NINTH DISTRICT DENTAL SOCIETY
JANUARY 2026 MEETING
Date: January 6, 2026
Time: 6:30 P.M. – Social Hour
7:00 P.M. – Dinner
Location: Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille
700 Baybrook Mall
Friendswood, TX 77546
Speaker: Amy Hessel, M.D. & Mark Chambers, D.M.D.
Topic: Oral Cancer
****Voting on Officers, Delegates and Committee Members****
Dr. Amy Hessel is the Head & Neck Chief Medical Director, and Dr. Mark Chambers is the Deputy Chair and Chief of the Section of Oral Oncology and Maxillofacial Prosthodontics.
This seminar is eligible for 1-hour TSBDE-approved credit. Please bring an associate, friend or staff member to join us. Reservations should be made before January 5, 2026by contacting Dr. Allison Dill at (713)299-3055 or allison.dillon@gmail.com.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
President – Dr. Gilberto Garcia (409)765-5538/ gilbertogarciadds@gmail.com
President-Elect – Dr. Allison Dillon (713) 299-3055/ allison.dillon@gmail.com
Secretary-Treasurer – Dr. Ann Seelbach – (409)938-1700/ amseelbach@gmail.com
Editor – Dr. Kathy Gibson (713)644-9209/ ktgdds@aol.com
SUMMARY OF NOVEMBER MEETING:
The regular meeting of the Ninth District Dental Society was held on November 4th, 2025 at Whiskey Cake Restaurant at Baybrook Mall.
There were 26 dentists in attendance. Guests
The business meeting was opened by Dr. Gilberto Garcia.
The 2025-26 Ninth District budget was passed at the last meeting. As noted previously, the NDDS dues increase was passed during a special election in September and will be effective at the next renewal.
There is an opportunity for interested NDDS members to volunteer at the St. Vincent Clinic. Contact Dr. Garcia if you need additional information.
The NDDS Nominating Committee was selected. Drs. Brad Miller and Garett Seeba were chosen by Dr. Garcia. Drs. Andrew Augustine, Bobby Anton and Kate Schaefer were nominated from the floor with no additional nominations. A verbal vote approved the Nominating Committee.
The New Member Spotlight recognized Dr. Bobby Anton from Oral Surgery Associates. Dr. Anton introduced himself and offered same day oral surgery appointments when possible. He looks forward to working with more Ninth District members in the future.
The NDDS Summer Clinic will be held on June 5, 2026, at the South Shore Harbour Resort and Conference Center in League City.
Dr. Garcia recognized Itero as the evening’s sponsor. The company has implemented a real-time simulator so that patients can see a before and after simulation that merges Invisalign and restorative changes to the patient’s smile. The technology also allows videos and pictures to be sent to patients for their review later to increase acceptance rates. For more information, please contact Anna Mills at (713)504-7952.
Dr. Dillon introduced the evening’s speaker, Dr. Michael Chan. He is a full-time professor associated with UTHealth School of Dentistry and is the Director of both the AEGD and GPR programs. In his spare time, he maintains a private practice. Dr. Chan spoke on “Dental Decisions – Treating Complex Patients”. The presentation focused on medical history forms and medical consults. There are 5 key components to successfully managing complex patients: Chief complaint, accurate and current data, time, people, and place. Several examples were given.
The meeting was closed by Dr. Garcia at 9:01 P.M.
NDDS NOTES:
Congratulations are in order for Drs. Gilberto Garcia and Ana Zepeda Garcia on the birth of their new daughter.
The Nominating Committee has made the following recommendations:
- Gold Medal Nominees – Drs. Meredith Scott, Charles Scruggs and Dan Gaffney
- Rising Star Nominees – Drs. Allison Dillon, Courtni Tello, Gilbert Garcia and Ann Seelbach
- Certificate of Merit – Emmanuel at St. Vincent’s, Paula Tobon at St. Vincent’s and St. Vincent’s Hope Clinic
EDITOR’S NOTES:
I hope that everyone has a wonderful season and is looking forward to a great new year. This year went especially quickly. Our thanks to our hard-working officers for keeping the Ninth District in order.
To keep things moving smoothly, please advise the Secretary-Treasurer and Editor if there are any changes to your contact information.
Remember to visit the Ninth District website and become familiar with it. Dr. Saman can help you if you have any questions. The address is https://www.9dds.org.
2026-27 NDDS SLATE OF OFFICERS, COMMITTEES AND DELELGATES
President Dr. Allison Dillon
President-Elect Dr. Ann Seelbach
Secretary-Treasurer Dr. Annie Scruggs
2027 Delegates Dr. Ramzi Saman
Dr. Wes Weibel
Dr. Hanna Lindskog
Dr. Charles Scruggs (if needed)
2027 Alternate Delegates Dr. Courtni Tello
Dr. Ann Seelbach
Dr. Brad Miller (if needed)
Judicial Committee Dr. Brent Patterson (Chair)
Dr. Peter Norris (2 years)
Dr. Courtni Tello (3 years)
Dr. Mark Martinsen (4 years)
Dr. Gilberto Garcia (5 years)
Peer Review Committee Dr. Garrett Seeba (Chair)
Dr. Ann Seelbach (2 years)
Dr. Kate Schaefer (3 years)
Dr. Charles Scruggs (4 years)
Dr. Ramzi Saman (5 years)
Constitution & Bylaws Dr. Dan Gaffney (Chair)
Dr. Chris Coleman (2 years)
Dr. Dr. Mark Martinsen (3 years)
Patient Relations Dr. Allison Dillon (Chair)
Dr. Brad Miller (2 years)
Dr. Hannah Lindskog (3 years)
