Debra Engelhardt-Nash

	History records women in dentistry as early as the mid-1800s, when Lucy Beaman Hobbs Taylor became the first woman dentist in 1864. She was denied access to education because of her gender, learned dentistry with the help of a mentor, through apprenticeship and eventually graduated from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery. (She later went on to train her husband to become a dentist.)

	The first dental assistants were recognized as “Ladies in Attendance” in the same century. Emeline Roberts Jones assisted her husband before becoming a dentist and Dr. C. Edmund Kells hired young Malvina Cueria to help him in his office in 1885. In 1906, Alfred C. Fones trained his assistant, Irene Newman to scale and polish teeth, and titled her dental hygienist. Irene is considered to be the first hygienist, and Fones went on to train others.

	152 years since the first female dentist, more than one half of dental school graduates are women and the predictions indicate that percentage will continue to increase. Since 2006, there have been four women ADA presidents and many others in leadership roles at state and local levels, as well as guiding other dental organizations. Women across our industry continue to drive change and deliver success through their professional and personal endeavors.  

	In 2009, Dental Products Report responded to the increase of women in our profession--those in dental practices, manufacturing, research and education, laboratories and key opinion leaders such as speakers and consultants. DPR established an annual recognition for the Top 25 Women In Dentistry to acknowledge their influence and leadership in our profession.

	Four years ago, the process of selecting honorees was generated through nomination by peers, colleagues and others who understood and appreciated their contributions to the industry. This year’s recipients are more than deserving of being named Top Women In Dentistry for 2016. This list is comprised of women who have the passion and skills to be empowered and to empower others through motivation, wisdom and proven success.

	Many of them have taken their passion and commitment for the profession beyond their vocation. Some have formed nonprofit organizations for a dental cause, others volunteer for programs such as Give Back a Smile and donate their time and service to missions and local dental vans and clinics.

	Among this year’s honorees are program chairs and executive directors for major dental meetings, dental artists and clinical pioneers. They are all thought leaders and innovators who strive to make our work and our world a better place.
	And these women are wives, mothers (and grandmothers!) sisters, aunts and friends. I’m certain they seek to live rewarding lives inside and outside of their work. They love and nurture those with whom they live and work--whether it is a colleague, a student or an audience. And they do this while they balance work and family, company meetings and dance recitals, school plays and convention floors. And that makes them a top woman in dentistry and in life.

	Many of those listed, I have the privilege to call friends. Being around them makes me be more, and strive harder. They inspire, they collaborate and they seek to grow the profession together. It is an honor to be among their ranks.

	Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook said, “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”
	I believe these honorees have done just that. These women have made a difference in the lives of the people they have touched, and made our profession a little better for it. Congratulations to the Top Women in Dentistry for 2016.

Read the profile for honoree Dr. Jenine Arab O'Malley on the next page

	When it comes to cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Jenine O’Malley is at the top of her game and still climbing. After practicing for more than 20 years, Dr. O’Malley has perfected her craft, incorporating a blend of artistic sensitivity and technical ability in order to perform a full spectrum of dental services, from cosmetic bonding to full mouth reconstruction. She also strives to apply new technologies and scientific applications to her practice, which has enabled her to focus on non-invasive restoration of esthetics and attrition.

	“The greatest pleasure of my practice comes from seeing the positive changes in patients’ self-confidence when they look and feel better after getting a natural and beautiful smile that blends seamlessly with their dentition,” Dr. O’Malley says. “Most of the patients that seek my care are frustrated and embarrassed, and some are desperately looking for an attainable solution to improve their smile. Even changing someone’s smile in a procedure as simple as filling an undesirable space can change someone’s life. If a patient is unhappy with their teeth, they become self-conscious and reluctant to smile. It can profoundly impact their personal, professional and social life.”

	As is true for many dental professionals, finding balance between running her dental practice, raising a family, spending time with friends, and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle is a challenge for Dr. O’Malley. On top of those things, she has pursued the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry accreditation process which, however worthwhile, was a particularly rigorous and time-consuming endeavour.

