Dr . Paul Rees
Seventh District
Did you always know you wanted to be a dentist when you were younger ? If not , what did you want to be when you grew up ? I did not consider dentistry until my sophomore year at Penn State . I was always told I should be a physician , but after working at our hospital one summer I knew that wasn ’ t what I wanted to do . My sister was in graduate school at Case Western and taking classes with dental students . She kept talking about what a nice group of people they were . I spent some time with my family dentist , visited Pitt and met with a fraternity brother of my brother who was a dental student there ; thought I could do this and never regretted that decision . If I wasn ’ t a dentist I would have been in Forestry . I love the outdoors .
When and where did you attend dental school ? I attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine from 1977-1981 .
Where do you currently practice ? I practiced for 43 years in Ridgway , Elk County .
What motivated you to become involved in organized dentistry ? A colleague of mine who was involved with the PDA asked me to take an Eighth District position . I attended several House of Delegates , saw the challenges facing dentistry and have stayed involved .
What do you believe is the most challenging issue facing dentistry as a profession ? I think work force availability is a very challenging issue facing dentistry . Like all employers , finding qualified employees or even individuals that want to work is difficult . I believe the PDA ’ s approach of getting dentistry as a career choice out to middle / high school students will be valuable . Seeing the opportunities that dentistry has to offer at an earlier age may influence students to consider dentistry as a career choice .
What do you believe is the most challenging issue facing organized dentistry ? Declining membership is the most challenging issue . Being relevant in a changing environment is difficult . Back in the day , the ADA / PDA was the source of CE and communication about dentistry . Now I get multiple webinar and email articles daily . Practice dynamics are changing , and we need to show value to new graduates and dentists in large group practices the importance of being part of the ADA / PDA and give retiring practitioners incentive to retain their membership .
16 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2025 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL