2025 - 2026 MDA Board of Directors
Dr. Matthew Lawler, President
Dr. Matthew Lawler has been practicing at Oral Surgery Associates in South Portland since completing residency. He is a native of Sedona, Arizona and graduated from the University of Arizona Summa Cum Laude double majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in 2007. He attended dental school at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine graduating with honors in 2012. While in dental school he established a love for oral surgery and completed a one-year research fellowship in Pediatric Oral Surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He completed his MD degree at Harvard Medical School in 2015 and completed his Oral Surgery Residency in 2018 where he served as chief resident at both Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Lawler is a member of American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), American Dental Association (ADA) and Maine Dental Association (MDA) where he serves on the executive board. During his training, he served as Program Liaison and District Representative for the resident organization of AAOMS and developed a passion for research publishing multiple peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on facial trauma, orthognathic surgery, and advanced imaging techniques.
Dr. Hena Patel, President-Elect
Dr. Hena Patel is a Florida native, graduating from the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutritional Science. She then went on to the University of New England’s College of Dental Medicine where she obtained her Doctorate of Dental Medicine. During dental school, she was part of a scholarship program that focused on rural healthcare in the state of Maine. Dr. Patel is currently on the Board of Directors for the Maine Dental Association, representing Central Maine. She is a member of her local study clubs, the American Dental Association, and the Androscoggin Valley Dental Society. Public health is a large part of what makes Dr. Patel passionate about dentistry. She volunteers as a dental provider at the Oasis Free Dental Clinics in Brunswick whenever possible. Dr. Patel enjoys practicing dentistry because of the relationship she can build with her patients and change the way they think about dentistry, while improving their oral health. She provides patient centered and empathetic care, and truly enjoys helping patients overcome dental anxiety. In her free time, Dr. Patel is a complete foodie and loves to try new foods and cook new recipes. She also enjoys being outdoors and exploring new places, which is why she chose to settle in this gorgeous state.
Dr. Kailee Jorgenson, Vice-President
Dr. Kailee Jorgenson currently serves as the Clinical Director at Mainely Teeth. She has enjoyed working alongside her colleagues on the Maine Dental Association Board and is passionate supporter of organized dentistry. She has been involved in public health advocacy as a member of the Children's Oral Health Network and as a founding member of the Maine Oral Health Centers Alliance, for which she serves as the current President. She grew up in upstate New York and attended Hamilton College as an undergraduate studying Biochemistry. After moving here for dental school, she felt that the connections she made to the state of Maine were strong and felt the obvious path for her career involved living and working here. Dr. Kailee has a strong passion for public health and plans to continue her career working in this area of dentistry.
Dr. Mike Dowling, Secretary
Dr. Mike Dowling is a board certified pediatric dentist at 207 Pediatric Dentistry in Yarmouth and the founder of the Maine Dental Surgery Center, an Ambulatory Surgery Center focused on increasing access to dental care in Maine. Mike was a biology major at Bates, then earned his dental degree at Tufts. He did a pediatric residency at BU. Mike's been an MDA member for 13 years and served on the Board for several years. He's been active on the Committee of Government Relations (CGR), serving as the Committee chair, and he also has co-chaired the MaineCare Task Force. Mike has given testimony on several bills at public hearings and responds to legislative issues at a moment's notice, despite carrying on with running a busy practice, running around raising kids, and running in general!
Dr. David Kerr, Treasurer
For over three decades, David R. Kerr, D.D.S. has had an established dental practice in the greater Portland area, and over this time, he has accumulated a substantial background of clinical experience and has seen a multitude of cases. After his residency, he taught in the Department of Form and Function of the Masticatory System at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine while completing his MBA at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School in Healthcare Policy and Data Analytics. He then moved to the University of Connecticut Dental School before moving to Maine in 1985. A member of six different organizations, Dr. Kerr has held many positions within the Maine Dental Association, the latest being Treasurer. His current research is on Sleep Apnea Prevalence in a General Dentistry Population and Development of Decision Support System to Enhance Clinical Decision Making and Patient Care Using Data Analytics. With a Master's in Business Administration, Dr. Kerr provides consultation support to students and other professionals in Decision Support Software Development and Econometrics. Dr. Kerr is married to Dr. Carol Kerr, a clinical counselor. Together they have two adult sons. His hobbies include anything outdoors: skiing, snowshoeing, sailing, hiking.
