. Benjamin Yee (’21).

ASDA was founded in 1976 by Dr. Irwin Smigel, now deceased, who also served as its president. Dr. Smigel, dubbed the “Father of Aesthetic Dentistry,” earned his celebratory moniker from his peers for his

EDITOR

Chester J. Gary, D.D.S., J.D.

MANAGING EDITOR Mary Grates Stoll

ADVERTISING MANAGER Jeanne DeGuire ART DIRECTOR Ed Stevens

NYSDA OFFICERS

James E. Galati, President Anthony M. Cuomo, Vice President Prabha Krishnan, Vice President Frank C. Barnashuk, Secretary-Treasurer Steven Gounardes, Speaker of the House

Gregory D. Hill, Executive Director

Editorial and advertising offices are at Suite 602, 20 Corporate Woods Boulevard, Albany, NY 12211-2370. Telephone (518) 465-0044. Fax (518) 465-3219. Email info@nysdental.org. Website www.nysdental.org.

The NYSDA News (ISSN 1531684X) is published quarterly, in February, May, October and December, by the New York State Dental Association, Suite 602, 20 Corporate Woods Boulevard, Albany, NY 12211-2370. It is available in digital form only and accessible online in the members-only section of the NYSDA website, www.nysdental.org, under publications.

Dr. Marvin Fier with five of the seven newest Smigel Scholars, all alumni of Touro College of Dental Medicine.

A Year-End Salute to our EDPAC Boosters

AS WE CLOSE OUT 2022, NYSDA says thank you to all of its members and supporters who made an extra, voluntary contribution to the Empire Dental Political Action Committee (EDPAC) as of Dec. 12. Each has earned a place at the Liberty Level (contribution of $500 or more), on the EDPAC Honor Roll ($250 or more) and/or the EDPAC Capitol Club ($100 or more). Their names are listed here.

Gleason, G. Kirk (04)

Gounardes, Steven (02)

Grassi, Michael (07)

Hanley, Kevin (08)

Henner, Kevin (S)

Hurtt, William (07)

Jackson, Lois (NY)

Jacobs, James (NY)

Andolina, Richard (07)

Andolina Jr., Richard (07)

Baim, Loren (04)

Barnashuk, Frank (08)

Berls, Robert (04)

Blieden, Timothy (07)

Breault, Michael (04)

Bunes, Alf (07)

Busino, Lawrence (03)

Caldon, William (04)

Calnon, Christopher (07)

Calnon, William (07)

Caruso, Joseph (Q)

Casper-Klock, Theresa (07)

Cavallari, Albert (08)

Chassen, Stuart (B)

Cocozzo, Christina (04)

Craddock, Joseph (08)

Cuomo, Anthony (09)

De Leonibus, Joann (02)

Demas, John (02)

DiBernardo, Joseph (S)

Dodd, Gregory (04)

Doherty, Robert (09)

Dominger, Martin (S)

Donato, Michael (02)

Dowd, Brendan (08)

Essig, Steven (03)

Farren, Seth (03)

Flagiello, Raymond (02)

Galati, James (04)

Gamache, Geoffrey (03)

Giangreco, Lawrence (07)

Javaheri-Saatchi, Pasha (02)

Jonke, Guenter (S)

Kilimitzoglou, Dimitrios (S)

Kralik, George (NY)

Leary, Paul (S)

Lee, Gabriela (NY)

Maranga, Maria (S)

Mauleon, Jr., Luis (06) Meyer, John (07)

Morini, Alfred (04) Mulkin, Lisa (07)

Nasca, John (08)

Neary, Matthew (NY) Palmaccio, Frank (N)

Patel, Minerva (09)

Pennise, Sam (07)

Peracchia, Robert (NY) Perez, William (04)

Popelka, Sandro (07)

Ratner, Craig (02)

Romano, Paul (07)

Rubin, Richard (07)

Sauer, Jason (09)

Shipper, David (NY)

Shreck, Michael (N)

