Gen You
Throughout 2025, you got to know Ryan Lark, Dr. Maria La Torre Sanchez, Dr. Cassandra McKenzie, and Dr. Max J. Perlitsh.
As we close out another inspiring year of Gen You, let’s take a look back at their stories, their growth, and the passion they bring to our specialty.
Ryan Lark
Student
AAP Member since 2024
As a D4 at NYU College of Dentistry, Ryan Lark has spent the last year deepening his commitment to periodontology. His journey began early in dental school, where an influential faculty mentor sparked his interest and encouraged him to assist in surgeries during his free time. This led Ryan to take on leadership roles, including President of NYU’s periodontology society, where he hoped to inspire more of his peers.
Ryan’s passion for perio is due to its combination of long-term patient relationships, evidence-based care, and the excitement of emerging technologies. His experience at the 2024 AAP Annual Meeting was pivotal because it gave him a front-row seat to advanced surgical techniques, implant workflows, and the collaborative spirit of the profession.
He approaches both clinic and academics with intention, and stayed grounded during the demands of his final year. Ryan looks forward to continuing this momentum and embracing regenerative therapies, digital dentistry, and lifelong learning through the Academy. He hopes to someday inspire the next generation of specialists the same way he was inspired.
Dr. Maria La Torre Sanchez
First-Year Resident
AAP Member since 2024
Dr. Sanchez’s path to periodontics is defined by resilience, determination, and compassion. Originally from Colombia, she worked full-time as a pharmacy technician while navigating a new language and education system in the U.S., earning her degrees and pursuing her dream to become a dentist. During dental school, she shadowed perio residents, which opened her eyes to the specialty’s precision, scientific rigor, and strong patient relationships. This solidified her passion. Now a resident at the University of Detroit Mercy, Dr. Sanchez is immersed in learning more advanced procedures such as IV sedation, soft tissue grafting, and regenerative therapy.
She is a strong believer in communication, teamwork, and shared learning. She collaborates closely with faculty and upper residents and utilizes cloud-based systems and structured study habits to balance clinical and academic responsibilities. Her journey has also been shaped by profound personal loss, having unexpectedly lost her father and brother. With the support of family, friends, and her program, she learned to move forward with resilience and renewed purpose.
Dr. Sanchez hopes to continue building clinical experience, expanding her surgical skills, and using her passion to serve underserved communities through the power of periodontal care, especially communities facing language barriers.
Dr. Cassandra McKenzie
Clinician
AAP Member since 2021
Dr. McKenzie is in her ninth year in private practice in Kansas City, and she brings enthusiasm for the way periodontology blends pathosis, function, and aesthetics to improve everyday lives. Her practice environment thrives on teamwork, clear systems, and a culture of humility.
Dr. McKenzie has become increasingly active with the Academy in recent years, participating in committees and serving as a moderator at the AAP Annual Meeting, where she says she had many unforgettable experiences. What she values most about the meeting is the education she can immediately translate into improved patient care, elevated systems, and a stronger team.
In her practice, she emphasizes transparency, accountability, and shared growth. Guided by Maya Angelou’s quote, “When you know better, do better,” she continues to push herself, her team, and her community toward excellence.
Dr. Max J. Perlitsh
Clinician and Educator
AAP Member since 1964
Dr. Perlitsh’s career spans over six decades and represents a life of dedication to the specialty. After earning his DMD from Tufts University in 1956 and serving in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps, he pursed advanced periodontal training and later became Acting Chair of Tufts’ Department of Periodontology. Influenced by Dr. Irving Glickman’s research, Dr. Perlitsh attended his first AAP Annual Meeting in 1964 and has been engaged ever since.
Throughout his academic and private practice career, he witnessed and contributed to major shifts in the specialty. Even in retirement, Dr. Perlitsh remains committed and knowledgeable. He actively follows the latest research, engages with professional societies, and attends AAP Town Hall meetings. He continues to advocate for preserving natural dentition.
Mentoring the next generation of periodontists is very important to Dr. Perlitsh. With decades of clinical experience, he remains committed to educating and guiding future periodontists.
