History
The Fourth District Dental Society was formed at an organizational meeting held on June 2nd, 1868. Officers and delegates were elected to the newly formed Dental Society of the State of New York. A committee was formed to "ascertain the number of dentists in the several counties of the Fourth District: Montgomery, Fulton, Hamilton and Schenectady." Although the Fourth District encompasses 11 counties currently, there were dentists in only four of these counties at the time.
Today, the Fourth District Dental Society is a component of the New York State Dental Association and the American Dental Association. It comprises the eleven counties of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington.
In the last 30 years the District has had 7 Executive Directors, Drs. Smith, Erche, Westcott, Gleason, Ms. Nancy Hess, Ms. Lynn Martin and Ms. Lisa Hicks The office is located at 632 Plank Road, Suite 200, Clifton Park, NY 12065.
The membership is diverse and includes about 400 Dentists from an area that stretches north from the Mohawk River to the Canadian Border and from Vermont west deep into the Adirondacks and the Mohawk Valley. The principle cities are Schenectady, Saratoga, Glens Falls, Plattsburgh, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Amsterdam, Johnstown, Gloversville and Scotia. There are many other smaller towns, large suburban areas, and large rural areas within the District. The largest concentration of Dentists is in the Schenectady/Saratoga Area, with about 100 Dentists in Saratoga County alone.
Because of the large geographic area of the District, with dentists widely dispersed, there seems to be an enhanced camaraderie between members. There is a ready willingness to help each other and to volunteer to help the public and needy individuals in every locale. The leadership of the District has also shown steady interest in organized dentistry. Many of our leaders continue to participate at the local, state and national level.
