Welcome
to Pennsylvania’s
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NS YLVAN
TA L MEE
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Dental Meeting
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From your PDA President Bruce R. Terry
WOW! It’s been an exciting year at PDA. Your leaders, the Board of
Trustees, the Council of Presidents, committees and advisory groups, and
staff have been hard at work to benefit both dentists and patients
across Pennsylvania.
Our year culminates with our annual meeting at The Hotel Hershey,
otherwise known as the “Sweetest Place on Earth.” I would like to take
a moment to thank all of you for coming to celebrate all that organized
dentistry has to offer.
If you didn’t already know, this is a very special year as we celebrate
150 years as the PDA. You will see and hear many nostalgic moments
as we learn about our organization’s past and forge into the future. For
example, have you thought about the year PDA was founded? 1868.
The U.S. president was Ulysses S. Grant. A group of dentists at the
Philadelphia Dental College, later to be Temple University Kornberg
School of Dentistry, met to form the Pennsylvania State Dental Society.
There were approximately 10,000 men across the U.S. who called
themselves dentists in 1868.
It was not easy to be a dentist in 1868. They were still making many
of their own instruments. They also were learning the art of Vulcanite
denture making and paying a royalty to the Charles Goodyear Company
for each denture made. The Pennsylvania State Dental Society fought to
end the royalty payment in its first effort in advocacy.
Dental College was a mere 18-month program and learning after dental
school involved reading Dental Cosmos and going to lectures in large
metropolitan cities.
This year our planning committee, consisting of our chair, Dr. Lauri
Passeri, and members Dr. Sara Haines, Dr. Joe Ross, Dr. David Schimmel
and Dr. Seth Walbridge have assembled the perfect two-day program.
There is something for everyone and it won’t include how to vulcanize
a denture.
Members have asked for a simple way to get all their required Continuing
Education credits. Our committee has organized presentations that
will satisfy Act 31, Child Abuse, Act 124, Opioid Education, and OSHA
information for the entire dental team. On Friday there will be several
courses for both the doctors and the staff.
But it doesn’t end with the required courses. We also have the pleasure of
hearing from Dr. Roger Levin. His presentation on Saturday, “New Game.
New Rules. New Playbook. Winning Strategies for Increasing Production.,”
is not to be missed.
Saturday will also include time to have our annual business meeting.
We want to give you an update on what we are doing at PDA and
around the state to bring value to your membership. We will offer you
the chance to speak out and let us know what you see as an urgent or
upcoming issue. Please join us as we discuss how to make the most of
our organization.
Finally, Saturday will conclude with a black-tie optional dinner in the
Garden Terrace Ballroom of The Hotel Hershey. Join friends from across
the state as we celebrate 150 years as the PDA!
Again, thank you for taking the time to be with us this weekend. We
appreciate your membership and continued participation in PDA.
Our beginnings were humble, but we have become something bigger!
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