Smith, Craig (S)

Tirone, Kenneth (07)

Venterina, Valerie (02)

Vibert, Keith (S)

Volland, Lawrence (08)

Vorrasi, Andrew (07)

Zugner, William (07)

Akseizer, Stephen (N)

Amadori, Christopher (07) Ariola, Gabriel (02) Baylarian, Howard (N) Biller, Harold (Q) Bochiechio, Robert (08) Bozek, Walter (05) Bracker, Susan (07) Callahan, John (05) Carey, Jonathan (07) Carranza, Maria (07) Clark-Lowell, Kristin (06) Cloke, Laura (04) Cooperman, Kenneth (NY) Coppola, David (04) Davidson, H Bradley (07) Davis, Gregory (N) DeSanti, Michael (03) Dunn, Mary Beth (08) Farone, Egidio (NY) Fay, Sherrill (NY) Ference, Reed (03) Fielding, Frederick (08) First, Christopher (S) Friedman, Joel (B) Fuschino, Vincent (04) Gary, Chester (08) Giugliano, Thomas (NY) Goss, Curtis (02) Goudarzi, Payam (06) Grace, Peter (07) Guariglia, John (S) Guarracino, John (04)

Hertz, Paul (B)

Hills, Donald (N)

Hoddick, James (08) Hoffman, Stacy (08) Hwang, Maybelle (04) Joshi, Bharat (09)

Keating, Michael (07)

Kisiel, R. Jeffrey (04)

Kobliner, Kenneth (N) Korkosz, Adrienne (04)

Krishnan, Prabha (Q)

Labiner, Bartley (B)

Laura, Joan (05)

Lowenguth, Roxanne (07)

Mahon-Vazquez, Claudia (S)

Manowitz, Gary (S)

Marchese, Robert (08)

McLaren, Sean (07)

Mentzelopoulou, Ioanna (NY)

Merlino, Phyllis (02) Miller, David (N) Miller, Edward (09) Miller, Raymond (08) Milord, Fabiola (N)

Milza, John (04) Mindlin, Mitchell (02) Minoli, Guy (NY)

Mitola, David (03)

Musci, John (04)

Nolan, Edward (07)

Oleksa, Jerome (07)

Olivo, David (07)

Osinski, Ryan (04)

Porcelli, Eugene (N)

Porcello, J Nicholas (08)

Raetz, Randy (07)

Ramjattansingh, David (07) Roland, James (07)

Rosenwein, Sari (02)

Rubinstein, Mitchell (NY) Sahawneh, Duraid (09)

They Came by Water

Saratoga County couple travel far from home to satisfy desire to improve healthcare of impoverished people

When Dr. Marc Johnson transferred ownership of Smiles For Life Dental Care in Saratoga Springs, it wasn’t to enjoy a leisure-filled retirement. Rather, for Dr. Johnson and his wife, Angie, who left her employment as a CPA, that’s when they really got to work, on Dr. Johnson’s long-held goal “to give back to those who didn’t have access to dental care.”

The Johnsons set sail, literally, in search of a non-governmental organization they could connect with that would help them satisfy their ambition of providing dental services in remote locations. They hoped to treat patients using the full, portable dental clinic they had assembled aboard their catamaran “Side Two.”

The Johnsons were no strangers to the water. They had taken up sailing early in their married life, first on small sailboats, finally settling on their first live-aboard catamaran, “Side by Side.” In 2006, the couple sold their first dental practice, Saratoga Smiles, and set out with their two children, Parker and Sabrina, on a four-year exploration of the Caribbean. They visited 27 countries, Angie Johnson related, and “boat schooled” their children, using the Calvert curriculum.

Nor were they newcomers to volunteer dental missions. Marc Johnson and son, Parker, now a senior at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, previously worked with Mission of Mercy. They also went to Antigua, Guatemala, for a week with the Open Wide Foundation and provided free dentistry.

