HONORS & AWARDS
Master of Innovation
Honorary Membership
- 2007: Dr. Apotheker
- 2006: Dr. Ken Casey
- 2005: Dr. Raja Sabapathy, MD
- 2004: Dr. Peter Jannetta, MD
DR. ASSAD F. MORA
2008 AMED MASTER OF INNOVATION AWARD
The benefits of enhanced vision are obvious to all dentists who have embraced the concept. Dr. Assad Mora, the Immediate Past President of AMED, was one of the first restorative dentists in North America to work with the microscope and the first to realize that enhanced vision itself could be enhanced for the benefit of both the patient and the operator. After initially working with the operating microscope, he began to experiment with a 3D viewing system as the ultimate goal. Using a Zeiss microscope as his basic system, he began to tinker with it until he came up with an optical 3D projection system that he presented to the 2003 AMED Scientific session.
Tinkering is a way of life for Dr. Mora. He was the kid who took things apart just to see how they worked and he has not stopped. Without any formal training, he has become an engineer and an inventor holding numerous patents involving microscopy, dental equipment and food processing equipment. Several years ago, he set out to build an affordable system that was relatively easy to manufacture that was adaptable to most any dental office. Realizing that an optical system was more expensive to build and install and that it was relatively large in size, he converted his thinking into using electronics rather than optics as the base operating system. He began to tinker nearly full time, taking apart and reassembling video cameras to find out how they worked, and to see if he could get a 3D image of high enough quality to meet the exacting standards that dentists of vision have. After thorough Beta testing of the system by doing dentistry in his office and with countless revisions in the machine shop, the MoraVision system is now a reality. It is here for this meeting in a corporate suite for all to see and have the hands on 3D experience.
Dr. Mora’s vision extends far beyond the dental operatory. The system is an incredible teaching tool and is likely to find its way into mainstream patient care surgery such as neuro, vascular, plastic, and orthopedic. The applications are exciting to think about.
It is safe to say that there are few, if any, people who have as much knowledge of 3D technology as he does and the ability to marry the concept with patient care. He is the first to give credit to his wife, Dr. Kathy Patmore, for her support without which this project would never have been anything more than a dream.
It is with the great pride that AMED presents its highest honor, The Master of Innovation, to Dr. Assad Mora.
- William Lannan, DDS
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DR. MARK J. FRIEDMAN
2007 AMED MASTER OF INNOVATION AWARD
I am honored and pleased to present the 4th recipient of AMED’s Master of Innovation Award, to my inspiration and friend Dr. Mark J. Friedman. A man of impeccable integrity, he has earned an international reputation as a superb clinician, author, educator and innovator with an impressive array of contributions to the dental profession.
Dr. Friedman graduated from the University of Southern California School of Dentistry in 1975 and was a member of the faculty for nearly 30 years. He is best recognized for his contributions to esthetic restorative dentistry and served as President of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry in the year 2000.
His numerous innovations in esthetic restorative dentistry have helped make bonded porcelain veneer restorations predictably successful and as a result, popular with both dentists and patients alike. Among those innovations are the enamel ceramic tooth preparation, a definitive protocol for veneer preparations, and the contact lens effect. His landmark 1998 publication on a 15-year longevity review of bonded veneer restorations is a common citation in the scientific literature.
Dr. Friedman’s most prolific literature contributions revolve around two unique palatal local anesthetic injections that he co-developed with Dr. Mark Hochman while they were both refining a computerized local anesthetic delivery system (the Wand®). The AMSA or Anterior Middle Superior Alveolar block and the PASA or Palatal Anterior Superior Alveolar block are the first new dental injections to be described in nearly 100 years of local anesthesia. These injections are unique because they can produce profound anesthesia in multiple maxillary teeth and associated gingiva without the annoying collateral anesthesia to the muscles of facial expression. This is highly beneficial in esthetic restorative dentistry procedures whereby the smile line remains undistorted during the period of anesthesia.
These new injections and the use of the computer-controlled delivery system are being taught in dental schools throughout the world and are prominently featured in the forward of Dr. Stanley Malamed’s latest textbook on local anesthesia.
