Here are 10 people making a splash in the dental industry:
Editor's note: This list is meant to highlight the notable things dentists are doing today. If you would like to recommend a dentist for a future list, email Riz Hatton at rhatton@beckershealthcare.com.
Jose Arauz, DMD. Carolina Dental Specialty Center (Jacksonville, N.C.). Dr. Arauz is the president of the North Carolina Society of Periodontists. He is also the owner and lead dentist of Carolina Dental Specialty Center.
Sarah Balaster, DMD. Dental Care Alliance (Sarasota, Fla.). Dr. Balaster was recently named chief dental officer for adult specialty and hygiene at Dental Care Alliance. She specializes in periodontics.
Erin Bumann, DDS, PhD. University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. Dr. Bumann is an assistant professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. He was recently awarded the Gold Medal Fellowship by the American Dental Association.
Joyce Cheng, DDS. All Smiles Dental (San Francisco). Outside of private practice, Dr. Cheng works at a community clinic where she treats underserved patients. There, she also teaches dentists in advanced education general dentistry programs about periodontology.
Lyndon Cooper, DDS, PhD. Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry (Richmond). Dr. Cooper is the dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. He previously served as an associate dean for research and head of the oral biology department at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry.
Anibal Diogenes, DDS, PhD. UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry. Dr. Diogenes is a professor and vice-chair of the endodontics department at the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry. He is the first dentist to be named a Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.
Patrick Lloyd, DDS. Stony Brook (N.Y.) University. Dr. Patrick is the dean of Stony Brook (N.Y.) University School of Dental Medicine. Before coming into his current role in July, he served as dean of the Ohio State University College of Dentistry in Columbus for a decade.
Darrell Morton, DMD. Advanced Cosmetic and Family Dentistry (Alpharetta, Ga.). In April, Dr. Morton was elected as president of the Georgia Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry for the 2022 calendar year. He is a member of several professional organizations such as the Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the Academy of Facial Esthetics and the Academy of Implant Dentistry.
Fotinos Panagakos, DMD. Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (Yakima, Wash.). In March, Dr. Panagakos was named the founding dean of Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences' upcoming dental school. While working remotely in his new role, Dr. Panagakos is finishing the academic year in his position as an associate dean for research and postdoctoral affairs at the West Virginia University School of Dentistry in Morgantown.
Edward Shellard, DMD. United Concordia Dental. In May, Dr. Shellard was named president of United Concordia Dental. He previously served as chief dental officer for dental software company Carestream Dental.