College of Dental Medicine Lasting Impressions Magazine

32 © NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY It was a natural progression that periodontist Mark Abdoney , D.M.D. (2000, Certificate—Periodontics), ended up in the dental profession. “Dentistry is in my blood. I had a great-grandfather who was a dentist, and, more importantly, my father is an orthodontist,” said Abdoney, who was a member of the first class of periodontists to graduate from the NSU College of Dental Medicine. And, the affiliations don’t stop there. An uncle and his two brothers are also in dentistry, and his nephew, Robby, recently started his studies at the CDM, continuing the family tradition. “I spent lots of time in my father’s practice and found myself drawn to the profession,” he said. Abdoney returned to his hometown of Tampa, Florida, to set up a bustling solo practice that features a range of procedures, including periodontal surgery, connective tissue grafting, and dental implants. After receiving his undergraduate and D.M.D. degrees from the University of Florida (UF), Abdoney was accepted at the CDM, where he became one of three residents in the charter class of the Department of Periodontology. “It was an amazing experience. I couldn’t have asked for a better overall set of circumstances between the timing and the composition of the faculty there at the time,” he said. Being a pioneer in a new program was exciting. “We were taking courses with the other specialty programs. There was a real camaraderie there,” he added. Because there wasn’t an oral-surgery program, the perio- dontal residents also received all the surgery time, which is just what Abdoney wanted. “We were the only residents who could do surgery and implant dentistry,” he said. “I have always loved surgery and have always been intrigued with biology and anatomy,” he added. “I love the biology behind it. There’s an art form behind it. I love how it all comes together.” His CDM education shifted his focus and drive. “When I was at UF, I was very involved in student government, so by the time I got to the CDM, I had a singular focus of develop- ing myself. I wanted to learn as much as I possibly could,” said Abdoney, who was president of his fraternity, a member of Florida Blue Key, and president of his dental class when he was at UF. Abdoney and his wife, Wendy, a prosecutor for the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, lived across from the NSU Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus in 1997 during the three years they were there. “My amazing wife supported us while I was a resident. I wouldn’t have made it through without her love and support,” said Abdoney, who also credits his parents for their help. Abdoney said he quickly felt a part of the NSU family. “It was a great opportunity. So many great clinicians made the dental college special. Professionals who had been in private practice were very generous with their time,” he said. “They had a love for academia and their specialty and, frankly, a love for us that made our program uncommon.” He recalled how former CDM associate professor Clark Galin, D.D.S., went out of his way to help him. “When I BY JODI NODING The Personal Touch TAMPA PERIODONTIST CONTINUES A LEGACY ALUMNI IMPRESSIONS