	She believes that it is important to invest in herself as a professional in order to succeed, but outside of that she feels it is equally important to be committed to investing in her communities. To that end, Dr. O’Malley has worked to find channels to give back to those in need through dentistry.

	“I have launched the Give Back A Smile program where I work with the YMCA to restore extensively broken down teeth of victimized patients, thereby restoring smiles and confidence to these women in need,” she says. “I also advocate the importance of tooth preservation. I have provided humanitarian aid through a Global Brigades mission to needy communities. I brought my own dental material and taught many restorative techniques to mission workers as an alternative to extraction, paving the way for positive, sustainable change.”

	Outside of running her practice, her personal life, and her attributions to the dental community, Dr. O’Malley’s day-to-day work can be consuming. Because most of her patient’s smiles are reconstructed with direct bonding, the artistry is performed in the chair and the time required can vary significantly. So scheduling appointments and knowing how much time to dedicate to each procedure can be especially tricky, but she is determined to overcome each obstacle and to let her passion shine through with every case.

	“No matter if it’s in profession, family or life, the catalyst for success is passion,” she says. “My most significant accomplishments in dentistry stem from my compassion to provide my patients with the best quality care. Passion empowers me to set a vision, and gives me the motivation, perseverance and determination to make my vision a reality.”

Read the profile for honoree Dr. Tracey Nguyen on the next page

	When it comes to her work, Dr. Tracey Nguyen considers herself to be more than a dentist. She also loves the opportunity to promote self-esteem, and that’s something that makes her even more proud and motivated to come to work every day.

	“I love restoring my patients’ confidence and bridging the gap of dentistry and medicine. I want to break the barrier and make the community aware of the dentist’s role in overall health awareness,” she says. “With all the new data on oral health awareness, we should be more involved in the new wellness models; we now have a unique opportunity to educate patients.”

	When Dr. Nguyen graduated dental school, she was focused on restoring teeth, but since then her attention has been broadened to the patient’s overall health. With more recent studies linking oral and tooth health to conditions like heart disease, she feels a responsibility to her patients and the health of their entire body, instead of just their teeth. Her relationships with patients and other medical professionals have evolved thanks to the industry’s emphasis on bodily health starting with oral health. Now, she refers children to pediatric sleep centers when she can’t see the back of a child’s throat, for instance, or she conducts DNA testing if a patient’s periodontal condition does not improve.

	“I had a female patient with a blood pressure of 180/110. She was adamant that that’s not her normal blood pressure. At her next visit, three months later at her next periodontal visit, it was 169/111,” she recalls. “We had an intense conversation about her risk factors. She went to her primary care physician, and everyone confirmed that she was high-risk hypertension patient. She is currently being treated with medication and under a strict oral health disinfection protocol. I feel like I’m saving lives now.”

	
	After practicing for 14 years and watching the industry change and flow over her 22 years in the field of dentistry, her favorite part of the journey has always been developing relationships with her patients and her team. To her, having a genuine interest in the well-being of your team and patients leads to a connection and rapport that she has come to cherish.

	But her job isn’t easy. Keeping up with the ins and out of a busy office, ever-changing health and dental insurance policies, and keeping her patients’ best interests at heart becomes a delicate balancing act. Take those factors and add them to the reluctance of the medical community to partner with dental professionals for their patients’ care, and Dr. Nguyen has her work cut out for her. Luckily, she has a support system of friends and family that make the difficult days easier.

	“We all need cheerleaders. I mean, you can’t be perfect all the time,” she advises. “We all have failures. The most successful people in the world have the most failures. You need that group of friends to pick you up. You also need friends around you that are going to give you constructive criticism. You need people around you that will be honest and tell you when you are wrong and how to improve and, most importantly, encourage and motivate you to get back up and do it again.”

Read the profile for honoree Dr. Traci Portnoff on the next page

	Dr. Traci Portnoff is a dentist, but that isn’t the only facet of her life she feels is important. She is also a mother, a daughter, a friend, a volunteer and a businesswoman, and to her, this equation has contributed greatly to her success as a dental professional.