Dr. David Wicks, Long-Term Delegate
Dr. Wicks made the State of Maine his home since relocating from Chicago after completing his dental GPR program in 1985. His dental career has certainly been very unique indeed. After starting a private practice in Bangor and purchasing an existing practice several years later, a tragedy struck in the winter of 1994 as a building fire completely destroyed his dental practice. Despite attempting to restart the practice after being closed for over 3 months, it became evident that continued operation of Wicks Dentistry would not be possible. Reluctantly, he was forced to close the practice in 1997. Needing to strike out in a different direction, Dr. Wicks entered the field of public health dentistry. For the next 20 years, he practiced in a number of non-profit clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers located in several rural Maine towns. Most recently, Dr. Wicks has returned to a small private practice working with a group of Independent Practicing Dental Hygienists in Bucksport. Dr. Wicks states it has been a privilege to have the opportunity to be a member of the Maine Dental Association serving as the North East Representative, as well as on several councils, search committees, and most recently being selected as the Long-Term Delegate for Maine to the ADA.
Dr. Adam Saltz, Immediate Past-President
Dr. Adam Saltz practices in South Portland. He completed his periodontal training at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. He attended Nova Southeastern University for dental school, where he also received his Master of Public Health. Dr. Saltz actively contributes to several scientific journals and lectures nationally. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of New England and faculty consultant at Kansas City University. He served as a public health consultant to the American Dental Association (ADA) and led the American Student Dental Association as national editor-in-chief, while in dental school. Dr. Saltz currently chairs multiple state and First District committees. In 2023, he was chosen to serve on the ADA New Dentist Committee as well as recognized by the ADA with their 10 Under 10 Award for his contributions to organized dentistry, education, and community outreach as a new dentist.
Dr. Katelyn Pierson, Southern Region Representative
Bio coming soon.
Dr. Bright Chang, Southern Region Representative
Bio coming soon.
Dr. Aaron Guimond, Central Region Representative
Dr. Aaron Guimond is a general dentist who currently works at Waldo County Dental Care within the Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast, Maine. Dr. Guimond received his bachelors degree in Biology / Pre-med from Liberty University in 2015. In 2019, he completed his degree as a Doctor of Dental Medicine from the University of New England. He has been a member of the Maine Dental Association and Academy of General Dentistry since his graduation from UNE. Dr. "G" as his patients call him originally started his career in corporate dentistry. As a Maine native, he quickly found that he had much more passion in public health dentistry and that is where he has gravitated towards ever since. When he's not working, Dr. G enjoys many outdoor activities the state has to offer such as: ice fishing, hunting, disc golf and camping. He currently lives in Central Maine with his beautiful wife and three kids.
Dr. Robert Belanger, Central Region Representative
Bio coming soon.
Dr. Bruce Freme, North East Region Representative
Bio coming soon.
Dr. Kristen Sciolino, North East Region Representative
Kristen Sciolino DMD is a Maine native raised in Central Maine. She graduated undergrad from UNE while being a mom, working full time and commuting to school. She then went on to UNE's College of Dental Medicine and graduated in 2020. She worked with adults with developmental disabilities for a decade prior to attending dental school. She currently resides in Lincoln with her husband and two boys. She now owns two practices, one in Lincoln and the other in East Millinocket. Providing dental care in underserved areas has been a driving force in her career. She enjoys art, reading, drawing, painting and adventuring with her boys. She is dedicated to her patient's comfort and strives to make everyone as comfortable in the dental chair as she can. She puts her artistic background to work to restore smiles one smile at a time.
Ashley Sapra, ASDA Representative
Bio coming soon.
Therese Cahill, Executive Director
Therese Cahill brings a breadth of experience to the position, previously serving as the director of the Office of Child and Family Services at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the director of constituent services at the Office of the Secretary of State, a grants and contracts administrator at Maine Quality Counts, an investigator for the Maine Board of Dental Practice, and as a school counselor and a speech therapist in school systems in coastal, western, and central Maine. She has also taught as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Maine at Augusta.
Cahill received her bachelor’s degree in speech correction from the University of Maine at Farmington and her master’s degree in school counseling from the University of Southern Maine. She has been involved in several community organizations and groups, including the Maine School Counselors Association, the Maine Association for Play Therapy, the Maine Heart Association, OHI Maine, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kennebec Valley.
