Queens, New York -- The Fialkoff Dental Study Club, founded by Dr. Bernard Fialkoff, a New York Periodontist and Dental Implant Specialist, traveled to Cuba earlier this month on a historic humanitarian mission. The 16-member group, which included prominent dentists from the Tri-State area, donated desperately needed dental equipment, and met with Cuban dentists, dental students, and public health specialists during their five day stay in Havana.
Disarm/Global Health Partners, a nonprofit organization that has donated more than $120 million worth of desperately needed medicines and medical supplies to Cuba over the past 20 years, enabled the dental delegation’s visit. Bob Schwartz, Executive Director of Disarm/Global Health Partners, found the club’s goal to be worthy of support.
In addition to Dr. Fialkoff and Schwartz, participants included Dr. Kaveh Niknia, Dr. Edward Portnoy, Dr. Charles Pellicane, Dr. Deborah Zivari, Dr. Matthew Lee, Dr. Jonelle Cox, Dr. Elie Marzouk and others. Javier Bajana, Disarm/GHP’s Latin American Program Director, and Meghan Fialkoff, Dr. Fialkoff’s Community Affairs Director, were responsible for travel logistics.
Dr. Fialkoff, who was born in Cuba 55 years ago, was asked by members of the Dental Study Club to make the trip a reality. "To assume the title of doctor means more than restoring teeth,” noted Dr. Fialkoff. “We have responsibilities to the patient, which will continue to grow as science and research expand the body of knowledge. Entrenchment in old fashioned ideas leads to steady decline especially if outlook towards the future is ignored." The dentist participants hope humanitarian activities like these can help ameliorate conflicts and misunderstandings.
The Study Club includes dentists from the five boroughs, Westchester, and Long Island. Each month the group meets in Queens to discuss advanced dental techniques and new procedures in dentistry. Recent topics included "Evidence Based Shade Taking - Achieving the Superior Cosmetic Restoration," "Periodontal Plastic Surgery," and "Sleep Apnea and Snoring - Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment Methods.”
Dr. Fialkoff has had a periodontal, dental implant, cosmetic laser plastic surgery office for more than 32 years at 56-03 214th Street in Bayside, NY. Recently the office added 3D cone beam cat-scan imaging for patient diagnosis and laser equipment for non-surgical laser therapies. Dr. Fialkoff has been a featured speaker in many venues including the Spanish American Medical Society, and was recently inducted into the Long Island Academy of Odontology.
His office website and blog, which shows Fialkoff Dental Study Club photos and bulletins, and other community activities is www.baysidedentist.com. Dr. Fialkoff also has a web page devoted to the study club at: https://baysidedentist.com/our-office/fialkoff-dental-study-club/ and the Cuba Humanitarian Trip at: https://baysidedentist.com/our-office/humanitarian-trip/.
