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Welcome to the AmericanProsthodontic Society (APS) website! I am very honored and humbled to be the latest addition to the list of presidents of the American Prosthodontic Society (APS). When I think about this Society, many of its best virtues come to mind: the quality of our annual meetings and their clinical relevancy to our field, the teamwork and leading thought processes that brought technologists and dentists into the same organization, the collegial attitude that we hold dear and the professional exchange that is sustained through our website and newsletters during the year. The meeting in 2011 was another outstanding example of these attributes. Thank you to our immediate past president, Dr. Carlo Ercoli and his committees for a job perfectly done; you managed to open our eyes and motivate us to reach for greatness. Having been educated in Switzerland in Prosthodontics and Periodontics and then spending more than 30 years in academics as an educator of these fields, I feel that the APS is playing an integral part in innovating the future of these professions. The ability to welcome general dentists, prosthodontists and laboratory dental technologists as full voting members is a unique hallmark of our society and allows for the term teamwork to take on a literal role in our practices and in the organization. This melding of minds and the concept of adopting biological, technological and demographic aspects into our daily clinical work is what the APS stands for. It is our mission to keep members up-to-date and well informed while providing an environment that is conducive to this exchange of ideas between like-minded individuals. The strength of every organization lies in its number of active members. Therefore, we must continue to seek out new colleagues –general dentists, prosthodontists and dental technologists alike- to bloster membership and continue to grow. And as the leaders of tomorrow, we must create enthusiasm in our young colleagues –students and young practitioners – to encourage them to want to join our organization, to see the benefits of working along with us, and instill in them the same mission and values that our Society is based upon. |
It is this next generation that will allow the APS to thrive and to continue to serve Prosthodontics and Dental Technology as they pioneer these fields into the future. For this reason, I ask you all as members to help in the search for new membership. Dentists as well as Dental Technologists are all encouraged to join, and remember that every current member who recruits more than three new dues-paying colleagues for membership in 2011 is automatically entered into our membership contest. The first ten members who reach this limit will get their APS membership dues for 2011 refunded. So, let your national and international dental and dental technologist colleagues know the benefits of becoming APS members, and I encourage you to bring them as guests to our next meeting as it will be one that they won’t want to miss.
I’m excited for the 2012 meeting as my Program Chair, Dr. Larry Brecht, is preparing an extremely in-depth and state-of-the-art program titled Global Prosthodontics. Speakers will come from all over the world, bringing with them the newest and most innovative information on clinical procedures and technological aspects available in the world today, such as conventional fixed and removable Prosthodontics and implant-supported restorations. Dr. Steve Sadowsky will be continuing our ongoing tradition of hosting the annual Graduate Prosthodontic Student Competition in which our young and upcoming colleagues present their outstanding clinical work and recent research data. Dr. John Ball has recruited an impressive number of young table clinicians to also come and share their latest research and clinical skills with us. And this year, the APS will be recognizing the outstanding contributions to dentistry by a laboratory technologist with The Kenneth Rudd Technologist Award, and dentist with the Golden Medallion Award. A special thanks goes out to our exhibitors, sponsors and central office staff who always guarantee that the meeting runs along at the highest level of excellence. In closing, I personally welcome our national members and send a special invitation to our international colleagues to visit, join in and participate at ”Global Prosthodontics”. Whether you are a generalist, specialist, or technologist you will undoubtedly find a unique professional environment in the American Prosthodontic Society, one filled with relevant clinical information and an ever-growing sense of teamwork! I look forward to seeing you all in the great city of Chicago in February 2012. Dr. Carlo Marinello, Dr. med. dent., MS |
