Sometimes, it’s a chance meeting or a split-second decision that can alter your future pathway.

In the case of Seattle dentist Mark Egbert, it was an externship his senior year of dental school that set him on a trajectory to live “a dream come true” as the first Washington state dentist to serve as president of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS).

In September, his professional journey will conclude. But not without first making his mark as the leader of the national dental specialty association.

‘I Was Intrigued’

As a dental student at the UW School of Dentistry, Egbert had planned to pursue a career in periodontics. He’d applied to both periodontal programs and general practice residencies (GPRs) in his senior year. But then he had the opportunity to explore oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) as part of an externship in Fort Worth, Texas.

“I was intrigued,” said Egbert. It was too late to apply for an OMS residency that year, and I was torn between perio and OMS, so off to a GPR in Chicago I went.”

The next year, he returned to the UW and entered the four-year OMS training program. Upon completion of his residency in 1986, he joined the faculty of the UW School of Dentistry. His main responsibility was to treat patients and train residents at Harborview Medical Center, where he eventually became Chief of Harborview’s OMS Service.

A nationally renowned pediatric oral surgeon, Egbert has often been sought out by families from all over the country and around the world because of his skill in treating complex craniofacial deformities and pathology. His patients, who range in age from preemies to mid-twenties, often have complicating circumstances, like being transplant recipients, having bleeding disorders or other significant diagnoses that impact their care.

Teaching has also figured prominently in his career. He taught the second-year dental school course on local anesthesia and medical emergencies, a duty he shared with a good mentor, friend, and colleague, the late Dr. Bruce Rothwell. Every lecture ended with a dramatic trauma case that he had personally treated at Harborview so that students would understand the wide scope of what is possible with a dental license. Egbert has consistently infused both his teaching and patient care with compassion — something his residents have often commented on, offering high praise for always treating patients and their families with dignity and kindness.

Eventually, Egbert would leave Harborview to serve as Chief of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Seattle Children’s Hospital, a post he held for nearly 25 years. Two years ago, he handed his title off and is now “60% employed” — meaning a five-day work week. He remains on the UW faculty and still enjoys teaching OMS residents although the focus is pediatric OMS and Cleft/Craniofacial surgery now more than trauma.

Dr. Barbara Sheller, chief of pediatric dentistry at Seattle Children’s Hospital, has watched Egbert’s professional career arc since they were classmates at the UWSOD. According to Sheller, Egbert consistently displayed exceptional intelligence and clinical excellence, noting that he went on to significantly contribute to the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

“It is a great privilege to know and work alongside someone as remarkable as Dr. Mark Egbert throughout their professional career,” said Sheller. “Dr. Egbert serves as a source of inspiration for residents due to his exceptional surgical skills and profound insights into case planning. He extends unwavering support to his colleagues at Seattle Children’s, and we rely on his invaluable expertise and experience when faced with complex clinical scenarios,” she added.

“His compassion and generosity towards both patients and colleagues are outstanding. Dr. Egbert consistently upholds the highest standards of care and professionalism, and his dedication and leadership continue to inspire all those around him.”

Not to be overlooked, this twist of fate also smiled upon him personally, for it was this change of professional direction that led Egbert to a great personal moment: meeting his future wife and life partner, dentist and current WSDA President-elect Dr. Lisa Egbert. The two have now been married for 32 years and have two adult sons.

Rising in Service

It was another chance connection that led Egbert to his service with AAOMS.

“It was my good friend, WSDA Past President Dr. Rick Crinzi, who first got me interested in organized oral and maxillofacial surgery. I became active with the Washington State Society of OMS (WSSOMS) and ultimately became a delegate from the WSSOMS to our national organization, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons” he said.

Egbert became involved in AAOMS leadership through representing Washington at the AAOMS house of delegates. There, he served on several AAOMS committees along the way, including committees of the house, and others like the committee on cleft, craniofacial, and pediatric OMS; the committee on hospital and interprofessional affairs; and several clinical and special interest groups. He was also a member at large and on the board of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation (OMSF) for several years.

Along the way, he began rising in service to the state and regional societies (the Western Society of OMS represents nine western states), becoming an officer, and eventually serving as president of each organization.

Nine years ago, he joined the board of AAOMS as the trustee for AAOMS’ district VI. Eventually, he ascended the chairs and was honored to serve as president of the national association this past year.

Egbert acknowledges that none of this has been without some degree of personal sacrifice, spending long hours in meetings and riding on planes. For several years now, he has achieved the highest level of the Alaska Airlines mileage plan, “a secondary benefit” for the many hours spent in airplane seats.

Case in point: Prior to becoming an AAOMS Trustee, he served on the examination committee of the American Board of OMS (ABOMS). This commitment meant many hours of work during the year and culminated with spending a week or more each year in Chicago giving exams.