	For the first half of her career, Dr. Portnoff worked at Massachusetts General Hospital in the dental residency program. While in that position she maintained a dental practice within the hospital while serving as a mentor and instructor for the general practice residents. Then, in 2006, she took a leap of faith and bought a relatively small existing dental practice near her hometown, and she’s been committed to growing her practice and educating her team and her patients for more than 10 years.

	“I’ve never been one to rest on my laurels, and I’m always striving to both learn as well as to educate,” she says. “I hold high standards of our ever-growing dental team. Even though I was no longer teaching in a hospital setting, I committed to educating my patients as well as my team. Additionally, I am extremely committed to advanced education for myself.”

	In early 2016, Dr. Portnoff purchased another local practice and brought the two practices together to open Cornerstone Dental Care on the Commons in Westborough, Massachusetts. She is proud to have fostered her team of 17 women, three of whom are dentists, into a community of support and encouragement.

	Dr. Portnoff is also involved in the Massachusetts Dental Society where she served as the chair of The Women in Dentistry committee since 2011 as well as a program co-chair for the Yankee Dental Congress held in Boston every January. In 2018 she will serve as the general chair for the Yankee Dental Congress and will be able to give her commitment to education and organized dentistry an even bigger voice.

	“I believe your thoughts create your reality,” Dr. Portnoff says. “If you focus your energy on what you lack, or can’t do, guess what? You’ll get more of that negativity. So, instead of holding tight to your limits, keep your happiness, your goals, what you really want close to your chest and you’ll get more of it. Nurture and feed your light, not your darkness. You don’t have to do it alone.”

	Her advice to other women in the industry? Have confidence. In her career, the ability to take risks has been key in her success. She’s never been one to worry about the judgment and perception of others in making her own decisions. Instead she found mentors to learn from and she built a support network that would lift her up and help her succeed.

	“Don’t let someone else’s perception of you become how you see yourself,” she advises. “And, don’t get caught in the trap that everything needs to be perfect, or nothing will ever get done. Don’t be afraid of not succeeding; be more afraid of not trying something and living with regret.”

Read the profile for honoree Dr. Rabab Sabbahi on the next page

	Dr. Rabab Sabbahi is a dentist, but for her the job means much more than what it looks like on paper. Dr. Sabbahi is a practice owner, a team leader and she takes care of people and helps restore their overall health through their smile and oral health.

	“The best part of my job is the ability to serve people,” she says of her work. “The fulfillment I feel when I can take a person in pain or who is deathly afraid of the dentist and take them out of pain, or just make their experience with me more pleasurable, is immeasurable. I love that I can literally change something immediately using my hands. I can have a direct effect on somebody’s life.”

	Over the course of her career, Dr. Sabbahi has been able to take her career on the road a few times and take part in mission trips or days of service. To her, that’s been the best part of her career in dentistry. Her missions work inspired her to open their office one day for a “free dental day” event where they saw patients who could not afford to get dental treatment. They saw more than 100 patients that day.

	“It was such an incredible event, and to know that we have the honor to offer that to the community is priceless,” Dr. Sabbahi says of the experience.

	She also does a lot of work with local refugee families who have very little knowledge about dental health and have not had the privilege of receiving routine dental care. Her staff does its best to inform the patients as well as to treat some of them.

	While Dr. Sabbahi appreciates the ability she has in her career to do things like missions and parent her two daughters under the age of three, it isn’t always easy. According to her, staying up to date on all of the new and changing information in the industry is a constant challenge.

	“It’s called a ‘practice’ because you are always learning and growing,” she says. “There is so much to learn and so many courses to take. I always want to be the best at what I do. I want to offer the best services and the most precise treatments. When you are working with so many different people you can’t always make people happy and that’s hard to swallow sometimes.”

	As a woman in this industry, and as a female dentist in particular, Dr. Sabbahi feels that it’s important to be humble enough to learn from those who are great at what they do, but be confident and fierce enough to stick to what you know is right, especially as a woman. To her, women are sometimes seen as easily manipulated to do things in certain ways.

