Northeastern Gnathological Society
Celebrates its Golden Anniversary
1967-2017
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The Northeastern Gnathological Society (NGS) will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2017 with outstanding scientific programs on May 13th and November 10th.
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Founded by leading New York prosthodontists Frank Celenza and Nat Lenchner and supported by colleagues, Victor Lucia, James Farer, Harold Litvak, Martin Kantor, Gerry Barrack, Paul Hoffman, Alan Silverstein, and others, the NGS was conceived as a forum for the intellectual pursuit and clinical application of gnathological principles. The goal was to enable members to provide the highest level of patient care.
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Membership was opened to all who shared that vision. The founders understood the importance of partnership with trained specialists and dentists who represented the discipline of prosthodontics. Similarly, they recognized that success of the dental restorative process depends on synergism between dentists and technologists. From its inception, NGS championed equal standing and opportunity for both dentists and dental laboratory technologists.
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Dentists and technologist colleagues participate in Society activities as members, fellows, trustees, and officers. This distinguishes the NGS and is instrumental in developing the philosophy to guide the Society in its next 50 years.
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Our scientific meetings are committed to advanced education. Historically, the first series of presenters were nationally recognized educators and clinicians: Victor Lucia, Niles Guichet, Anthony DePietro, Peter K. Thomas and Frank Celenza. In 1971 the NGS was welcomed into the Federation of Prosthodontic Organizations and in 1972 the Society was accepted as a sponsoring organization of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.
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Emphasis evolved from teaching gnathology and occlusal management to a wider scope of restorative dental care. Evidenced-based periodontics, orthodontics, implant therapy, removable prosthetics, esthetics, temporomandibular function, sleep disorders, airway management, and advances in digital technology and restorative materials play a major role.
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Mentoring of individuals to develop greater clinical ability and leadership skills is a core value exemplified by the pathway to NGS Fellowship status. Tuition for postgraduate prosthodontic students to attend our scientific programs, and awards for postgraduate student research are supported through the Martin E. Kantor Educational Fund. Dental technology students from the New York City College of Technology attend our meetings tuition-free through the generous support of our corporate partners.
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In addition to the 2017 NGS Golden Anniversary, this year marks an additional milestone: Leonard Marotta CDT, MDT, PhD will be the first dental technologist president of the NGS. Dr. Marotta has served the technology and dental communities with his broad education which enables him to forge a link between dental technology and dental practice.
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Dr. Marotta has served the technical and dental communities for most of his career. His broad education enables him to create a link between dental technology and dental practice. This was signified when Dr. Marotta was the recipient of the Dental Technician Leadership Award from the American College of Prosthodontics in 2011. Dr. Marotta was voted CDT of the year in 2012 by the National Association of Dental Laboratories, he also received the Distinguished Service Award from the ACP New York Section in 2014.
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Dr. Marotta is certified as a Master of Dental Technology (ASMDT) from the program at New York University College of Dentistry, where he is a Clinical Associate Professor. He is certified in ceramics, crown and bridge, partial dentures, complete dentures from the National Board for Certification in Dental Technology. He was one of the first technologists to be trained in the Branemark system of dental implants. Dr. Marotta is a Professor at Farmingdale State College and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.
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Dr. Marotta will dedicate his two-year NGS presidency to include a new generation of students, technologists, and dentists in the study of twenty-first century dental concepts, dental materials, dental technology, and their utilization in restorative therapies.