Here are more than 100 dentists who made headlines this year:
- Richard Schoessler, DDS, a former ADA trustee and past president of the International College of Dentists, died Nov. 4 at 94.
- Jason Auerbach, DDS, spoke with Becker's about the oral surgery field, why practitioners are wary of DSOs and what he expects for the future of oral surgery.
- M. Frank Beck, DDS, was appointed dean of Northeast Ohio Medical University's upcoming Bitonte College of Dentistry in Rootstown.
- Luke Morgan, DDS, connected with Becker's to discuss what his practice is doing to reduce operating costs.
- Jeremy Krell, DMD, founder and a managing partner of Revere Partners, spoke with Becker's about the company's goals, what they look for in a deal and why the dental industry is attractive to investors.
- Benjamin Kocher, DDS, is moving up the relocation of his West Virginia dental practice after the original building was lost in a Nov. 10 fire.
- Lorin Berland, DDS, spoke with Becker's about three trends in dentistry that are shaping the industry.
- Edward Buford III, DDS, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and healthcare fraud.
- Larry Stone, DDS, spoke with Becker's about why pay is no longer enough to recruit and retain staff.
- Trevor Lines, DDS, of Dentists of Chandler (Ariz.) spoke with Becker's about what he hopes to see from the next generation of dental leaders.
- Mathieu Murphy, DDS, spoke with Becker's about benefits for dentists to move from individual practice ownership to partnering with a DSO.
- Santa Maria McKibbins, DDS, was sentenced to one year in federal prison for tax fraud.
- Michael Egan, DDS, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in federal prison for orchestrating a $1.2 million fraud scheme.
- Chelsea Fosse, DMD, was named director of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's Pediatric Oral Health Research and Policy Center.
- Charles Stamitoles, DDS, was sentenced to nine months in jail for inappropriately touching an employee without her consent.
- Robert Henry Johnson, DDS, believed to be the oldest practicing dentist in the U.S., spoke with CBS affiliate KWTX about why he does not have any plans to retire soon.
- Francisco Ramos-Gomez, DDS, was awarded the Oral Health Service Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- The American Dental Association installed George Shepley, DDS, as its 159th president and named Linda Edgar, DDS, its president-elect.
- Todd Shatkin, DDS, submitted revised plans for construction of a dental school in partnership with Daemen University in Amherst, N.Y., after receiving criticism with his first proposal.
- William Kottemann, DDS, shared with Becker's what he thinks is the biggest roadblock facing new dentists today.
- Barry Jacobson, DMD, along with his company, HQRC Management Services, and 13 affiliated dental practices agreed to pay $753,457 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by allegedly performing and billing for medically unnecessary therapeutic pulpotomies on pediatric patients.
- Theresa Wang, DDS, spoke with Becker's about technology that is improving efficiency and quality of care at dental practices.
- Barry Lyon, DDS, dental director for Dental Care Alliance, spoke with Becker's about how the Great Resignation is harming dentistry.
- Michael Davis, DDS, spoke with Becker's about how he expects rising interest rates to affect the dental industry.
- Charles Rim, DDS, shared with Becker's the area of healthcare he thinks dentistry needs to rely less on.
- Omar Guesmia, DDS, will pay $60,000 to resolve allegations that he and his practice, Gentle Dental Care in Phoenix, N.Y., violated the Controlled Substances Act by allegedly enabling staff to obtain oxycodone for personal use.
- Pamela Sparks-Stein, DMD, was appointed dean of the University of Pikeville's (Ky.) upcoming College of Dental Health.
- Angelina Franklin, DDS, shared with Becker's why she expects to see a rise in boutique dentistry.
- Pediatric dentist and researcher Jacqueline Burgette, DMD, PhD, was named a White House fellow in the Office of the National Cyber Director.
- Clear aligner company Candid hired Lou Shuman, DMD, as executive consultant and chief development officer and Brian Gray, DDS, as chief dental officer.
- Franklin Woo, DDS, spoke with Becker's about the advantages and disadvantages of private equity in dentistry.
- Hisham Barakat, DDS, chief clinical officer of Miami-based Guardian Dentistry Partners, spoke with Becker's about the DSO's growth and its goals for the future.
- Mario Samaniego, DDS, spoke with Becker's about President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan and how he thinks it will affect dental schools.
- Marnie Oakley, DMD, was appointed interim dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.
- Payam Ataii, DMD, was appointed senior vice president of orthodontic support of Chicago-based DSO Aspen Dental.
- David Lustbader, DMD, completed the world's first full arch robotic dental implant using Neocis' Yomi-Go workflow.
- The Rochester (N.Y.) Amerks hockey team and Highland Hospital in Rochester cut ties with Nicholas Nicosia, DDS, after he and his wife were accused of hosting a racist and misogynistic Juneteenth party at their home.
- Lily Garcia, DDS, joined Texas A&M University College of Dentistry as its new dean in October.
- Domenick Zero, DDS, was given the 2022 Norton M. Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research by the American Dental Association.
- Elizabeth Andrews, DDS, was appointed dean at the Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine in Pomona, Calif.
