Hello, I’m

As our beloved Philippine Academy of Esthetic Dentistry begins a new chapter in its journey, it is my honor to serve as its leader and to share my humble contribution to promote the best interests of the Academy one level higher, while fostering more leaders from among my corps of officers and the general membership of this esteemed organization.

Now on our 25th year as an organized Esthetic Dental Academy with the theme “Silver Years… A Quarter Century of Excellence.” we can celebrate and take pride in our achievements: we created beautiful smiles and generated greater confidence among our patients; we provided skills training and enhanced knowledge in Esthetic Dentistry to all our PAED 101 graduates; and we attentively encouraged and supported our members to persevere in their endeavors, as we bring PAED’s tag line: “Proactive Aesthetically Empowered Destined to perfection,” into fruition.

For this current administration, we have decided to focus on, the membership retention and leadership promotion program. One way to retain our membership is to ensure that PAED is the place where our members can best consolidate their career objectives, since we provide relevant updates and share the latest innovations in our field thru seminars, symposia, workshops and conferences. PAED is the place where they can best enhance their capabilities to perform the treatment and procedures of esthetic dentistry with the greatest confidence. More benefits and privileges for all updated and active members will be made available as one of the main goals of our term. 

We look forward to make these silver year of PAED to be the start of a “new normal” for the practice of Esthetic Dentistry amidst the pandemic. We resolve to remain strong in our mission and persevere through all challenges in conducting our activities for a progressive and responsive Philippine Academy of Esthetic Dentistry.

Remember that we are only as strong as we allow ourselves to be. We can only be broken in spirit when we ourselves surrender. We need ideals to serve as our north star – and that we have in our mission of service all through the years. We need concrete means in order to ensure the success of those ideals – and that we have in our organizational structure and operations. All we need is to join the two with character – meaning the “dedication to the mission” and “consistency in our operations”. With ideals, organization, and character, how can we not succeed?

As your Silver President, I am humbled to serve you to the best that I can, together with all my dedicated Officers, members of the Board and Past Presidents. As we retain our membership, let us now actively seek those who believe most in our ideals, are prepared most to serve our organization, and commit most to our values. For those are no longer ordinary followers; they are PAED’s leaders in the future.  

May The Good Lord continue to bless us and protect our loved ones!

Ricardo R. Gatbonton, DMD, FPFA, ICCDE
PAED PRESIDENT, 2021-2023