Page 4 - GP spring 2023

Dr. Fabiola Milord’s Award Acceptance Speech at the AGD House of Delegates
in Chicago, IL on November 12, 2022.

First of all I really want to thank Dr. Sue always imagined that I would be able to give able to support myself with it. I had a very
Rhee. She’s the Trustee for Region Two of my services to those who can access it at the skewed view of dentistry until this type of
the AGD for New York State. And I real- time that it’s being delivered. The work is work came to me and I’m like, you know
ly want to thank her for the nomination. I grueling, grueling work long days. It can be what? You are lucky. You’re able to offer it
know that it took a lot. The application pro- as much as 18 hours of work in one day. and you should be grateful that you have a
cess is very competitive because I’m not the skill and a profession that can benefit oth-
only person who does this type of work. So You get there very, very early in the morning ers. So to me, this profession and this type
the fact that I won the award, I was floored, no matter where you go. It doesn’t matter if of work, specifically medical mission work
I was humbled, I was excited, I was in tears it’s in the US or outside of the US. 5:00 AM, really saved me. It made me love dentistry
because this is not the type of work that is 4:30 AM, and people are lined up sleeping even more. I truly want to thank the Acad-
really highlighted in dentistry. You highlight around the building in order to access care emy of General Dentistry for bestowing
more the glamorous stuff, the implants and because they don’t know when you’re going this huge honor on me. I want to thank my
the Botox, the facial fillers. That’s the glam- to come back to provide these services. And family for the support. It’s always nice com-
orous type of stuff that people want to talk the work is not comfortable. Many times ing home and having family really validate
about. So when you talk about doing work you work in over 100 degree heat. There’s what you do. And after being stressed out in
to those who are marginalized, to those who often a generator for electricity and instru- the middle of nowhere and come home, and
are on the outskirts of society, vulnerable ments are sterilized through pressure pots. have family say, “We’ll take care of you.”
populations, people that have not really It is dentistry in its most basic form. I was That’s always great. But most important-
much of a voice, and that type of work is very disillusioned with dentistry when I first ly, out of everybody I mentioned, I really
being honored, it is incredibly humbling. got out. It seemed all about work, work, want to thank the people who allowed me to
And I can’t thank the AGD enough for hav- work, work, student loan, student loan, stu- serve them, those who give this award give
ing selected me for this huge award. At least dent loans, making those payments, work, a voice to the voiceless. You have actually
for me it’s huge. Someone once told me work, work, work, work. And then when recognized people who would normally not
when I first started doing this type of work you get into medical missions, you realize be recognized. People who, again, on the
that dentistry wasn’t meant to be practiced how privileged you are and how much the fringe, marginalized, vulnerable popula-
in this way. And to which I responded, “So services are really valued outside of what tions, people who don’t have much, if any-
you’re saying dentistry is for the privileged you usually do. thing. So on behalf of the population that I
few?”. And I never thought of dentistry as have been privileged and honored to serve,
being for the privileged few. I thought if I thank you to the Academy of General Den-
have a service and I’m able to offer it, offer And so for me, I must say this kind of work tistry for this award.
in the context of that which I can offer to as really made me appreciate dentistry. The
many people as I can, that is the way that I fact that I’m able to offer it, the fact that I’m

Left to right. Sitting. Drs. Janice Pliszczak, Gerald Botko, Fabiola Milord, Analia Veitz-Keenan
and Katayoon Noroozi-Liebowitz. Standing. Lawrence Bailey, Seung-Hee Rhee, Stephen
Akseizer, Berry Stahl, Lorna Flamer-Caldera, Lucretia Depaola-Cefola, James Keenan, Dr. Fabiola Milord.
Ms. Paula Bostick, Drs. Ira Levine, Shahram Shekib, Ms. Caroline Puskas, and Dr. Abe Dyzenhaus.

Drs. Abe Dyzenhaus, Shahram Shekib,
Fabiola Milord and Robert Peskin. Ms. Pascale Jean, Dr. Fabiola Milord AGD President, Dr. Gerald Botko,
and Ms. Chedly Milord Louis. and Dr. Fabiola Milord.
www.nysagd.org l Spring 2023 l GP 4