The couple’s search for a sponsor brought them to Floating Doctors (www.floatingdoctors.com), a humanitarian organization headquartered in Bocas del Toro, Panama, and dedicated to reducing “the present and future burden of disease in the developing world, and to promote improvements in health care delivery.” The couple found it to be the perfect fit and in July of this year, began their fellowship. They were anchored and working near Bocas del Toro, a province of Panama that is situated in the Caribbean, next to the border of Costa Rica, and home to an indigenous population known as Ngäbe-Buglé.

Ninety percent of these individuals, aged 5 to 75, suffer from dental caries and oral disease, according to Marc Johnson. They lack running water, electricity or sanitation, suffer from poor oral hygiene and diet, and lack preventive education. Their primary means of transportation is paddling in a dugout canoe or

Marc and Angie Johnson sailed to their humanitarian outreach venture aboard their catamaran “Side Two.”

Angie Johnson engages young Panamanians in lesson on proper oral healthcare. Mrs. Johnson also appears on page one with young member of Nagabe-Bugle population.

Just ask each staff member who’s stuck in the weeds verifying insurance all day long: “Would you rather have a less tedious, more consistent way to verify patient insurance for every patient on the schedule that week?” And, what if they wouldn’t have to do much more than check the schedule to access each patient’s report?

If the answer is a resounding “YES,” then NYSDA-endorsed iCoreVerify is the right solution at the right time for your practice. iCoreVerify automated insurance verification software does the heavy lifting for you:

• Verification in seconds for every patient on the schedule each week (rather than one patient at a time).

• Built-in error reporting shows you exactly what needs to be corrected for quick resolutions.

• Fewer claim denials thanks to accurate patient information.

NYSDA Members save an average $4,221 (28%) annually on credit card processing fees and will receive $100 discount on any processing equipment needed. Now with Text-to-Pay and Customer Vault, as well as Auto-Post to popular practice management software. Streamline your processing and save money!

www.bestcardteam.com/NY 877-739-3952

For more information about this and other Endorsed Programs call: 800-255-2100

a. b.

Central New York Dentist

Accounting for Dentistry, C.P.A., P.C.

Call for Nominations

ACCOUNTING, AUDIT, CONSULTING AND TAX SERVICES FOR THE DENTAL PROFESSION

Appointed to CE Commission

Accounting for Dentistry, C.P.A., P.C. is a CPA firm created by a dentist for dentists.

Nominations

Council sets deadline for submitting candidates for officers in 2023

DR. BRUCE SEIDBERG, D.D.S., M.Sc.D., J.D., of Liverpool (Fifth District) has been appointed to a four-year term on the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition (CCEPR).

Accounting for Dentistry is all we do. We don’t broker practices, sell investments, provide insurance services or broker financing. We forgo these commission-based services in order that our clients have completely unbiased advice and analysis for all aspects of their personal and business finances.

We understand the business of dentistry.

THE NYSDA COUNCIL on Nominations will meet on Tuesday, March 14, at 6:30 p.m. to make its selections for President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer and Speaker of the Association for 2023.

We can:

• Set up and maintain accounting and payroll systems

• Provide comprehensive ongoing analysis of the financial health of your practice

CCEPR is an agency of the American Dental Association with authority to formulate and adopt requirements, guidelines and procedures for recognition of continuing dental education providers and to approve providers that meet rigorous standards for quality. Established by the ADA in 2014, the commission oversees the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP).

• Analyze prospective contracts, projects, acquisitions, partnerships and/or sales

• Provide tax preparation and tax planning services

Providing services throughout New York and New England. www.doctorscpa.com drothstein@doctorscpa.com (518) 851-9016

Nominees for President-Elect must be members of the Queens County Dental Society. Nominees for Vice President must be members of the New York County Dental Society. Nominees for Secretary-Treasurer and Speaker of the House may be members of any NYSDA component.