- E. Dianne Rekow, DDS, PhD, a leader in the development of digital dentistry and board member at Henry Schein, died Aug. 11.
- Matt Carlston, DMD, vice president of marketing and partner recruitment for Lakewood, Colo.-based Comfort Dental, spoke with Becker's Aug. 11 about the advice he would give to new dentists and more.
- Rajdeep Randhawa, DDS, spoke with Becker's about how inflation is affecting dentistry and what it will mean for future practice owners.
- Michael Webb, DDS, was awarded the Jasper L. Lewis Jr. Distinguished Professorship in Pediatric Dentistry by the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine in Greenville, N.C.
- Gary Moore, DDS, spoke with Becker's about how a potential recession could affect the dental industry.
- Kaz Rafia, DDS, was appointed chief health equity officer at the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.
- Dalal Alhajji, DMD, spoke with Becker's about the importance of having a dentist be a member of the cancer treatment team and the benefits of integrating dental into that process.
- Tiberiu Sfintescu, DDS, was sentenced to 45 days in jail for attempting to forcibly touch a patient.
- Joshua Gish, DDS, senior vice president of clinical affairs and head of oral surgery for New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Dental365, spoke with Becker's about the DSO's growth this year ahead of its 100th office opening.
- Everod Coleman, DMD, was appointed chief dental officer at Spectrum Community Health Center in Philadelphia.
- Don Flanagan, DDS, agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle allegations that he submitted false claims for dental services to TennCare, Tennessee's Medicaid program.
- Erin Bumann, DDS, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry, was awarded the Gold Medal Fellowship by the American Dental Association.
- Massachusetts dentist Mouhab Rizkallah, DDS, gathered enough signatures to establish a ballot question asking voters to change the way dental billing in the state is structured.
- Michael Lozman, DDS, was appointed to the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad by President Joe Biden.
- André Ritter, DDS, PhD, was appointed dean of the University of Washington School of Dentistry in Seattle.
- Zack Studstill, DMD, was named the recipient of the American Dental Association's 2022 Distinguished Service Award.
- Mark Youngker, DDS, said he plans to increase security measures at his Oklahoma dental practice after an unknown person crashed their car into a pillar outside his dental office and threw a brick through the practice's window, causing more than $1,000 in damages.
- Mark Fontenot, DDS, and Daniel German, DDS, spoke with Becker's about the roadblocks facing DSOs.
- Michael Campeau, DDS, was one of several dentists in Michigan urging lawmakers to improve conditions under the state's Medicaid program during ongoing budget negotiations to fix what they are calling a "crisis" situation.
- Lee Ann Brady, DMD, became the first woman to be inducted into the Pankey Institute's Master Hall, an organization honoring dentists who have mastered dentistry skills and contributed to the industry, institute and community.
- Leslie Fish, DDS, and LisaMarie Sarhangian, DDS, MD, reached more than 1,500 completed dental implants with the Yomi robot at their practice in Chandler, Ariz.
- Faraz Farahnik, DDS, was one of two dental professionals credited with saving a hospital June 3 after a man entered the building and stabbed two nurses and an emergency department physician.
- Derald Geddes, DDS, was sentenced to five years in prison for federal income tax evasion of more than $1.8 million and obstructing the IRS' efforts to collect the money.
- Dave Preble, DDS, was promoted to chief strategy officer for the American Dental Association.
- Michael Glick, DMD, was named the International Dentist of the Year by the Academy of Dentistry International.
- Roshan Parikh, DDS, and Peter Chien, DMD, shared with Becker's how the pandemic has changed the dental industry.
- Traci Portnoff, DMD, spoke with Becker's about the most valuable skill every leader should have.
- Robert Trager, DDS, and Lee Harris, DDS, spoke with Becker's about whether dentists feel fairly compensated.
- Kristine Oladipo, DDS, was honored with the 2021 Richard C. Pugh Achievement Award from the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry for scoring in the top 3 percent in last year's qualifying examinations.
- Patrick Lloyd, DDS, was selected to be dean of the Stony Brook (N.Y.) University School of Dental Medicine.
- Rebecca Moazzez, PhD, began leading the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry's new Center for Innovation and Translation in San Francisco.
- Jan Ching Chun Hu, PhD, was appointed interim dean of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in Ann Arbor.
- Anibal Diogenes, DDS, PhD, became the first dentist to be named a Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.
- Brandon James, DMD, Cyrus Lee, DMD, and Bradley Dykstra, DDS, spoke with Becker's about technology that is moving the dental industry forward.
- Janet Guthmiller, DDS, PhD, was appointed dean of the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill.
- Mahesh Dholariya, DDS, began offering dental assisting classes at his practice in Georgetown, Texas, to help meet the demand for dental assistants in the area.
- William Simon, DMD, spoke with Becker's about what is contributing to the nationwide shortage of dental hygienists and what can be done to solve it.
- Wendell Edgin, DDS, who served as president of several dental organizations and formerly served as a consultant to the U.S. surgeon general, retired after 42 years of practice.
- Ghali Ghali, DDS, MD, was given the Distinguished Service Award from the Louisiana Dental Association.