Innovative ideas from Dr. Friedman have extended to the design of his high-tech office. The core design element is the "ICE" or infection control environment that looks more like a NASA clean room than a dental operatory. No-touch sliding glass doors, seamless work surfaces and suspended flat screen displays are but a few of the features that reduce the risk of cross contamination. Dr. Friedman adapted design features from fast food restaurant systems to streamline back office protocols and improve cleanliness, efficiency and workflow. It is a symphony of organization to observe the clever and unique ideas incorporated in his microscope-centered practice.
An early adopter of the microscope, Dr. Friedman published an important article in 1997 about microscope assisted precision (MAP) dentistry and recognized potentials of the microscope well beyond the conventional wisdom of merely improving visual acuity. He coupled the on-board video camera of the microscope to a Macintosh computer running basic software to usher in a new paradigm in multimedia documentation and doctor-patient communication, independent of proprietary third-party software. This simple, yet elegant idea has spawned an array of creative possibilities that may one day re-define the fundamentals of the clinical practice of dentistry. Dr. Friedman’s innovative ideas and implementations earned him a special distinction by Apple, Inc. who recently profiled him on the Home page of its web site.
More recently, Dr. Friedman has expanded his clinical services to include dental sleep medicine where he is again using his innovative thinking and personal experience. The microscope has proven to be an invaluable tool in this emerging field of dental practice. It simplifies documentation of the intra-oral findings used in the collaborative process of working with sleep physicians in a patient’s course of treatment.
However, he will declare his most meaningful accomplishments to be his 37-year marriage to Denise, his high school sweetheart, and their two children Matt and Jessica. Matt practices general dentistry with him in Encino, California and Jessica is a behavioral therapist specializing in children diagnosed with autism.
Dr. Mark J. Friedman can be described as a visionary who epitomizes the definition of the word. He is truly a master of innovation and is hereby awarded AMED’s highest honor.
-Assad F. Mora, DDS, MSD, FACP
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DR. ERIC HERBRANSON
2006 AMED MASTER OF INNOVATION AWARD
Dr. Eric Herbranson is a man of many talents, accomplishments, and innovations. He has had a quiet and yet profoundly positive influence on modern endodontics. In a nutshell, Eric is an endodontist’s endodontist.
Eric has had a lifelong interest in photography. So, when he purchased his first microscope in 1989, he immediately and naturally wanted to take pictures through it. However, he quickly discovered that there were no manuals or courses on microscope photography. While a few endodontists were taking good pictures, nothing seemed to be reproducible for most of the clinical field. It was not long before Eric began teaching some of the first microscopic photography courses in the early 1990’s using film and then was among the first to transition to digital. By truly understanding microscope photography, Eric has been able to teach even the luddites of microscope photography to "get it." Eric is actually a proud Geek at heart and his "X" mount was early proof. The "X" mount allows a way of adapting digital cameras to the microscope.
Inspired and encouraged by his friend and partner of six years, Dr. John Khadami, Eric gave the first ever electronic presentation at the American Association of Endodontists annual meeting. He predicted that all presentations would soon be digital and he was right.
Eric teamed up with respected endodontist Dr. Richard Rubenstein of Michigan, and taught the first series on electronic presentations at AAE annual meetings. Microscope photography and electronic presentations were the foundation for Eric’s milestone contribution, the ToothAtlas. As background to the ToothAtlas, Eric is blessed with a creative and curious mind. He graduated in 1964 from LaSierra College (Riverside, CA) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics. He received both his DDS in 1970 and certificate in endodontics in 1973 from Loma Linda University.
It was a call a few years ago from another of Eric’s friends, endodontist Dr. Paul Brown, that opened Eric’s next chapter as an innovator. Using reconstruction CAT scan technology developed by Stanford/NASA Biocomputation Center at Stanford University, they were able to look at teeth in three-dimensions. The original molten metal anatomical models of Hess that the late Herbert Schilder brought to the clinical table finally "came alive" before their very eyes! These 3D images were in real time. Eric now reports that thanks to an NIH grant, the 7th version of Tooth Atlas will be available soon and that 47 of the 57 dental schools in the United States teach tooth anatomy with the Tooth Atlas.
