31 December 2022

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ClearChoice announces retirement of Drs. Mark Adams, Steven Eckert

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Over 17 years ago, ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers was born from the idea that treating patients suffering from edentulism didn’t have to be a lengthy nor disjointed experience. Behind this idea was Mark W. Adams, DDS, a prosthodontist who helped pioneer the ClearChoice model of having a prosthodontist, oral surgeon and lab technician work together in one facility to provide a more seamless, collaborative treatment path for the patient.

ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers have subsequently grown from a single location in Denver into a national network of over 80 centers across the country, with Adams leading the charge as chief clinical officer. The company recently announced his retirement, effective at the end of 2022.

Adams began his career after graduating from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and then its prosthodontic program. He ran a private practice in Michigan while also serving as a clinical assistant professor in the university’s School of Dentistry. Adams went on to create the Peer Practicum Continuing Education program, one of the most successful educational programs in dentistry at the time.

In 2006, Adams relocated to Denver and was the founding prosthodontist for ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers. During his tenure, he was the owner and primary prosthodontist of the Denver flagship center, spearheaded the development of the first clinical affairs department including the National Dental Laboratory, and led collaborative efforts to develop the Neodent GM Grand Morse dental implant, one of the most successful and widely used implants in the world today. 

In a news release, Adams acknowledged being able to provide life-changing care to over 145,000 patients. He also said the ability to serve and support 300 network clinicians and to work side-by-side with 1,000 employees of the management services company has been the honor of his life. 

In addition to Adam’s retirement, the company also announced that Steven Eckert, DDS, would also retire. He has practiced for over 40 years, with 25 of those years at the Mayo Clinic, where he served as the prosthodontic program director for 15 years and the director and examiner for the American Board of Prosthodontics, a peer elected position.

During his tenure at ClearChoice, Eckert opened and served as the primary prosthodontist at ClearChoice Minneapolis in Edina, Minnesota from 2010 to 2018. In 2017, he was the recipient of three prestigious awards: the Academy of Osseointegration Brånemark Osseointegration Award, the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics Ackerman Award and the American College of Prosthodontists Dan Gordon Award recognizing lifetime achievement.

Eckert has also served as editor-in-chief for the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants.

“While I look forward to this next journey in retirement, I am every bit as eager to see where ClearChoice goes from here,” he said in the news release.

The company plans to appoint Theresa Wang, DDS, as chief clinical and development officer and Hans-Peter Weber, DDS, as director of clinical research and development.