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Celebrating Dr. Cesar Sabates’s Year as ADA President Richard A. Mufson, DDS, Editor

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SFDDA Newsleter

SFDDA Newsleter

Celebrating Dr. Cesar Sabates’s Year of Dedication and “Transformation,” As Among the Most Popular and WellRespected Presidents in ADA History

‐ Richard A. Mufson, DDS,Editor

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Back on October 19, 2020, a unique moment in our history occurred. It was a moment of unparalleled vicarious pride within the South Florida District Dental Association (SFDDA) – when one of our most esteemed and dedicated longtime members, Dr. Cesar Sabates, was elected PresidentElect of the American Dental Association (ADA) at the annual meeting in Orlando.

In the Spring 2021 issue of this newsletter, we also shared with you the story of “The Little Engine That Could.” The article recounted how the efforts of a small group of innovative and talented people from our small unassuming local component dental society – and with little help from outside groups or resources –managed to combine forces of motivation, hard work, hitech audio, video, and social media to help propel Cesar to victory. The lion’s share of the work and credit for his successful run, of course, rightly belongs to the candidate, and the man himself, Dr. Cesar Sabates.

As the ultimate culmination of Cesar’s tireless decadeslong effort and dedication to organized dentistry, he was then installed at the annual meeting in Las Vegas, as the 158th president of the ADA.

There were also several “firsts,” to his incredible story. He would be the first CubanAmerican elected to this position, the first from South Florida, and in fact the first ever from the entire state of Florida, to take the helm of the ADA as president.

Cesar then embarked on what would be a very meaningful, productive and “transformative” year of accomplishments. Much of his tenure was devoted to meeting with and engaging many diverse groups within dentistry, which included dental school faculty and deans throughout the country, to discuss the numerous challenges faced by our educational colleagues and dental students in funding, debt and a host of other issues.

He met with the leaders of a number other healthrelated organizations, including his participation several months earlier in a “fireside chat” with American Medical Association President, Dr. Gerald Harmon.

In a very emotionfilled and welldelivered address to the ADA House of Delegates at the recent annual meeting in Houston on October 15, Cesar spoke of a number of other highlights of his presidential term. He cited a year of “tremendous victory in our progress,” which included, among many other accomplishments, his advocacy for oral health and health equity, while also demonstrating in his own unique way, his passion for diversity and inclusion, and his effort in wanting to brand ADA as a “welcoming and safe place, an oasis where dentists of all backgrounds can find support, direction and refuge.”

Cesar also underscored the personal emotional impact of having visited Houston eight years earlier for treatment of cancer at MD Anderson, and then returning, thankfully cancerfree, to mark the end of his term as ADA president.

From all those who have known Cesar over the years, and have been so familiar with his devotion, his accomplishments, his love of faith, family and his colleagues in dentistry – I know I speak for so many in wanting to express to him our deep sense of heartfelt gratitude for his years of service, and for representing us so well at our local, state and ultimately, at the highest level to which one can ascend – the national level, as ADA president. From all of us: “Thank you,” Cesar!”

Richard A. Mufson, DDS is the editor of the SFDDA Newsletter and may be contacted at (305) 935-7501 or MufsonOralSurg@aol.com

Pictured on next page starting at the top clockwise: Dr. Sabates with Dr. Cohlmia; with leadership from the Michigan Dental Association; with the Alaska Dental Association Board of Directors; with Drs. Michael Eggnatz, Larry Nissen, Chad Gehani, Maxine Feinberg, Jeffrey Cole and Alan Friedel; with dental students at the ADPAC event; with his wife, Lydia Sabates; with the ADA and ASDA Boards at the Joint Meeting in Washington, DC during the ADA Leadership Conference; with part of his campaign team, Drs. Mark Limosani, Zack Kalarickal, Michael Eggnatz, Alan Friedel, (bottom row l-r) Ms. Valentina Izarra, Drs. Robin Nguyen, Irene Marron -Tarrazzi and Ms.Suzanne Friedel.

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