Eric believes the ToothAtlas "provides a new learning paradigm based on computer vs. paper and his accelerated emphasis, awareness, and appreciation of the delicacy and complexity of the root canal system. We have created a new way of looking at endodontic anatomy. The important part of the ToothAtlas is that as clinicians we treat complex 3D objects with microanatomy and we can’t see it! If we can’t understand what we need to do, we can’t do it well. The ToothAtlas’ interactive 3D models viewed in stereo is the best way to understand nature’s rules of the game."
Brown and Herbranson are not stopping with teeth, however. Soon to be unveiled will be the SkullAtlas, the TMJ/OcclusionAtlas, and patient education modules. Additionally, Eric and Paul’s innovation has been applied to the "Mummy Project." Seventy-five years ago a mummy was donated to and "rested" at Stanford University. No one knew what was inside. By "seeing" inside the mummy, a 4_-year-old girl was discovered. They had brought her to "virtual life" after 2000 years! Eric and Paul’s breakthrough was covered by national and international news and was featured in Discovery and Time magazines. Microscope photography, electronic presentations, and the ToothAtlas were the foundation of Eric’s co-authored chapter "Anatomy" in the 7th and 8th editions of Pathways of the Pulp by Cohen and Burns, eds.
But, it is not what Eric has done that sets him apart. It is who he is. It is not his creative, curious, innovative mind that makes him influential. It is the man himself. Humble, humorous, gentle, caring and giving, giving, and giving. Giving and expecting nothing in return; no strings attached. He wants his work to stand for itself, not for himself. From innovation to teaching, Eric’s passion and down-to-earth attitude is visionary in that it leaves you inspired. He contributes because it is "fun and interesting."
Most teachers teach their students to feel reverence for the teacher. But, the great teachers teach their students, to feel reverence for themselves. . . Congratulations, Eric!
With respect and admiration,
John West, DDS, MSD
JW/cbc
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DR. DENNIS SHANELEC
2005 AMED MASTER OF INNOVATION AWARD
Pop-quiz #1: Quickly fill in the blank:
"Copernicus, Da Vinci, Pasteur, Freud, The Beatles, Steve Jobs and _______....."
Need a hint? Here are a few clues:
Master of his craft; His ideas were initially described by his early detractors as "disturbing", "shocking" "preposterous" and "outrageous"
Described later on by his then-converted followers as "Revolutionary" "Inspiring", "Ground-breaking" "Life-changing" and "Way ahead of his time"
His self-discipline and commitment to clinical excellence has driven him to depart from the status-quo and pioneer new concepts (Periodontal and Implant Microsurgery, Tooth-Soft Tissue and Implant-Soft tissue Interface Esthetics), new instruments (too many to enumerate here), new techniques (Gingival reconstruction, SMILE technique, among others), new use of materials (Gingival-simulating silicone for training models) new teaching tools, systems and philosophies that avoid the use of animal models.
First (and only) dentist inducted to the prestigious Society of Microsurgical Specialists. Ever.
Single-handedly responsible for the formation of every single periodontal microsurgeon superstar, and most of the major micro-restorative gurus, worldwide. Strict Vegetarian, deeply spiritual, shockingly unassuming, intensely private and merciless self-critic. His moral compass appears to be unrelentingly guided by one simple and basic principle: respect and honor life in all its forms...and try to reconstruct it whenever its damaged. No wonder his clinical outcomes appear to be perfectly healthy smiles never touched by human hands......
Still puzzled? (What Planet have you been on?):
Middle name: Alton. Wife’s name: Suzanne. Trained Zoologist. Lifetime surfer. Born on November 11th, under the sign of Scorpio.
AMED, like so many other institutions previously, has decided to acknowledge the magnitude of his legacy to the practice of Dentistry and the impact that his teachings have, and will continue to have, on all our patients’ quality of life .
Answer:
The Academy of Microscope-Enhanced Dentistry is honored in bequeathing its Master of Innovation Award to our mentor, Dr. Dennis A. Shanelec. Thank you, Master, for sharing your gifts with us all. We will humbly bow to your contributions here and now and let history prove us right.... Like it did with Sigmund, Leonardo, Ringo and all the other guys. Are we lucky you happened to be born in our times.
Respectfully
Adriana McGregor, Groupie # 87,635
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