Dr. Avrutik was born in Yonkers, NY, in 1953. He attended Columbia College and graduated in 1975 with a BA in Biology. He then went to Columbia College of Dental Medicine and graduated with his DDS degree in 1979. After graduating dental school, he entered a GPR at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch (from 1979-1980). He subsequently worked in various dental practices before opening his own practice in Dayton in 1986, where he is currently in practice. Dr. Avrutik has been a member of AGD since 1986.
He currently resides in Kendall Park with his wife, Denise, who is currently a professor of Dental Hygiene at Berger County Community College.
Dr. Avrutik provides dental screenings yearly at the NJ Special Olympics, and he provides volunteer dental services yearly at the Smiles For Our Heroes Veterans Dental Event.
Dr. Avrutik’s daughter, Julianne, is current a resident at Robert Wood Johnsons in New Brunswick. His son, Timothy, is working at J.P. Morgan in New York City.
Dr. Besho was born in 1953 in Passaic, NJ. He went to FDU in Hackensack for his undergraduate studies, and graduated in 1978 with a BS in Biology. He attended FDU for dental school, and graduated with his DMD degree in 1982. After graduating from dental school, he did a GPR at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ, and then went into practice as an associate in a practice in East Brunswick. He has been a clinical instructor at Overlook Hospital for the past 8 years, as well as maintaining a full time private practice in East Brunswick for over 30 years, where he continues to actively practice.
He resides in Shrewsbury with his wife Annette and they have three children: Alyssa, who is an insurance executive, Joseph, who is a third year vascular surgery resident at the University of Texas at Houston, and Alexa, who is a registered nurse. They are excitedly expecting their first grandchild, who is due in February of 2019.
Dr. Kahn was born in New Brunswick in 1953. He graduated from The American University in 1975 with a BS in Distributed Sciences and Georgetown University School of Dentistry in 1979. Following a GPR at Middlesex General Hospital (RWJUH) he attended Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Dental Medicine where he was awarded his specialty certificate in Periodontology in 1983. In 1989 Dr. Kahn successfully challenged the Board becoming a Diplomat of the American Board of Periodontology. He worked as an associate for Kahn, Langbert PA from 1980 until 1984 when he opened his own practice in New Brunswick which is still active. He is an active member in MCDS, NJDA, ADA, NJ Society of Periodontists and the American Academy of Periodontology. He has served as President for MCDS, NJDA and the NJ Society of Periodontics and was an ADA elected CODA Commissioner. Richie is the son of two dentists, Stuart and Doris and is the grandson of two dentists, Julius Kahn and B. Bernard Chilton.
Dr. Kahn currently resides in East Brunswick with his wife Toni. He has three children Barry (who is married to Natalia) and Brooke. He is an avid sports fan. He has been running the roads for forty years completing 9 marathons and has an great passion for powder skiing.
Dr. Kaminker was born in 1953 in Jersey City. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1975 with a BA in Biology. He then attended the University Of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry and graduated in 1979. He then went on do to a General Practice Residency at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital from 1979-1980., and then his Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan (from 1980-83).
Following two years of research at University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Biochemistry while an undergraduate student, he co-authored a 1976 article in Biochemistry on MRI imaging of DNA replication. He also did research at University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine’s, Leon Levy Center for Oral Health. His goal was owning his solo private practice combined with a part-time academic career.
Until the opening of his private practice in Somerset, NJ, in March of 1985, he was fortunate to simultaneously work three days a week in two distinctively different Oral Surgery offices, those of Dr. Bert Blum, the director of Metropolitan Hospital’s Oral Surgery residency program in Queens, NY, and Dr. Barry Elbaum. In 1983 he also joined the faculty at Columbia University’s School of Dental Medicine, where he regularly instructed at both the graduate residency and undergraduate students as an Assistant Professor.
Dr. Kaminker annually presented lectures on apicoectomy, basic oral surgery, biopsy, anesthesia, and bone-grafting techniques. For 25 years, he taught the “Oral & General Pathology” curriculum to the Dental Hygiene students at Middlesex Community College. He presented several table clinics on bone-grafting techniques at New Jersey Dental Association’s annual session. Dr. Kaminer served as chair of the statewide Oral Cancer Screening Program, a joint program of the NJDA and American Cancer Society. He joined the teaching faculty at both Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and St. Peter’s University Medical Center, where he covered trauma call, worked with residents, and gave lectures. For 30 years, he regularly taught several CPR courses per year through their American Heart Association teaching centers. He also held appointments at Drexel University School of Medicine and Rutgers Medical School.
