Welcome to The Great Lakes Association of Orthodontists!

The Great Lakes Association of Orthodontists (GLAO) is a constituent of the American Association of Orthodontists. The GLAO advocates on behalf of its members and promotes the value and advancement of the Specialty of Orthodontics. Component organizations of the GLAO include: Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Ontario (Canada), and Pennsylvania (west of the Alleghenies).

A Message from The GLAO President...

It has been a wild ride.  As we enter the fourth quarter of 2020, I think it is safe to already say that this has been a year like no other.  Despite significant disruptive corporate forces influencing our profession, I would guess that most of us entered into the new year with a sense of optimism.  2019 brought positive growth for the average orthodontic practice.  The rising economic tides appeared to be raising many boats.  By the time we reached the middle of this March, however, it was clear this was not going to be an ordinary year.  Practices were shut down by government decry and a global pandemic brought orthodontics and entire countries to a screeching halt.  Many of us found blessings in the unexpected quality time with our families, but in between the Monopoly marathons we were left to scramble for answers and guidance on how to support and protect our teams, continue to provide care for our patients, and pay our bills.  We had to learn what the FFCRA, EIDL, and PPP meant and why these were important for our practices.  We searched high and low for n95 masks, protective gowns, and face shields.  We even turned our parking lots into waiting rooms.  The pace of change was frantic and at times overwhelming.  Through all the chaos there was some comfort in knowing that we were all in this together.  We were all facing the same challenges and it was obvious that although we could not be physically together, we needed each other to navigate through this unfamiliar territory.

More than the personal disruptions we must acknowledge the many lives were lost.  Each life lost has been tragic.  I want to express my deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones to this terrible disease.  For all of its hardships and sorrow, the pandemic has clearly  demonstrated why we need the GLAO and AAO.  Through the crisis these organizations have provided us with trusted, pertinent, and timely information in the form of countless email blasts, web postings, and virtual meetings.  They have provided us guidance from experts and acted effectively on our behalf representing our interests and voicing our mutual concerns with policy makers.  They have brought us together and together we are strong enough to get through this.  I applaud and commend our past-president Dr. Walt Schratz for his level-headed and steady leadership during the difficult months of his presidency.  As your president of this important representative organization for the next 12 months, I promise to continue to serve your best interests and provide you with the representation and resources you need to guide your practices back to prosperity.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to me to share your needs and concerns.  I will do my best to make sure your organization addresses them.  I pray for a vaccine and the day we will be able to share our uncovered smiles again with our teams, our patients and with each other. I look forward to getting us and our practices “Back on Track Together” and I hope to see you all in-person next fall in Indianapolis.    

Respectfully,
Dr. Anthony Puntillo ([email protected])
2020-2021 GLAO President

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
― Albert Einstein