- Shalin Patel, DMD, chief medical officer at Dallas-based DSO Deca Dental Group, gave advice to graduating dental students at the Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry in Jackson.
- Roshan Parikh, DDS, president of New York City-based DSO Dntl Bar, spoke with Becker's about how the pandemic affected the growth of his practice.
- Robert Trager, DDS, spoke with Becker's about why practice ownership is declining.
- Douglas Peterson, DMD, became the first person with a dental degree to be named a fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
- John Lansky, DDS, retired and closed his practice in Randolph, Vt., leaving local Medicaid patients with few options to receive care, Valley News reported April 8.
- Jun Ho Lee, DDS, partnered with two engineers from the University of California Merced to create a retainer that detects dental occlusions.
- Donald Brockley, DMD, agreed to pay $30,000 and take corrective actions to comply with HIPAA's right-of-access standard after failing to provide a patient with a copy of their medical record.
- Laurie McCauley, DDS, PhD, was appointed university provost and vice president of academic affairs of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
- Fotinos Panagakos, DMD, was named the founding dean of Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences' upcoming dental school in Yakima, Wash.
- Tara Peterson, DDS, a dentist from White Bear Lake, Minn., participated in the Winter Olympics on the U.S. National Curling Team.
- Brandon James, DMD, spoke with Becker's about how his patient interactions have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Rania Saleh, DDS, founder of dental software company Oryx Dental, was appointed to the advisory board of the Women in DSO nonprofit.
- Andrew Browar, DDS, and Taisa Browar, DDS, are gathering supplies to donate to oral surgeons in Ukraine.
- Huzefa Kapadia, DDS, spoke with Becker's about how he uses TikTok to connect with viewers on oral healthcare.
- Kim Martin, DMD, president of the New Mexico Dental Association, has donated $25,000 to the Texas Tech University Hunt School of Dental Medicine in El Paso.
- Aleksey Kozlov, DMD, of Cedar Crest, N.M., organized relief efforts to benefit people affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict after a family member was killed during an attack.
- Susan Rowan, DDS, was named interim dean of the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry, effective April 1.
- Victoria Alexander, DDS, of Lacrosse, Wis., partnered with Gundersen Health System to gather medical supply donations for Ukraine.
- Hyuk-Jae Edward Kwon, DDS, PhD, was among five recipients of Colgate's 2022 Award for Research Excellence grants.
- Michael DiTolla, DDS, and George Zehak, DDS, were given the Gordon J. Christensen Lecturer Recognition Award and Chicago Dental Society Foundation Vision Award, respectively, at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting Feb. 25.
- Aaleeyah Alim, DMD, Zainab Mackie, DDS, Ryan Savage, DDS, and Ben Winters, DDS, are using social media platforms to spread oral healthcare information to the public.
- Craig Spodak, DMD, was added as a faculty member with New York City-based teledentistry company Candid to advance use of the company's clear aligners nationwide.
- David Yang, DMD, a dentist in Flagstaff, Ariz., gave himself a dental implant Feb. 15 using robot-assisted technology.
- Sage Dental's Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer Cindy Roark, DMD, joined Harvard School of Dental Medicine's board of fellows Feb. 16.
- American Dental Association President Cesar Sabates, DDS, and Executive Director Raymond Cohlmia, DDS, wrote a letter to the National Toxicology Program asking it to ensure statements made in its upcoming fluoride report are based on scientific evidence.
- James Guggenheimer, DDS, a professor emeritus of oral medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, died Jan. 27 at age 85.
- Benjamin Burris, DDS, was sentenced to a year in federal prison for his role in a corruption scheme involving a former state senator.
- Jack W. Clinton, DMD, dean emeritus of Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry in Portland died Jan. 3.
- Nader Nadershahi, DDS, dean of the University of the Pacific's Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, was selected to serve on the Health Workforce Education and Training Council in California.
- Ray Khouri, DDS, founder and CEO of United Dental Corp, shared with Forbes five rules dentists should consider before joining a DSO.
- Lyndon Cooper, DDS, PhD, was named dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry in Richmond.
- Lionel Gold, DDS, an oral surgeon who was the former chair of the oral and maxillofacial surgery department at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, died Dec. 21 of heart disease.
- Mohamed Maksoud, DMD, a lecturer at the Harvard University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, was the first dentist chosen for the Fulbright Specialist Program by the U.S. State Department's bureau of educational and cultural exchanges.
- Jeffrey Dalin, DDS, co-founder of the Give Kids a Smile program, was given the American Dental Association's 2022 Humanitarian Award.
- Alison Freeman, DMD, began leading Beyond Dental Health, a new dental brand formed by the merging of three Massachusetts practices.
- Jason White, DDS, of Lubbock, Texas, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for the production of child pornography.
- Maxwell Finn, DDS, MD, stepped down from the U.S. Oral Surgery Management board of directors and was replaced by Vincent Perciaccante, DDS.
- Clark Stanford, DDS, PhD, stepped down from his position as dean of the University of Illinois-Chicago College of Dentistry in April to join the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in Iowa City as its next dean.