	“As the doctor you are in a position of power and you have a responsibility to your patients and to yourself,” she says. “It’s important to know who is worthy of learning from and when you need to stand your ground and do what you have been taught is right. That takes humility and confidence.”

Read the profile for honoree Dr. Mary Kathryn Shields on the next page

	From a young age, Dr. Mary Kathryn Shields knew that dentistry was her calling, and today she considers the first five years of what she hopes to be a long career to have been a challenging but fun adventure. Dr. Shields and her husband own a general dentistry practice in Louisville, Kentucky where the practice has just celebrated its fourth anniversary. While her husband is passionate about implant surgery, advanced bone grafting techniques and full mouth rehabilitation, she herself is more enthusiastic when it comes to the cosmetic cases and treating the pediatric and restorative needs of their patients.

	“There has never been a moment I have regretted that leap of faith: starting a practice from scratch in a market that dental consultants advised was ‘saturated,’” Dr. Shields said. “I love the relationships I have built with my patients and staff. I really don’t consider it a ‘job’ at this point; I view my daily routine as a privilege I have worked really hard for.”

	Within the dental community Dr. Shields also works to serve a niche she believes is often overlooked and at times misunderstood. She is currently in the process of becoming a diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Odontology. She will become one of only 100 board-certified forensic odontologists in the world. As a forensic odontologist, she works to identify human remains that are either too decomposed or burned beyond recognition, perform age estimations and offer an opinion on patterned injuries as to whether they could be consistent with a bitemark.

	As a mother of two, owning a practice and training as an odontologist while keeping time with her family a priority can be challenging, but Dr. Shields was determined from day one to keep the balance, and she has through a few unorthodox practices.
	“My son, Stone, was only eight weeks old when I opened my dental practice,” she says. “Fortunately, since I owned my practice, I could bring him to the office when I felt it would be manageable. I did the same thing when my daughter, Scarlett, was born. I worried patients would think it was unprofessional or too much of a distraction but the feedback was so positive. Most patients were actually disappointed once they started going to a childcare center. Now that our family is complete and we have a routine, life is getting a bit easier which is great especially since the practice is in a rapid growth phase.”

	As a working mother herself, Dr. Shields looks up to other working mothers as her role models. She herself is a third generation working mother and she’s inspired by her mother and grandmother who both worked hard to provide for their families. Her own mother, who earned her Master’s degree while Dr. Shields was in grade school, set a great example through her life and Dr. Shields hopes to be as inspiring to her own children throughout their lives.

Read the profile for honoree Dr. Beth Silverman on the next page

	From a very young age, Dr. Beth Silverman wanted to become a dentist-so much so that when her best friend had a loose tooth, she would extract it. She started working in a dental office while in high school as a receptionist, but as time went on she became bored with administrative work and began to train under the doctor as a chairside assistant. From there her love of dentistry really took off.

	She attended dental school at Temple University School of Dentistry and afterwards, she worked in a pediatric practice as a general dentist. Today, Dr. Silverman is a dentist at Lakeview Dental in Horsham, Pennsylvania in the suburbs of Philidelphia. She’s been with the practice for 16 years and she’s proud to have had the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with both her patients and her colleagues.

	“I consider myself to be a true family dentist, treating patients of all ages,” Dr. Silverman says. “I take pride in my honesty and integrity while presenting the best treatment for my patients. I am an upbeat and outgoing person so I like to convey that in my work. I try to make my patients as comfortable as possible along the way.”

	As a dentist, Dr. Silverman has always tried to maintain a balance between her professional life and her personal life. She has been married for 27 years to her husband Stewart Finkelstein and she has a 23-year-old son named Lee. She’s happy in her position as an associate dentist because it allows her the flexibility and confidence to maintain a life outside of work.

	Dr. Silverman believes that your attitude affects your work and those working around you, so she tries to stay positive. She makes a conscious effort to come to work every day with a sunny disposition that helps those she’s in contact with feel the same way. She’s determined, goal-oriented and always willing to take on a challenge whether it be a frightened child or even a difficult adult.