Dan Rothstein, D.D.S., M.B.A., C.P.A. Member ADA, NYSDA, NYSSCPA and AICPA

• Advise new dentists, new practices, start-ups or successions

• Provide certified practice valuation services

Dr. Seidberg, an endodontist, recently completed a 10-year term on the New York State Board for Dentistry, two of which he served as chairman. He will continue as an extended member of the Board. z

Members wishing to submit nominations for any of these positions must do so no later than March 4. Nominations should be sent to Dr. Kevin A. Henner, Chair, Council on Nominations, NYSDA, 20 Corporate Woods Boulevard, Suite 602, Albany, NY 12211. z

Accounting for Dentistry, C.P.A., P.C.

ACCOUNTING, AUDIT, CONSULTING AND TAX SERVICES FOR THE DENTAL PROFESSION

Accounting for Dentistry, C.P.A., P.C. is a CPA firm created by a dentist for dentists.

Purchasing a practice is one of the most consequential events of your professional career.

Before you commit, be sure to obtain an independent assessment of the opportunity.

For over twenty years we have been providing comprehensive projections of the financial results dentists can expect in considering the purchase of a dental practice. We have no material interest that compels us to approve the transaction.

Unlike your banker or broker, we are an independent CPA firm acting exclusively as your advocate to provide unbiased projection results. We also never advise both sides of the deal, avoiding any possible conflict of interest.

Contact Dr. Rothstein directly and confidentially to discuss any aspect of the due diligence analysis, multi-year projection of results, financing issues, closing process and/or accounting, payroll, tax, compliance and managerial issues relating to the initiation of operations as a new owner.

Bruce Seidberg

New York Dentist Achieves Trifecta

DR. STUART SEGELNICK, Second District, was a three-time winner at this year’s meeting of the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists. His moments in the spotlight are recorded here. Left: Dr. Segelnick receives certified dental editor (CDE) award designation from AADEJ newly installed president, Ann Marie Gothard. Center: Dr. Leighton A. Weir, chairman, International College of Dentists Journalism Award Committee, presents Dr. Segelnick, editor Second District Bulletin, with 2022 ICD award for excellence in newsletter publishing. Right: Dr. Segelnick is recognized for editorial appearing in Bulletin which earned him thirdplace honor. Presenting him with ADEA Gies Foundation Editorial Award are Jeffrey Stewart, ADEA senior vice president for international and global collaboration, and Denice Stewart, senior scholar in residence at ADEA.

Photos by Dr. Dan Jenkins

Dental Foundation Finalizes Board Selections Awards GKAS Grant

Dr. Maria Maranga, Suffolk County, is the new chair of the New York State Dental Foundation, succeeding Dr. G. Kirk Gleason. Dr. Maranga was the choice of the NYSDF Board of Trustees, which selected its officers for 2023 at its meeting in October. Serving alongside her will be: Dr. Ronald Bellohusen, vice chair; Dr. Robert Peskin, secretary; and Dr. Lawrence Volland, treasurer.

The Board also approved the nominations of two additions to the Board for one-year terms. They are Dr. Richard Andolina Jr. and Dr. Lauren Baim. Chosen to serve three-year terms on the Board are Dr. Joseph Brofsky, Dr. Egidio Farone, Dr. Elizabeth Kapral, Dr. Maranga, Dr. Mary Ellen Luskawitz, Dr. David Miller and Dr. Jay Skolnick.

In other business, the Board approved a $1,000 Give Kids A Smile grant to be awarded to Dr. Renuka Bijoor a pediatric dentist from Briarcliff Manor. The money will support the GKAS program she helps to coordinate with, among others, the Ninth District Dental Association, Touro College of Dental Medicine and the Westchester Community Opportunity Program.

GKAS awards are intended to help improve the oral healthcare and access to care of underserved children. z

800-255-2100

Manhattan continued from page 1 -

Hospital Center) behind him, he determined to achieve a personal goal: to run in the New York City Marathon.

Training for the marathon constituted a “part-time job,” he said. “I ran about 60 miles a week for three months. I had to fit in my daily runs whenever I could, even if that meant run commuting.”

