Illinois Dentist Selected as Second Vice President of the American Dental Association

CHICAGO, October 30, 2025 — Ben Youel, D.D.S., an orthodontist in Illinois, is the new Second Vice President of the American Dental Association (ADA). Dr. Youel was recently elected at the ADA House of Delegates Meeting at ADA SmileCon™ in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 27.

Dr. Youel has been an engaged member of the ADA for 12 years and is currently on the ADA Finance Committee. He has also been a member of the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs, ADA New Dentist Committee and ADA Council on Membership, plus an ADA House of Delegates Reference Committee member.

“I am committed to strengthening our profession by investing in its future and sharpening our collective focus,” said Dr. Youel, Second Vice President of the ADA for the 2025-2026 term. “I will champion initiatives that build ADA loyalty among dental students and early career dentists — our next generation of leaders. By deepening engagement at the student and early career levels, we can foster a lifelong connection to the ADA that is grounded in mentorship, advocacy and professional growth.”

Currently, Dr. Youel is an Illinois State Dental Society Trustee and an ADA Delegate. He is also a member of the Chicago Dental Society and Illinois Society of Orthodontics.

Dr. Youel has remained active in organized dentistry at the local, state and national levels for his entire career to date. Previously, Dr. Youel served as an Officer of the Chicago Academy of General Dentistry’s (AGD) and was on the AGD’s Dental Practice Council. He was also heavily involved in the American Student Dental Association where he was a Trustee and a Vice President. Dr. Youel was also Consultant to the ADA Council on Dental Practice and to the ADA Council on Dental Benefits Programs.

Dr. Youel earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and completed a hospital-based residency program at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago. After being a general dentist for several years, he went back to UIC to complete a three-year orthodontic residency program. Dr. Youel is also bilingual in English and Spanish and volunteers every month providing free dental care in the Chicagoland area.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his daughter, Genevive, his wife, Maggie, and their dog and cat, Ivy and Anders.

About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing 159,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance has long been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), published monthly, is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA's consumer website MouthHealthy.org.