	“I think I have developed this attitude as I am a two-time cancer survivor,” she says. “I have always maintained a positive attitude and definitely believe laughter is the best medicine. I also am very thankful for my supportive family both at home and at the office. They have kept me going all these years.”

	As a woman in a male-dominated profession, Dr. Silverman hopes to inspire other women to pursue their goals.

	“Over the years I’ve had young women who have shadowed me. I try to instill in them the motivation to follow their dreams and be persistent,” she says. “Some of those people have gone on to become dentists, that really makes me feel great.”

	As for that friend whose teeth she used to extract way back when? She remains one of Dr. Silverman’s most faithful patients, as well as a long-time friend.

Read the profile for honoree Dr. Whitney Weiner on the next page

	As a periodontist, Dr. Whitney Weiner specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of periodontal condition and the placement of dental implants. As a surgeon, she works to reduce the level of inflammation in a patient’s mouth as research continues to show the downstream systemic effects of chronic oral inflammation. She’s studied how genetics contribute to a patient’s risk profile of developing periodontitis and how oral health effects a person’s overall health and she’s dedicated to passing that knowledge down to her team as well as to her patients and their families.

	“I know it sounds cliché or corny but truly the best part of my job is helping people,” Dr. Weiner says. “I think that is what drives all of us healthcare providers. Having the ability to impact our patient’s quality, and perhaps even quantity, of life, is what makes me excited when I get up in the morning and head to the office.”

	For Dr. Weiner, periodontics is just the right amount of surgical risk. She knows that she will be helping her patients without making life and death calls. This allows her the freedom to be a quality surgeon without sacrificing the other roles she plays in her life as a wife, daughter, mother and friend. Her profession affords her the opportunity to have a healthy balance of professional and personal success and not have to sacrifice too much of one at the expense of the other.

	“I can be a great mom and wife and a partner at a high-powered specialty office too,” she says. “This was always my dream, to partner in a premiere practice that provides the highest level of care and compassion to our patients, and it is so rewarding seeing that dream beginning to be realized.”

	But, as any dental professional working in a busy office would understand, that balance isn’t always easy to maintain. Dr. Weiner considers this the infancy of her career, so she realizes the need to build a legacy while making herself known in the dental community.

	“There are never enough hours in the day to do it all. I could spend a lifetime trying to go out and personally meet every dentist in our referral zone, but that would be at the sacrifice of my family,” she states. “So for me, the hardest thing is delegating responsibility. I am a self-admitted, type-A perfectionist so it is not easy for me to give up the reigns.”

	Luckily, with the help of her business partner, she’s been able to create a team that gets the job done and makes her feel comfortable in allowing them to take charge and run their respective divisions of the company.

	Dr. Weiner attributes her success to her family and their support. She was inspired to become a dentist by her grandfather, a well-known and beloved part of the community and dentist for more than 50 years.

	“Life is all about choices,” she shares. “As long as you believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who believe in you and push you to be your best version of yourself, the sky is the limit. It is essential that we all remember this and that really, we have the ability to make these choices for ourselves. It is choice and not sacrifice that should drive our decision making process.”

Read the profile for honoree Jan Babel on the next page

	Jan Babel leads a medium-sized dental lab in Northern Michigan and she considers it an honor to create smiles for her team of exceptional dentists. For Babel and her team, it’s empowering to create dental restorations that have the potential to be life changing for patients.

	“It is a wonderful feeling when a client calls to tell you that they just seated a case for a patient and there were tears and hugs and a beautiful smile,” she says. “You know that you and your team played a huge part in making that happen.”

	Babel began her dental career in the administrative arena, performing accounting functions and office management. Then, in 1991, the laboratory she worked for purchased a laboratory management software package and she accepted the challenge of installing and implementing the system. At that point Babel didn’t have a firm grip on the workings of a dental laboratory except for the limited exposure through office management, so she dove in headfirst and has never looked back.

