Hinman’s first female general chairman steps into coveted role

“The theme of the meetings says it all. Hinman 2017 will focus on the changing face of dentistry and how we can take advantage of new technology and medical advancements to deliver the best possible care to our patients,” Puskas said. “We’ll celebrate our past, but also celebrate change in our profession with more contemporary techniques, more diversity and more innovative tools at our fingertips.”

Puskas has been planning for Hinman 2017 for the past three years, along with her program chairmen, Dr. Eddie Pafford and Dr. Bob O’Donnell. The meeting will feature many speakers, such as Dr. Gordon Christensen, Dr. Robert Edwab, Dr. John Svirsky and Dr. Harold Crossley. In addition, many of dentistry’s most prominent women dentists will be speaking, including Dr. Rella Christensen, Dr. Mollie Winston, Dr. Barbara Steinberg, Dr. Linda Niessen and Dr. Lee Ann Brady. The program also will include many new speakers, including several affiliated with Spear Education — Dr. Jim Janakievski, Dr. Greg Kinzer and Dr. Ricardo Mitrani.

“I’m truly honored to be the first female general chairman for the Hinman,” Puskas added. “There are so many great women leaders in dentistry here in Georgia. I feel a strong responsibility to serve them well and host a meeting that not only features the latest in dentistry, but celebrates the different insights and strengths that women bring to the profession.”

A busy mom, wife and dentist in private practice, Puskas has risen through the ranks of Hinman, serving in many leadership roles, including president of the Hinman Dental Society in 2014. She is a graduate of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and practiced in both Boston and Toronto before moving to Atlanta in 1994 with her husband, John, a cardiothoracic surgeon.

She became a Hinman member in 1996 and said that the organization helped her become established in the Atlanta dental community. The following year, Puskas bought the dental practice of Dr. Harold Lanier, a personal mentor to her and a Hinman past general chairman. She continues to practice today in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.

When not practicing dentistry or volunteering with Hinman, Puskas has been very focused on her three children and husband. She has been very involved in the lives and activities of her children — serving as team mom and volunteering at the Westminster Schools, where all three of her children graduated high school. Son Alex (24) graduated from Wake Forest and works in New York City at Ad Media Partners; daughter Jillian (22) is a senior at Princeton; and youngest daughter Caroline (19) is a sophomore at Dartmouth.

“I knew that I wanted a strong family life and felt that dentistry would better enable me to achieve a more rewarding work, life balance,” she said. “I am so happy that I did choose dentistry as I have managed to attain a happy family life with a successful professional life. I also love being a general dentist because of the special bond and relationship I share with my patients. It is rewarding to be an integral part of their health and smile.”

The Hinman Dental Meeting is designed with a commitment to quality and professionalism and a high regard for the value of continuing education. The Hinman program meets the continuing education requirements set by the Academy of General Dentistry and state boards of dentistry.

Registration for Hinman 2017 will open on Dec. 1, 2016. More information is available online, at www.hinman.org.

(Source: The Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting)