LAS VEGAS, Oct. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The American College of Prosthodontists, through its awards program, formally recognizes individuals whose contributions to the specialty or to the College are outstanding and substantial. These individuals were recognized on Friday, Oct. 11 during the Annual Session 2013 Annual Awards and President’s Dinner held in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace. More than 1,200 dental professionals attended, including prosthodontists and dental technicians.
The ACP is proud to announce the following recipients:
Distinguished Lecturer Award
Dr. Kent L. Knoernschild is currently Professor and Program Director for the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Prosthodontics and Co-Director of the Implant and Innovations Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also maintains a private practice limited to prosthodontics, serves as a Director for the American Board of Prosthodontics and Chair of the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Walter S. Warpeha, Jr. has maintained a full time prosthodontic practice in Minneapolis since 1973. As an advocate for the advancement of prosthodontics, he has been active with two cleft palate panels, serving children with congenital defects and maintaining many of these patients as adults, as well as participating with international cleft teams in Guatemala and Peru. He helped establish a service opportunity for ACP Minnesota Section Members, partnering with Minnesota Coalition of Battered Women and Donated Dental Services to provide pro bono prosthodontic care for women who have dental damage caused by domestic violence.
Dan Gordon Award (Lifetime Achievement)
Dr. Stephen Bergen earned dental degrees from NYU and Prosthodontics and Maxillofacial Prosthetics residencies at the NY-VA. He then spent his entire 43-year career serving our nation’s veterans. Dr. Bergen is active in 18 dental organizations, and has been elected to over 30 Board positions, as well as Past President of the ACP and five national dental organizations, including national OKU. Dr. Bergen continues to work in and support his specialty, serving as Consultant to the VA after recently retiring from his full-time Dental Service Chief position. Dr. Bergen earned his American Board of Prosthodontics Diplomate certificate in 1979. He is a full professor at NYUCD, has co-authored a classic textbook "Color in Dentistry," served as a Commissioner for Prosthodontics ADA-Accreditation program and continues as Consultant, as he has for the past 33 years. He is a mentor in VA Leadership programs, dental informatics, and developer of the original VA electronic dental record, and sole dentist recipient of the VA-Wolcott Award for Clinical Excellence in Clinical Care Leadership.
Educator of the Year Award
Dr. William W. Nagy received his D.D.S. from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. He served in the U.S. Army Dental Corps for over 23 years and holds the rank of Colonel. He received his certificate in prosthodontics at Brooke Army Medical Center and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics. He is a past chair of the ACP Board Preparation Course and Associate Editor of the JOP Abstracts Section, and is currently a member of the ACP Taskforce on Occlusion and Mock Board Written Examination subcommittee. Dr. Nagy is currently professor and director of the prosthodontic program at Texas A&M University, Baylor College of Dentistry.
Clinician/Researcher Award
Dr. Mary Walker, in addition to serving as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry, she is a professor in the departments of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences and Restorative Clinical Sciences. She also serves as the program director for the Oral Biology Ph.D. and M.S. programs and teaches Biomaterials to graduate students and dental specialty residents. Besides a prosthodontics certificate, Dr. Walker has an M.S. and Ph.D.
Major General Bill B. Lefler Federal Services Award
Dr. Patrick A. Mattie serves as the Prosthodontics Residency Program Director, Military Consultant to the Surgeon General for Prosthodontics, and Prosthodontics Flight Commander for the 59th Dental Training Squadron, Joint Base in San Antonio, Texas. He holds a position as Associate Professor of Prosthodontics, Air Force Postgraduate Dental School, Postgraduate Dental College of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He received a dental degree from the University of Detroit School of Dentistry, Certificate in Prosthodontics from Wilford Hall Medical Center, M.S. in Prosthodontics from UTHSCSA and certification by the American Board of Prosthodontics.
President’s Award
Dr. John A. Sorensen recently returned to academics as Acting Professor, Department of Restorative Dentistry and Chair of the Clinical Systems Task Force, University of Washington. He is Director of Research for the Graduate Prosthodontics Program and teaches at both pre-doctoral and post-doctoral levels. Formerly he was founder and director of the Pacific Dental Institute in Portland, Oregon, conducting clinical trials on fixed prosthodontic systems, dental materials testing, and CE programs. He has been in full-time private prosthodontic practice for the last nine years, and for the last three years has specialized in implant prosthodontics. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics. Dr. Sorensen has published over 80 research articles and chapters, and over 130 research abstracts. He has given over 150 invited lectures in 31 countries.
Dental Technician Leadership Award
Mr. Lee Culp is the Chief Technology Officer for DTI Microdental and is the editor in chief of Teamwork and associate editor of Spectrum. He is the 2007 recipient of the Kenneth Rudd Award from the American Society of Prosthodontics, the 2007 recipient of the AACD Presidents Award for Excellence in Dental Education, as well as the 2003 recipient of the National Association of Dental Laboratories, Excellence in Education Award. Mr. Culp is also been appointed adjunct professor at University of North Carolina- School of Dentistry, Graduate Prosthetics department. Mr. Culp is an avid writer, and has contributed to four dental books, including a chapter in Dr. Peter Dawson’s book "Functional Occlusion: From TMJ to Smile Design." He is a resource/inventor for many of the materials, products, and techniques used in dentistry today. He holds numerous patents for his ideas and products.
Prosthodontists are specialized dentists with advanced training in oral health issues, who are committed to improving patient outcomes. From implants, crowns, veneers and tooth whitening, to full-mouth reconstruction, prosthodontists specialize in digital dentistry and CAD/CAM solutions.
The ACP is the only prosthodontic specialty organization whose membership is based solely on education credentials. ACP members must be in or have completed an ADA-accredited advanced education program in prosthodontics.
The American College of Prosthodontists is the professional association of dentists with advanced specialty training dedicated to optimal oral health both in function and appearance including dental implants, crowns, veneers, dentures, and teeth whitening. For more information or to find a prosthodontist near you, visit GoToAPro.org.