The most gratifying part of his career was his affiliations with the Cleft Palate Craniofacial Teams at both St. Peter’s University Hospital and Columbia Presbyterian Hospitals where he performed hundreds of bone grafts, palatoplasties, and orthognathic surgical procedures for children and adults. This also gave him the opportunity to travel on 16 volunteer medical missions abroad with Healing the Children and Operation Smile, performing these same techniques on patients in Guatemala, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Kenya, and Thailand. He has always been grateful to have fulfilled his lifelong love of dentistry, which began as an Eagle Scout at age 14, when he was sponsored by his Orthodontist, Dr, Norman Tanz. He views dentistry, then and now, as a challenging career that allowed him to work with his hands and be creative, while helping care for others.
Dr. Kaminker is grateful for his valued membership and friendships in the American Dental Association, New Jersey Dental Association, and Middlesex County Dental Society. He is a life fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and diplomat of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology and American Academy of Oral Medicine. He has held leadership positions for several decades in the New Jersey chapters of these societies. He also is a member of the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
Dr. Kaminer currently resides with Marcie, his wife of 43 years, on their 45-acre farm and vineyard outside of beautiful Talent, Oregon. They have three adult children: Jacob (37), David (36), and Eva (33). David and his wonderful 3-year-old granddaughter Sophia, as well as his relocated 87-year-old mother, all live close to them in the Rogue Valley. Their other two children, Jacob and Eva, live with their spouses in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Dr. Kurlansik was born in New Brunswick in 1953. He graduated from Rutgers University in 1975 with a BS in Animal Science. Dr. Kurlansik went on to obtain a DMD from Boston University Goldman School of Graduate Dentistry in 1979. He subsequently worked in Piscataway and Somerset for a combined two years before founding Park Dental Group in Highland Park with his partner Ethan Glickman. They worked together for almost 30 years, until Dr. Glickman retired in 2011. He is still actively practicing in Park Dental Group along with his associate Dr. Antonio Couzo, who joined him in January of 2016.
In addition to being a member of MCDS, NJDA and ADA, Dr. Kurlansik has been active on the MCDS Board of Trustees. He currently resides in Whitehouse Station with his wife, Barbara S. Bush, Psy. D. He has four children: Emily Kurlansik, Psy. D., who is currently a second year Post Doctoral Fellow at Columbia University in NYC in the field of Neuropsychology. Jonathan Kurlansik, D.O. is currently a resident at University Hospital in Cleveland, OH, specializing in Emergency Medicine. His wife, Haley Vest, D.O., is also a resident at University Hospital in Cleveland specializing in Family Medicine. Sarah Bush, B. Sc. in Biology, M.S. in Biomedical Science. She currently resides in Henderson, Nevada, and is pursuing a degree as a Physician Assistant. Kathryn Bush, B. Sc. in Biochemistry, is currently a second year student at Cooper Medical School in Camden, NJ.
Dr. Roland was born in Irvington, NJ in 1953. He graduated from Rutgers University in 1974 with a major in Biology. He attended UMDNJ for dental school, and graduated in 1977.
After graduating from dental school, Dr. Roland spent his first year in practice in Staten Island, and then the past 40 years in Somerset. He taught at UMDNJ for 8 years in the departments of Occlusion, Dental Anatomy, Dental Materials Science and Fixed Prosthodontics. He opened his own practice in 1986, and then built a building and moved his practice across town in 2008. Dr. Roland is actively practicing, but with no evening hours and more vacation time (spent mostly in Arizona). He has two incredible dental partners: Devon Berry and Dean Chencharik, both UMDNJ/Rutgers Dental School graduates. He is very proud of their progress in dentistry and dental practice and their devotion to excellent care for their patients. Their practice includes a nutritionist, a massage therapist, an esthetician, a specialist in eyebrow blading, and two certified yoga instructors with daily classes — a very special practice model.
Dr. Roland is a member of AGD (MAGD), AOM and AACD. In addition to having been a Clinical Assistant Professor at UMDNJ, he is a Past President of the Academy of Oral Medicine, NJ Chapter, a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, and a member of the Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity. He currently lives in Somerset, 1 mile from his office. He has two sons: Brian and Scott. Brian and his wife Nicole (a marketing director) live in Naples, Florida. Brian is a CIA graduate chef and owns the Crave Culinaire and Venue Naples restaurants, employs 12 chefs, and has a large catering facility and event center. Scott and his wife Andrea (a RN), daughter Parker Sophia, also live in Naples, Florida. Scott is a PGA professional Golf Academy of America graduate. He currently is Executive General Manager of Naples Infinity. Dr. Roland has one granddaughter - Parker Sophia Roland, who is 2 1/2 years old, and she is really, really cute.
He enjoys riding motorcycles throughout the country and participating in track day events, playing clarinet, piano and bongo drugs, taking classes in oil painting, cooking classes, riding ATVs in the Arizona desert, and twice weekly Salsa dance classes.
