Sandra Montes, DDS, FAGD
“You are not alone. There is an entire network of individuals in our profession who want to help you succeed.”
Sandra Montes, DDS, FAGD, entered dentistry without the resources available to most new dentists. The first in her family to graduate from college and earn a doctorate degree, Montes found herself largely alone in a new world.
“All new dentists need a lot of help, and I didn’t have a personal relationship with a dentist I could call on for guidance,” Montes said.
But then she met Dawood Harunani, DDS, from the Illinois AGD chapter, who became her first mentor. And her world quickly opened up.
“He encouraged me to join and network within AGD, and I have truly grown as a result,” Montes said. “Since then, I have met many mentors who have shaped my career. Now that I serve on the board of the New Mexico AGD, I have worked to create learning opportunities for others with a similar background and other dentists who don’t have a ‘Dr. Harunani’ to show them the benefits of joining this organization.”
Montes hopes to develop an outreach initiative to provide opportunities for continued growth and interconnected learning throughout New Mexico.
“I would like to start integrating webinars and interactive online case discussions to allow doctors in more rural areas of New Mexico to have equal access to networking and education,” she said. “Something as simple as having a colleague to go over treatment planning or discuss what product is best for a procedure can make all the difference for a new dentist or solo practitioner.”
Montes was nominated by Stephen E. Hubbert, DDS, MAGD, and Charles D. Tatlock, DDS, MAGD, president and vice president of the New Mexico AGD, respectively.
“During the years I have known Dr. Montes, it has been apparent how much she thrives on dentistry and is continuously attending dental seminars to learn more,” Hubbert said.
Tatlock added, “From her initial introduction to the New Mexico AGD, I was impressed by her energetic enthusiasm and eagerness to participate. Dr. Montes instantly raised our level of relevance and social connectivity as an organization that for too long was content doing things as they had always been done.”
For new dentists, Montes’ message is simple.
“You are not alone,” she said. “There is an entire network of individuals in our profession who want to help you succeed.”