13 June 2023

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American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry names board officers, trustees

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The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the leading authority on children's oral health, installed new board officers and trustees during the AAPD 2023 General Assembly meeting on May 29 in Orlando. The academy announced this news on May 31 in a press release. 

The new leaders are as follows:

Scott Cashion, president

Dr. Scott Cashion is a 1994 graduate of the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry and finished his residency and master's degree in pediatric dentistry in 1997. He is a board-certified pediatric dentist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. After 22 years in private practice in Greensboro, N.C., he sold his practice and joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry, Division of Pediatric and Public Health as an associate professor.

Cashion currently serves as the vice president of the AAPD. In addition, he is also the chair of the Pediatric Medicaid/CHIP Advisory committee and is immediate past president of the Medicaid/Medicare/CHIP Dental Services Association (MSDA). Cashion served on the Board of Trustees of the AAPD (2008-2011) and was parliamentarian (2012-2013). In May of 2013, he was awarded the Merle C. Hunter Award for Leadership in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Scott Smith, president-elect

Dr. Scott Smith received his D.D.S. from the University of Michigan in 1986, and his M.S. in pediatric dentistry in 1988.Upon completion of his graduate and post-graduate studies at the University of Michigan, Smith and his wife Debbie moved to Denver, Colorado, to establish a private practice. He currently has offices in Denver and Centennial. In addition to private practice, he is an adjunct assistant clinical instructor at the University of Colorado and at the University of Michigan.

Soon after arriving in Denver, he became involved in the Colorado Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the Metro Denver Dental Society, holding multiple offices with each group. In addition to being a founding member of the Rose Medical Center Cleft Lip and Palate/Craniofacial Anomalies Team, Smith has contributed to the Bright Futures Program with the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In 1996, Smith was appointed by the governor of Colorado to the Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners and served as president of the board from 2000–2004. During his tenure on the State Board, he also served as an examiner for the Central Regional Dental Testing Service.

Thomas Ison, vice president

Dr. Thomas Ison is the owner of a private practice in Newburgh, Indiana. He received his dental degree and certificate in pediatric dentistry from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and Chandler Medical Center in Lexington and completed a fellowship in pediatric dentistry at Indiana University School of Dentistry.

He previously held appointments as an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and Chief of Dentistry at Norton Children's Hospital, in Louisville. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Currently the parliamentarian of the AAPD, he has served as a consultant to the AAPD Council of Clinical Affairs, and as District III (now Southeastern) Trustee. While a trustee, he was on the Strategic Planning Committee and was liaison to the Council on Dental Benefits and AAPD PAC. He is a past president of the Southeastern Society of Pediatric Dentistry and Kentucky Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Ison has been an examiner for the ABPD Oral Clinical Exam as well as committee member and part leader for the Renewal of Certification Examination. 

Carlos Bertot, secretary-treasurer

Dr. Carlos "Charlie" Bertot received his dental degree from the University of Florida College of Dentistry, and his certificate in pediatric dentistry from the University of Kentucky, Albert B. Chandler Medical Center. He became a Diplomate of the ABPD in 1996 and has been involved with organized dentistry since his days in dental school. In addition to his membership and service to multiple dental organizations, he is a past president of the Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and has served AAPD at the council/committee and board level. A past parliamentarian for AAPD and current Southeastern District Trustee, Bertot is the managing partner of a busy pediatric dental practice in Maitland, Florida, a suburb of Orlando.

Bertot is a graduate of the AAPD Leadership Institute at the Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University and the AAPD Advanced Leadership Institute at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. 

Anthea Mazzawi, at large/ federal services trustee

Dr. Anthea Mazzawi is a board-certified pediatric dentist who has practiced dentistry for almost 20 years. Raised along the gulf coast of Florida, she earned a B.S. degree in Developmental Biology from Florida State University and a D.M.D. degree from the University of Florida College of Dentistry. She then completed a residency in pediatric dentistry at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is currently in private practice with her husband, Dr. Miles Mazzawi, who is also a pediatric dentist. Their practice, Cherokee Children's Dentistry, has been serving the needs of children in the greater Atlanta area since 2007. Mazzawi is passionate about working with children and serving as an advocate for all child related issues.

She has been heavily involved with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and organized dentistry throughout her career. Mazzawi served as the president of The College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry in 2018 and has also been a part of several committees and councils for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Currently, she is the chair of the Scientific Program Committee for the Annual Session. She also serves chairman of the Greater Atlanta Dental Foundation Gala Committee (an event that raises funds to meet the needs of several free/reduced fee clinics in Atlanta), and the secretary for the GA Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Steven Rayes, ABPD director

Dr. Steve Rayes graduated from Indiana State University with a major in Biology and minors in Business Administration and French. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and graduated as a general dentist. This was followed by a one-year GPR (general practice residency) program that was completed through the Louisville VA medical center.

To enroll in a loan repayment program with the Indian Health Service/US Public Health Service (IHS/PHS), Rayes applied to serve in the remote areas of Alaska. He was stationed in Dillingham, Alaska, followed by Kodiak, Alaska. After eight years of service as a General Dentist to the Alaska Native community and particularly the children in need, Rayes found his passion for pediatric dentistry.

He was offered a full scholarship through the IHS/PHS and was enrolled at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry for a master's degree in pediatric dentistry. After graduation, Rayes returned to Anchorage to the Alaska Native Medical Center and Southcentral Foundation, where he worked as a staff pediatric dentist. He was instrumental in the development of a Pediatric Residency Program in which he was a faculty member until 2008, at which time he began as the associate director of the Graduate Program in Advanced Training in Pediatric Dentistry through NYU Langone-AK site. He holds a Certificate of Dental Education through the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, California. In 2015, Rayes relocated with his family to purchase a private practice in Vermont. He continues in full time private practice while teaching and providing OR services at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Vermont State Dental Society.

Trustees

In addition to the board appointments, trustees named include:

• Dr. Ann Bynum, Southeastern District Trustee
• Dr. Hakan Koymen, Northeastern District Trustee

These appointees will join current members of the AAPD Board of Trustees for the 2023-2024 term.

Read more details about the board members and trustees in the AAPD news release. 

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) is the recognized authority on children's oral health. As advocates for children's oral health, the AAPD promotes evidence-based policies, best practices, and clinical guidelines; educates and informs policymakers, parents and guardians, and other health care professionals; fosters research; and provides continuing professional education for pediatric dentists and general dentists who treat children. Founded in 1947, the AAPD is a not-for-profit professional membership association representing the specialty of pediatric dentistry. Its 11,000 members provide primary care and comprehensive dental specialty treatments for infants, children, adolescents and individuals with special health care needs. For further information, please visit the AAPD website at www.aapd.org or the AAPD's consumer website at www.mychildrensteeth.org.