Sunday, Nov. 6, the day of race, he was ready for what would be only the second marathon he had attempted. What he couldn’t have anticipated were temperatures approaching the mid-70s, making the 2022 marathon the warmest on record. Nevertheless, he crossed the finish line in 3 hours and 24 seconds, much better than the average finishing time that day of over four hours. It was an impressive finish, but not quite good enough to qualify him for what he hoped would be a shot at the Boston Marathon.

Shank has his sights set now on the Big Sur Marathon in California in late April, a run along the Pacific Coast Highway, from Big Sur to Carmel, thought to be one of the hilliest routes in the United States. And he plans to take another shot at qualifying for Boston at some point. “This might turn into an annual tradition,” he said.

When not running, Shank is at work, on staff at Tribeca Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Manhattan. He is the son of two dentists: mother, Joan, is retired; father, Duane, is engaged in practice at Smithtown Orthodontics.

An early advocate of organized dentistry, Shank was heavily involved in the American Student Dental Association, serving as district trustee, representing the students of New York and New Jersey at the national level. A member of the New York County Dental Society, he is currently serving as the New Dentist Representative on the NYSDA Council on Peer Review and Quality Assurance. z

iCore continued from page 8 -

• Staff time can now be redirected to scheduling patient follow-ups.

When you automate the insurance verification process with iCoreVerify, your staff can reclaim 25+ hours a week and turn their focus to getting patients booked for needed treatments. Patients get the care they need, and your practice generates more revenue.

And you didn’t have to hire additional staff to make these significant improvements.

Book a demo today to see how easy and reliable it really is. And as part of our ongoing commitment to you, we have negotiated a substantial NYSDA discount on iCoreVerify. z

EDPAC Boosters

Schellati, Nicholas (07)

Schutze, H (04)

Scutari, Pasquale (05)

Sokoloff, Stephen (S)

Stacey, Steven (05)

Stacy, Lynn (05)

Swalsky, Gary (04)

Tyner, Michael (Q)

Varano, Sal (N)

Vazquez Santiago, Ivan (S)

Verma, Binod (N)

Viola, Joseph (07)

Vittoria, Nick (S)

Wanamaker, James (05)

Warner, Robert (08)

Warshaw, Andrew (02)

Wolfe, Kirstin (02)

Wolfgang, Lawrence (08)

Crane, Alyson (07)

Croglio, David (08)

Dahl, John (09)

Damelio, Steven (07)

Davison, Donald (04)

De Luke, James (04)

Delwo-Roberto, Traci (04)

DiCerbo, Marianne (03)

Dickman, David (08)

DiSanto-Rose, Gary (04)

Dobmeier, Thomas (08)

Domenico, Anthony (08)

Donnarumma, Glen (08)

Down, William (04)

Dowrey, Robert (08)

Doyle, Daniel (09)

Dunham, Richard (04)

Duthie, Robert (06)

El-Chehabi, Samir (08)

Elson, Natalia (S)

Eng, Warren (06)

Evans, Don (04)

Fass, Stuart (03)

Feigelson, Steven (S)

Feinberg, Michael (02)

Firestone, Scott (S)

Forcier, Darren (08)

Abbamonte, Lester (07)

Abbamonte, Timothy (07)

Adepetu, Adewale (B)

Al-Wakfi, Omar (04)

Avrutin, Allen (09)

Balestrini, David (04)

Balonek, Mark (07)

Barrera, Monica (09)

Batheja, Vishveshwar (S)

Berghoff, Ronald (04)

Bijoor, Renuka (09)

Boolchandani, Mohan (04)

Branco, James (09)

Bryan, Amy (08)

Buchalter, Alyson (02)

Burgart, Stephen (07)

Calnon, Timothy (07)

Carbonaro, David (07)

Carpenter, John (09)

Casipit, Ramon (06)

Caton, Jack (07)

Chawla, Suchie (NY)

