Dr . Erhard ’ acceptance speech :
This truly was a surprise for me when I learned about it , around three weeks ago . It was special .
Before I start , I had the opportunity to meet a predecessor ’ s family , who received this award in 1990 , Dr . Trice ’ s family , and I ’ m sure you ’ ll hear from them . It was so moving that his family remembers him and remembers the importance of what he did and the organization that he committed his life to .
It is very difficult to thank people . It ’ s important , it ’ s appropriate , but sometimes it is difficult to express properly when there are so many people that need to be thanked and you don ’ t want to overlook anyone . Given that , I was told on numerous occasions to be brief . I promise to be brief . I may skip the individual thanks , but I want to thank some people , particularly my wife , Beth , who is here with me today , my family and my office staff . Their support , their encouragement , their guidance and their patience has been most important to me in my life .
Trust me , at times I am certain that those things that they provided me weren ’ t easy to provide . A special thank you to the nominations committee . This is quite an honor and thank you for overlooking numerous shortcomings that you have all seen in my performance over the years .
Let me begin by making it very clear , I am no more worthy of this honor than anyone attending this event . I am 100 % certain that everyone here fulfills all of the criteria to merit this honor .
Each of you has worked diligently and sacrificed in order to successfully accomplish the numerous and mandatory requirements demanded and expected of you in order to be licensed as a dentist . This was certainly not an easy journey as you progressed through SATs , DSATs , dental school requirements and challenges , to the stresses of licensure examinations and now meeting the expectations and responsibilities to your patients . It ’ s not easy .
I often reflect on my first ADA national meeting . The opening ceremony , in particular , as we all stood as one , hand over heart , facing our country ’ s flag to recite the Pledge of Allegiance . There we stood , representatives of every state and every generation of the American Dental Association . So diverse were we in age , race and creed , yet we were uniquely similar in the roads we had traveled to be there and the hurdles we overcame to be present together as one dental community . Thirty years later , I often reflect back on that meeting , at that seminal moment of when I realized that we dentists are truly a brotherhood .
As we all know , being recognized as “ Doctor ” designates us as healers , curing our patients and enhancing their quality of life as I already referred to earlier today . And you members here met all the challenges necessary to meet those expectations and treat your patients daily with integrity and selflessness . Each of you has put your patients first , often , at least temporarily , missing out on family commitments that were not easy to miss .
Each one of us here has made a commitment to our profession and to the importance of its goal to advocate for quality dental health that ultimately leads to quality overall health .
So , the designation of “ lifetime service ” is not a misnomer in describing what each of you do . Your services to your patients , your communities and your profession do not go unrecognized .
As you are surely aware , all independent studies rank dentists as the number one most admired profession . That recognition surely does not happen accidentally or without concerted effort and personal caring . That recognition is achieved by actions and services rendered over a significant period of time and not automatically granted simply because you are a doctor .
From a personal perspective , dentistry has treated me royally . It has afforded me many personal relationships that have arisen from professional relationships . Some of those relationships have become extended family in my life . It has allowed me to establish over 50 years of practice , similar closeness to my patients and their families , sometimes three generations of their families . To make so many lasting memories as a dentist has been an unforgettable reward . So , a big thank you to the field of dentistry .
One last comment . We are here today as members of the PDA . Out of necessity , organizations such as the PDA must make efforts to recruit new members while retaining existing members . This is not an insignificant aspect of our organization . It is a reality .
Associations with lofty and altruistic goals like our PDA must by definition grow and adapt to changes with the times . PDA relies heavily on membership to accomplish our goals and that membership force enables us to establish credibility with our political leaders and within our own communities .
Having said that , the fact is that at the end of the day , it is not going to be attractive reduced insurance rates or deals on dental products or credit processing that , standing alone , will keep our organization strong and keep our membership high . It is the realization that becoming a member of the PDA is “ the right thing to do .” That ’ s what it is , it ’ s the right thing to do . You are not a member for a lot of these perks . They are great . They are additions , but it ’ s the right thing for us to be members of the PDA . And I am certain that when you think about it at the end of the day , that is what motivated your membership in this organization .
So , with humility , I graciously accept this award on behalf of all of you . This was , without a doubt , an unexpected honor . I would love to thank you each of you personally . But short of that , allow me to offer you my heartfelt appreciation as I share this award with each of you . I wish you all a lifetime of good health and happiness , which , without a doubt , will grow and flourish as a result of your lifetime of distinguished service to patients .
Thank you very much .
JULY / AUGUST 2023 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 15