Throughout 2025, you got to know Ryan Lark, Dr. Maria La Torre Sanchez, Dr. Cassandra McKenzie, and Dr. Max J. Perlitsh.
As we close out another inspiring year of Gen You, let’s take a look back at their stories, their growth, and the passion they bring to our specialty.
Ryan Lark
Student
AAP Member since 2024
As a D4 at NYU College of Dentistry, Ryan Lark has spent the last year deepening his commitment to periodontology. His journey began early in dental school, where an influential faculty mentor sparked his interest and encouraged him to assist in surgeries during his free time. This led Ryan to take on leadership roles, including President of NYU’s periodontology society, where he hoped to inspire more of his peers.
Ryan’s passion for perio is due to its combination of long-term patient relationships, evidence-based care, and the excitement of emerging technologies. His experience at the 2024 AAP Annual Meeting was pivotal because it gave him a front-row seat to advanced surgical techniques, implant workflows, and the collaborative spirit of the profession.
He approaches both clinic and academics with intention, and stayed grounded during the demands of his final year. Ryan looks forward to continuing this momentum and embracing regenerative therapies, digital dentistry, and lifelong learning through the Academy. He hopes to someday inspire the next generation of specialists the same way he was inspired.
Dr. Maria La Torre Sanchez
First-Year Resident
AAP Member since 2024
Dr. Sanchez’s path to periodontics is defined by resilience, determination, and compassion. Originally from Colombia, she worked full-time as a pharmacy technician while navigating a new language and education system in the U.S., earning her degrees and pursuing her dream to become a dentist. During dental school, she shadowed perio residents, which opened her eyes to the specialty’s precision, scientific rigor, and strong patient relationships. This solidified her passion. Now a resident at the University of Detroit Mercy, Dr. Sanchez is immersed in learning more advanced procedures such as IV sedation, soft tissue grafting, and regenerative therapy.
She is a strong believer in communication, teamwork, and shared learning. She collaborates closely with faculty and upper residents and utilizes cloud-based systems and structured study habits to balance clinical and academic responsibilities. Her journey has also been shaped by profound personal loss, having unexpectedly lost her father and brother. With the support of family, friends, and her program, she learned to move forward with resilience and renewed purpose.
Dr. Sanchez hopes to continue building clinical experience, expanding her surgical skills, and using her passion to serve underserved communities through the power of periodontal care, especially communities facing language barriers.
Dr. Cassandra McKenzie
Clinician
AAP Member since 2021
Dr. McKenzie is in her ninth year in private practice in Kansas City, and she brings enthusiasm for the way periodontology blends pathosis, function, and aesthetics to improve everyday lives. Her practice environment thrives on teamwork, clear systems, and a culture of humility.
Dr. McKenzie has become increasingly active with the Academy in recent years, participating in committees and serving as a moderator at the AAP Annual Meeting, where she says she had many unforgettable experiences. What she values most about the meeting is the education she can immediately translate into improved patient care, elevated systems, and a stronger team.
In her practice, she emphasizes transparency, accountability, and shared growth. Guided by Maya Angelou’s quote, “When you know better, do better,” she continues to push herself, her team, and her community toward excellence.
Dr. Max J. Perlitsh
Clinician and Educator
AAP Member since 1964
Dr. Perlitsh’s career spans over six decades and represents a life of dedication to the specialty. After earning his DMD from Tufts University in 1956 and serving in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps, he pursed advanced periodontal training and later became Acting Chair of Tufts’ Department of Periodontology. Influenced by Dr. Irving Glickman’s research, Dr. Perlitsh attended his first AAP Annual Meeting in 1964 and has been engaged ever since.
Throughout his academic and private practice career, he witnessed and contributed to major shifts in the specialty. Even in retirement, Dr. Perlitsh remains committed and knowledgeable. He actively follows the latest research, engages with professional societies, and attends AAP Town Hall meetings. He continues to advocate for preserving natural dentition.
Mentoring the next generation of periodontists is very important to Dr. Perlitsh. With decades of clinical experience, he remains committed to educating and guiding future periodontists.