Chicvak, John (N)

Cinelli, Anthony (04)

Coles, Matthew (07)

Cook, Matthew (06)

Fox, John (04)

Francavilla, Vincent (08)

Frank, Andrew (03)

Frustino, Jennifer (08)

Gabrielle, Robert (09)

Gambacorta, Joseph (08)

Gengo, Michael (08)

Giglia Pieri, Maria (08)

Giller, Jeffrey (N)

Gilman, Brian (S)

Gilson, Philip (07)

Goodloe, Samuel (08)

Guzik, William (07)

Hanlon, Patricia (S)

Hargraves, Rachel (04)

Hatala, Peter (06)

Heisinger, Lauren (S)

Hennigar, William (08)

Herzog, Robert (08)

Hyun, Paul (03)

Ingrao, Timothy (S)

Jacobs, William (N)

Jaiswal, Meena (N)

Jhaveri, Viren (Q)

Johnson, Kirk (07)

Kochman, Doron (07)

Kshonz, Todd (N)

Labowitz, Paul (S)

Lagner, John (S)

Lang, Robert (07)

Langan, Stephen (03)

LaPorta; Alfred (09)

Lavorata, Carl (S)

Lawless, Gregory (03)

Lee, Joshua (08)

Leichtner, Jeremy (07)

Leitner, Jeffrey (04)

Leo, Charles (S)

Levine, Frederick (04)

Levitt, Neal (07)

Lowenguth, Mark (07)

Malatesta, Marc (07)

Maresca, Anthony (S)

Marino, Vincenzo (07)

Marin-Rojas, Nancy (NY)

Mascia, Darren (07)

Mathiesen, Christian (04)

Matteliano, James (08)

Mattiacio, Brian (07)

Mauceri, Anthony (N)

Mauceri, Thomas (N)

Mc Cutcheon, Richard (06)

McGarvey, Michael (05)

McGill, Jack (04)

McIntyre, John (02)

Mears, Ernest (05)

Melo, Hilario (05)

Merryman, Jacob (04)

Miller, Michael (09)

Mitchell, Virginia (S)

Modica, Joseph (08) Moore, Michael (08)

Morton, Colin (04)

Morton, Steven (03)

Musiker, Malcolm (07)

Noroozi-Leibowitz, Katayoon (N)

Olmsted, William (07)

Ossen, Stephen (09)

Panzarino, William () Parsons, David (04) Peppy, Anthony (08) Peppy, Samuel (08)

Perrino, David (04)

Perrone, Daniel (02) Petryszak, Bryan (08) Portenoy, Bradley (N) Potvin, Joseph (04) Pruden, Peter (S) Randhawa, Jaskaren (NY) Rasmussen, Paul (04) Reed, David (07) Reilly, Beth (08)

Reisfeld, Stacy (S) Reszel, Robert (08) Rizzuto, Bart (04) Roberto, Joseph (04)

Touro Alumni

continued from page 2

Ronzo, Kenneth (07) Roschinsky, Mark (04) Rosen, Gerald (07) Rosen, Harvey (B) Rosinski, Daniel (07) Rubin, Stuart (N) Rumfola, Joseph (08) Safferstein, Don (B) Salamino, Lawrence (05) Sanders, Terry (S) Sandu, Diana (04) Sansone, James (07) Santos-Teachout, Rosemeire (07) Saunders, Ralph (07) Sbuttoni, Michael (03) Scharoff, Gary (09) Schiffman, Leonard (02) Schwartz, Laurence (S) Sconzo, James (02) Segelnick, Stuart (02) Shpuntoff, Robert (Q) Simone, Adina (N) Sinatra, Joseph (08) Sloan, Michael (S) Smith, Craig (S) Smith, Herbert (09) Smith, Sean (05) Snyder, Steven (S) Sohrweide, Anton (05) Soifer, Bohan (04)

Sorrentino, Robert (02)

Spencer, James (02)

