American Academy of Gold Foil Operators

Clinician of the Year Award, Dr Daniel D Saucy

It is indeed a privilege and honor to introduce to you the Clinician of the Year of the American Academy of Gold Foil Operators.

I first met Dr Saucy, aka Dan, in the fall of 1978, upon returning to the Northwest from an academic assignment at the LSU School of Dentistry. I took a part-time position in the Department of Fixed Prosthodontics, and the Department Chairman, Dr Bill Howard, assigned me to a sophomore block of four students, one of which was Dan Saucy. It was an “interesting” year given that I had left a hospital residency program and returned to the world of undergraduate dental education. I was blessed with the same students in the junior and senior years and soon came to understand their individual quirks—Dan was particularly adept at marching to his own drummer and was the object of numerous discussions that Bill Howard and I had.

During this time, I was working in the group practice of John and Charles Wold in Salem. Imagine my surprise one day shortly after Dan graduated when Dr Charles came to me and asked me about young Dr Saucy! And then, a couple of days later, he informed me that he had hired Dan and, furthermore, he would share my space. Well, Dan was quite excited to be hired by The Group, and I knew that we were going to begin a new phase in our relationship.

It worked out well and, as always, Dan was a delight to have around, always “up” in attitude, positive in life and willing to fit into any task in the group. During this time, all of the members of the Salem Dental Group were members of the Alex Jefferies Gold Foil Club, so it was natural to prod Dan into joining us. He was somewhat reticent at first, but after some “urging” by the others and after attending a couple of meetings, he took to it with great enthusiasm. Bill Howard was our mentor at that time, and he was a great influence on Dan. It was a great joy to me personally to watch Dan embrace Gold Foil and its concepts, those that we old-timers take for granted.

In 1986, Dan left The Salem Dental Group and moved across the street to practice by himself. In 1992, my wife and I decided that we would retire and move back “home” to the Pacific Northwest. Dan heard of our plans and immediately called and urged us to come back to Salem and join his practice. In fact, he had a quite unique contract in the mail to me the day following our conversation. It was too good to pass up, so, in November of '92, I joined his practice and remain there to this day. It has been a great association for me and I hope for him. We get along well, but we still argue right/left politics but certainly come together in dentistry. My hope is that our association will last long enough that I can re-educate his political thinking.

Dan is the shining example of a citizen—a dentist being involved in not only professional activities but also in the community. His involvement includes the Boy Scouts, School Board and several of its subcommittees, City Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Board member of the Salem Tennis and Swim Club, Vern Miller Key Citizen of the Year for Salem, Board member and Secretary/Treasurer of the Society of Physicians for Wine and Health. He has also held several offices in organized dentistry, including: ADA Grassroots Coordinator for Oregon's Fifth Congressional Dentist, twice delegate to the ODA annual meeting, representing the MPY Society, Board of Directors of the Western Society of Periodontology, and Dan is the current President of the Associated Ferrier Gold Foil Study Clubs.

Dan and his pharmacist wife, Kathy, have one daughter, Sarah, who is also a graduate of OHSU School of Dentistry, married to a dentist, Dr Ryan Pittman, and practices in Portland. Dan's legacy continues.

In his spare time, he likes to garden and fly fish, play tennis—his great passion—and “pound foils.” He is a super cook and gourmand and connoisseur of fine wines. He usually chooses the restaurants for our foil club dinners and, of course, the wines. Dan is a great guy to know.

So, it is with great pleasure and honor that I present to you my good friend and colleague, Dr Daniel David Saucy, your Outstanding Clinician for the Year 2006.