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Academy of Laser Dentistry Installs New President & Officers During Annual Meeting in Dallas

Posted on Friday, April 19, 2019

The Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD) the only independent and unbiased non-profit association dedicated to improving patient care with the proper use of laser technology, recently installed its new president and officers for 2019-2020. The announcement was made during the ALD’s recent 26th annual meeting in Dallas.

 Mel Burchman, DDS, President: Dr. Burchman has maintained a private dental practice in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, for 38 years. He has been using lasers for more than 18 years and has 8 lasers in his office. He has served on the Board of Directors for one 3-year term, and in numerous chairmanship positions including 2019 Conference Chair for the Annual Meeting, and as Certification Committee Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. Dr. Burchman has volunteered as a mentor and examiner for more than 15 years. In 2012, he was the honored recipient of the ALD Leon Goldman Award for Clinical Excellence. Dr. Burchman also holds ALD Mastership status.

Ed Kusek, DDS, President-Elect: Dr. Kusek graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry in 1984. He has served as ALD Communications Chair and Testing subcommittee Chair. He holds the titles of Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry, Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, Mastership in Academy of General Dentistry and Academy of Laser Dentistry, and Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. Dr. Kusek is in private general practice in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Arun Darbar, BDS, DGDP (UK), Treasurer: Dr. Darbar is at the forefront of laser dentistry in the United Kingdom and lectures on the subject worldwide. He has been a clinical laser user for nearly 25 years and provides cutting-edge dentistry to his patients. Dr. Darbar is an accredited member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Credentialing Committee. He holds ALD Mastership and Educator status and has served as co-chair of Education and Certification, and International Relations Committees. He is a published author, and some of his concepts in low-level laser therapy (LLLT) data have been published as proceedings of SPIE in 2006, 2007, and 2009/10; WALT 2008 South Africa and 2012 Australia; and in UK dental publications. Dr. Darbar is the first and only laser dentist in the UK to be invited to the House of Lords for a charity fundraiser organized by Lasers for Life. Dr. Darbar maintains a private dental practice in Leighton Buzzard, UK.

Samuel B. Low, DDS, MS, M.Ed., Secretary: Dr. Low is Professor Emeritus, University of Florida College of Dentistry, and Associate faculty member of the Pankey Institute with 30 years of private practice experience in periodontics and implant placement and 12 years with laser management of the periodontal patient. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and past President of the American Academy of Periodontology. Dr. Low provides dentists and dental hygienists with the tools for successfully managing the periodontal patient in general and periodontal practices and is affiliated with the Florida Probe Corporation. He was selected “Dentist of the Year” by the Florida Dental Association, Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Texas Dental School, and recipient of the Gordon Christensen Lecturer Recognition Award. He is a Past President of the Florida Dental Association and past Trustee of the American Dental Association.

Raminta Mastis, DDS, Immediate Past President: Dr. Mastis graduated from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry in 1987. She maintains a private dental practice, Michigan Cosmetic and Laser Dentistry, in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. Raminta previously served in each Officer role as ALD President 2018, President-Elect 2017, Vice President 2016, Treasurer 2015 and Secretary in 2014. Prior to her service as an Officer, Dr. Mastis served as Co-Chair of Certification and Education Committees, Chair of Laser Safety and Communications Committees, and was the 2014 General & Scientific Sessions Chair of the Annual Meeting. Dr. Mastis has been using lasers since 2000 and has 18 lasers of various wavelengths in her practice. She holds ALD Standard Proficiency certifications in Er:YAG, diode, Er,Cr:YSGG, and CO2 laser wavelengths, and has achieved ALD Advanced Proficiency in the Er:YAG wavelength. In addition to laser dentistry, her practice is focused on implant surgery and restoration, laser dentistry, esthetic and cosmetic dentistry, and integration of advanced technologies into practice. Dr. Mastis also holds ALD Mastership status.

Gail S. Siminovsky, CAE, Executive Director: Ms. Siminovsky is a leadership professional and has served as executive director of the Academy of Laser Dentistry since 1999. She raises awareness of the role of lasers as beneficial tools that dentists and hygienists have for treating dental disease. Gail serves the ALD Board as an advisor and is a member of ALD’s 22 committees. She earned and maintains the credential Certified Association Executive (CAE) from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and served on ASAE’s Small Staff Advisory Committee. Gail graduated from the State University of New York in Binghamton, serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE), and is a member of the American Dental Association’s Committee on Dental Meetings and National Coalition of General Dental Organizations (NCGDO). Gail has a passion for helping dentists revitalize the way they interact with patients by providing new and improved solutions for dental care. She speaks on governance and board leadership, building strategic alliances, and the importance of associations being knowledge brokers.

Note: These newly-installed ALD officers will serve a term that concludes with the installation of a new slate of officers during ALD 2020 in San Diego, that will take place from April 4-6th, 2020. For more information about ALD leadership, click here.

About the Academy of Laser Dentistry: The Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD) is the only independent and unbiased non-profit association devoted to laser dentistry and includes clinicians, academicians and researchers in all laser wavelengths. The Academy is devoted to clinical education, research, and the development of standards and guidelines for the safe and effective use of dental laser technology. ALD was founded in 1993, with the merging of the International Academy of Laser Dentistry, the North American Academy of Laser Dentistry and the American Academy of Laser Dentistry. For more information, visit www.LaserDentistry.org.

 







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