Subtelny, Gregory (06)

Szymczak Evans, Rebecca (04) Tannous, Samar (09)

Tibbetts, John (08)

Tobin, Maryjo (07)

Tredwell, Maureen (N)

Valerio, Matthew (07)

Vargas, Dennis (07)

Vastardis, Peter (N)

Vella, Vincent (07)

Warner, Howard (06)

Weiner, Howard (07)

Weinstein, Sol (07)

Weinstein, Stephen (07)

Weiss, David (09)

Wetzel, Frederick (04)

Wheeler-Beachel, Meghan (07) Wiener, Michael (09)

Wolpert, Ryan (04)

Woodhead, Christian (05) Worth, Ronald (09)

Yang, Richard (Q)

Yellin, Bonnie (S)

Young, John (NY)

Zdep, Steven (05)

-

work in establishing and contributing to the field of cosmetic dentistry. His leadership began in 1970 when he created the bonding technique and continued when he was at the forefront of numerous significant developments in cosmetic dentistry, including porcelain veneers, laminates, teeth whitening and enhancing patients’ facial structure through dental techniques.

ASDA established a scholarship fund in Dr. Smigel’s memory to mentor dentists in the art and science of aesthetic dentistry and its newest developments. A limited number of scholarships are awarded to encourage young dentists to become involved in aesthetics, modern restorative techniques and implant dentistry by attending and participating in ASDA annual meetings. The conference exposes attendees to world-class lectures on multiple topics, hands-on workshops and the opportunity to meet leading aesthetic dentists and other thought leaders. Potential candidates must be recommended by an ASDA member in order to be considered for the scholarship, and then must apply and be accepted by the ASDA Executive Board.

Present for the awarding of the scholarships was Dr. Marvin A. Fier, ASDA Executive Vice President and clinical associate professor at Touro College of Dental Medicine. Dr. Fier was named ASDA Vice President in the early ‘90s by Dr. Smigel and has held the position since. He is a practicing dentist currently in private practice in Pomona, NY, where he specializes in cosmetic, family, and implant dentistry. z

walking. Reaching them meant Floating Doctors volunteers often traveled hours in their own 48-foot dugout canoe, Dr. Blue, powered by an outboard motor.

Once they arrived onshore, they hand carried all of their supplies, equipment, food and drinking water and set up temporary sites in “ranchos,” common to all communities. The medical team used the large rancho, an open-air pavilion, Angie Johnson explained, and the dental team would find another site, many times outside of a school.

The Johnsons visited 25 indigenous communities on a 12-week rotation, sometimes for a day, or if longer travel time was required, for a week. Sleeping in jungle hammocks to the sounds of roosters and stray dogs was not an unusual occurrence. “Both of us were working in the harshest, most difficult conditions of our lives, and we loved it,” Marc Johnson said. This past summer they were joined by their daughter, Sabrina, a second-year medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine.

The Johnsons, who signed up for four months with Floating Doctors, completed their volunteer mission in November. They’re now back in the states visiting family and friends for the holidays. In January, they plan to head back to Panama, take their boat through the Panama Canal and sail to the South Pacific. They expect to be away for several years and plan to post pictures and stories of their boat life on their Facebook page, “Side Two.”

But remaining prominent in their thoughts is their time spent with Floating Doctors and the care they rendered to communities of people who might never receive dental treatment if not for volunteers like the Johnsons. They urge others to enlist in the cause. “Retiring like us? Before you get bored, come and volunteer with Floating Doctors. Have a child thinking about healthcare and wanting to volunteer? Floating Doctors provides them an experience they will never forget,” Marc Johnson urged.

He suggested anyone interested in learning more about Floating Doctors and/or volunteering, write to: Brianna at Volunteerinfo@FloatingDoctors.com. z

Most of communities visited by volunteers with Floating Doctors lack running water, electricity or sanitation. Dr. Marc Johnson, lead dental provider during his time with Floating Doctors, treats patient in makeshift site.