A Q&A With FAE’s Dr. Jeffrey Albert: What Makes This Year’s Fall Forum Special

Compiled by Elisabeth Lisican

The 2024 Florida Association of Endodontists’  (FAE) Fall Forum, which takes place Sept. 27-28, 2024, at The Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Fla., will focus on building a comprehensive foundation for managing traumatic dental injuries. Attendees can gain valuable insights from renowned experts on best practices in diagnosis, treatment planning, and case management, while connecting with peers, colleagues, and industry leaders to exchange ideas, forge collaborations, and expand your professional network. AAE’s Assistant Director of Communications and Publishing Elisabeth Lisican recently caught up with FAE’s President Dr. Jeffrey Albert to learn more about the exciting program on tap for this year.

Lisican: What makes this year’s FAE Fall Forum special?
Dr. Jeffrey Albert: The Florida Association of Endodontists is excited to announce an inspiring 2024 conference at The Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Fla., on Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28. This year’s event will feature a multidisciplinary trauma conference headlined by former International Association of Dental Traumatology President, Dr. Nestor Cohenca and Dr. Fred Barnett, chairman of the IB Bender Postdoctoral Program at Albert Einstein Medical Center.

While the primary focus is to provide the highest level of continuing education to endodontists, registration is also open to pediatric dentists, oral surgeons, general dentists, and endodontists nationwide who are eager to learn the most current modalities in diagnosing, managing and treating dental trauma.

We are thankful to all of our sponsors who have shown tremendous enthusiasm in supporting the 2024 FAE agenda, which includes promoting the women’s leadership luncheon, the resident luncheon and the interdisciplinary trauma conference. The FAE looks forward to an enriching and collaborative event for all attendees.

Lisican: Can you tell me more about this year’s theme of promoting and recognizing women in endodontics?
Dr. Albert: The 2024 FAE initiative to promote and recognize women in endodontics is a critical component to the growth and vitality of our specialty. With more than 50% of the graduating dental and endodontic classes being comprised of females, it is essential to address the unique challenges women face in balancing their profession, family, practice ownership, and daily life. Recently, the ADA highlighted a women’s leadership series at SmileCon 2023, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Hazel Glasper. The FAE is excited to welcome Dr. Glasper as the keynote speaker for the Fall Forum Women’s Leadership Luncheon. This event will feature a fully catered complimentary lunch and a Women’s Leadership Q&A Panel. We are grateful to our sponsors for making this event possible.

The Q&A panel will include esteemed leaders in our specialty, such as AAE23 Edgar D. Coolidge Award winner Dr. Terryl Propper, AAE President Dr. Natasha Flake, UF Chair of Endodontics Dr. Roberta Pileggi, and past ADA Second Vice President Dr. Maria Maranga. The goal is to promote female leadership within the FAE and provide guidance for emerging female endodontists through an informative and interactive session. This event offers a unique opportunity for the attendees to engage with and learn from women who have achieved the highest levels of success in all aspects of our specialty.

On a personal note, the Women’s Leadership Luncheon holds a special significance for me. Growing up in New York, I witnessed my mother’s dedication to raising her family while striving to become a leader in her profession as an educator. Her commitment to her children, husband, friends and her career was truly inspiring. The values she embodied – believing in a women’s ability to achieve the highest levels of success, are the foundation for this event, which is inspired in her memory.

Lisican: Tell me more about the resident luncheon, and why residents ought to be interested in attending this conference.
Dr. Albert: The 2024 FAE year introduces two exciting new initiatives for residents. While it is customary for the University of Florida and Nova Southeastern University faculty and residents to attend the FAE fall conference, this year we took a significant step forward by creating two resident positions on the FAE board. Each program chair selected one resident to join the board, promoting resident leadership and involvement in organized dentistry. This initiative has been a resounding success, leading to immediate and increased resident participation in the association.

The second initiative features a fully sponsored resident luncheon lecture at the FAE conference. The speakers will focus on topics and resources beneficial to graduating endodontists as they transition from their residency programs. The subjects for the lecture were thoughtfully proposed by UF resident board member, Dr. Kristen Bingham in coordination with her co-residents. We anticipate that the resident luncheon, the trauma lectures and the social interactions with established endodontists will provide a memorable and enriching experience for the aspiring residents.

Lisican: Any other thoughts to add about the FAE Fall Forum this year?
Dr. Albert: The FAE board is extremely excited about the upcoming September conference and we are eagerly inviting endodontists from across the country to join us in the beautiful, family-friendly location in Orlando, Florida. The Ritz-Carlton, conveniently located near Disney World and Universal Studios, offers world-class accommodations, attractions and restaurants, making it an ideal destination for both professional development and leisure.

We encourage you to extend this invitation to pediatric dentists, oral surgeons and any other dentists you collaborate with on dental trauma cases. Our goal is to create a fun and interactive meeting, featuring great social events and insightful lectures.

If you have any questions, please email me, FAE president, Dr. Jeffrey Albert at jalbert4@hotmail.com.  We also acknowledge Vice President, Dr. Rory Mortman, Secretary/Treasurer, Dr. Mark Limosani and Resident Board Members, Dr. Kristin Bingham and Dr. Denise Dorra for their instrumental roles in planning this year’s events.

We look forward to seeing you there. Registration can be found at: http://www.flendo.org/meetings.php.