Articles

Now in its seventh year of recognizing exceptional women in the dental industry, Dental Products Report is thrilled to present the Top 25 Women in Dentistry for 2016. Past honoree Debra Engelhardt-Nash shares her story, while writer Anna Sachs profiles these 25 exceptional women in the dental industry.

Meet the Dental Products Report Top 25 Women in Dentistry for 2016

	The level of service your practice gives its clients has a direct impact on your financial results, and it’s more than the number of procedures performed or patient billings.

	Brilliant service is most often your primary demonstration of the quality of care you provide. It is what sets your practice apart. It’s why your patient chooses you and your treatment. It’s the essential factor in creating client loyalty.

Related reading: Why service beats product and why that matters in your dental practice

	Brilliant service is all around us. Look at Nordstrom, Starbucks, Ritz-Carlton and Southwest Airlines. When you consistently provide brilliant service, you and your practice differentiate yourselves as individuals within the practice and as a practice within the marketplace.

	Employees who follow service standards by rote rarely create memorable moments for their clients. People who passionately believe in their product and service and are encouraged to think about the quality experience for their patients are creative, innovative and proactive. Brilliant service comes from the heart and the head.

	Click through the following slideshow for five ideas to ensure your team creates a quality experience for your patients.

	1. Teach the people who take care of the client.

	A study of 3,000 organizations by the University of Pennsylvania showed a 10 percent investment in capital improvements boosts productivity by 3.9 percent while the same 10 percent investment in developing people increases productivity by 8.5 percent.

	According to the American Society of Training and Development, organizations spending an average of $900 per employee on learning had 57 percent higher net sales and 37 percent higher gross profits.

	Singapore Airlines spends $100 million annually on training. It’s the largest single component of the company’s budget.

	“Starbucks is not an advertiser; people think we are a great marketing company, but in fact we spend very little money on marketing and more money on training our people than advertising," said Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO of Starbucks.

	Training the team yields measurable results.

	Train each team member to take responsibliity for finding a solution for the patients’ problem. Teach them how to avoid quoting “office policy” as an excuse. Build confidence among team members and teach them how to “think on their feet,” knowing the desired outcome and how they can achieve a win/win situation for the practice and the patient.

Related reading: 9 ways to improve your dental practice's customer service skills

	3. Ask the team what it needs to consistently create a quality patient experience.

	Maintain quality at the core of all patient care. Conduct team meetings to review customer service cues in your practice. For every system there must be a customer service discussion to address office protocols in “patient speak.” What do the patients need to hear to understand how your systems convey your quality of care and your service to your patients?

	Provide time for your team to ask questions and learn the philosophy behind doing what you do. Help them understand the benefits of your standards so they can talk to the patients with service brilliance.

	We spend 85 percent of our time in patient interaction and 15 percent of our time in actual clinical application. More training in communication skills may be needed in your practice to improve team skills.

	4. Learn how “others” are doing it both inside and outside of the industry.

	Attend continuing education courses together to learn new skills. Learn the latest in state-of-the-art technology and innovative ideas to improve efficiency.

	Go on a “field trip” to watch exceptional customer service in action. Instruct your team to watch for great customer service, as well as poor customer service and report their observations in a team meeting. Conduct a team meeting to create your own quality service cues for your practice.

More on customer service: 4 ways to innovate your dental practice without breaking the bank

	5. Treat team members as the quality of person they are.

	Ritz-Carlton has a saying, “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” Treat team members the way your practice wants them to treat the patients. When you help them feel respected, valued and cared for, they will treat the patient in kind.

	Model the attitude and behaviors you want your team to exemplify when taking care of patients. Set team members up for success by equipping them with the proper tools to provide brilliant service. This might take the form of more continuing education, more team meetings or personal growth conferences.

	Training is one of the best investments to ensure practice growth. If cost consideration is a factor, imagine what it costs the practice when the team is not adequately trained. Team inefficienes and ineffectiveness affects practice revenue. Train the people who take care of your patients. Invest in what makes a significant difference in your practice and reap the rewards.

Click through the following slideshow for five ideas to ensure your team creates a quality experience for your patients.