“The exams are given each year about the same time, which always seemed to include our oldest boy’s birthday,” he recalls. “My last time giving exams was the year my then-eight-year-old son asked me if ‘I could stay home for his birthday this time?’” he said.

“I had been an examiner for eight years. Volunteerism sometimes includes sacrifice.”

A Rich Life Experience

Due in large part to their strong partnership, the Egberts have navigated the demands of busy practice duties while raising their family and giving back to the profession. Egbert credits Lisa for “accommodating and tolerating my choices,” supporting his efforts when the family was impacted.

He also credits his professional family and staff.

“I have been very fortunate to have been able to tailor to a degree my obligations to the UW and to Seattle Children’s these past number of years,” he said.

“As president, you are responsible for the leadership of the organization as a whole. There is near-daily communication with the executive director, making decisions that keep the association’s business moving forward. As president, you preside over monthly board meetings, and at all association meetings and activities. You are the representative to outside entities and organizations. These include other national and international oral surgery organizations and those of other disciplines in dentistry and medicine,” he added.

During his year as president, the AAOMS revisited its mission and strategic plan – a task that is supposed to occur every three years but was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am proud of the work we did bringing those documents up to date. I also initiated two subcommittees of the board that were charged with reviewing key components of the organization,” he said. “One did a deep dive into the annual meetings of the Association, and another looked at the overall structure of the Association including our committee structures and overall governance. Both committees have done incredible work on behalf of the membership. To his credit, and to my great satisfaction, the current president, Dr. Morrison from Cincinnati Ohio, has continued both committees so that they can complete their work. We look forward to presenting the committee’s findings and suggestions for change to our upcoming House of Delegates. Ultimately it is the AAOMS House representing the membership at large that will make any substantive changes,” said Egbert.

One of the perks of the presidency that Egbert appreciated was the opportunity to acknowledge the great humanitarian efforts made by so many volunteer AAOMS members across the country and around the globe.

There are many “missions of mercy” headed and manned by OMS’s each year. A previous WSDA Citizen of the Year, Dr. Mark C. Paxton of Spokane, was among those honored by AAOMS at the annual meeting Egbert presided over in Orlando. Paxton was posthumously honored with the AAOMS Humanitarian of the Year award. The award was presented to his wife, Dr. Diane Paxton, who made the trip to Orlando for the ceremony.

“It is an extremely busy year of service,” said Egbert, “but also it is very rewarding and a rich life experience.”

'Get Involved'

One consistent hallmark in Egbert’s professional career: an emphasis on advocacy.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are trained in anesthesia and provide the lion’s share of sedation and general anesthesia services in dentistry. As Egbert notes, the privilege of providing these services for the patients its members serve is an AAOMS priority.

“The safety of anesthesia services provided by the OMS team model is unprecedented and unsurpassed by any other system or approach. Still, for reasons, many of which are fueled by self-serving motivations, our ability to provide cost-effective and readily available anesthesia services are frequently challenged,” he said. “Advocacy on behalf of the specialty to maintain these privileges is a constant effort.”

In talking with students and young dentists across the country, advocacy remains a strong centerpiece of Egbert’s leadership platform with AAOMS, encouraging dentists to get involved to the best of their available time and abilities.

“It is easy to remain in your offices day after day and reap the benefits of our great profession(s). In the words of the great lyricist and Nobel Laureate, Bob Dylan, “the times, they are a changin’,” he said.

“If young people avoid becoming involved, ignore organized dentistry, and do not support the profession with both their time and their treasure, the slide from being a proud profession to becoming merely a technical trade will continue,” he added. “Go to meetings. Pay your dues. Donate to your PACs. Get involved.”

Leadership Support

As immediate past president of the organization, Egbert remains on the AAOMS board and with just about five months left to serve, is now contemplating “what life after AAOMS will hold.”

“In September my AAOMS ride will come to a close,” said Egbert. “I have mixed emotions, but I am looking forward to being free to provide greater support to Lisa in her positions with the WSDA, and the ADA. She is the smarter one in the family.”

“Personally, I wanted to give back to my profession. I’m not the best academic – I haven’t done a lot of research and only written a handful of papers. I’ve always been interested in organized dentistry. I believe in the importance of advocacy and how we protect the profession by being involved and watching everybody’s back, whether it’s in Olympia or Washington, D.C. or the other state capitals. Being aware of what’s happening and how it impacts our members’ practices. I think we are at significant risk in a lot of areas unless people provide their time and effort or their treasure in supporting the profession.

“To be able to rise through the leadership from state to region to national is kind of a dream come true for me,” said Egbert.

“Honestly, I’m not going to know what to do with myself come September except to support Lisa.”