10 under 10 Award

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio – 2011

Holding three Bachelor’s degrees, two Master’s degrees, two Doctoral degrees, and currently working on his third, Dr. William Arden’s dental career is just as robust as his academic. Currently in the US Navy FAP program as a Lieutenant Commander, Dr. Arden has both years of private practice and military experience, and has also taken his dental talents internationally. He initiated and planned the first dental summit in Vietnam and spent two months in Rwanda as an Endodontics expert, teaching dental students and implementing a new endodontic curriculum. Dr. Arden is also an avid philanthropist, taking on an almost year-long humanitarian effort where he led a team that treated over 4,000 dental patients and performed 12,000 dental procedures valued at over $1.2 million. Award recipient, publication contributor, and lover of both international and cultural experiences, Dr. Arden is best described as a mentor, pillar in his community, and all-around genuine human being.

Western University of Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine - 2014 

Armed with a passion for individuals with special needs and those who reside in underserved communities, Dr. Wade Banner is the proud owner of a house-call dental practice, In Motion Dentists. Through his practice, Dr. Banner is able to travel to and administer services to those who are unable to be seen in traditional dental offices due to physical and/or mental limitations. Dr. Banner contracts with several Regional Centers in California to provide his house-call dental services in order to reduce the need for IV/GA sedation. He also work with multiple senior living facilities and memory care facilities as well as sees patients in private homes.  All of this enables him to continue his work with patients who have special needs or are medically compromised. When Dr. Banner isn’t practicing, he is an active volunteer at the tri-partite levels, mentor, Board member of the Tri-County Dental Society’s New Dentist Committee and Board of Directors, and enjoys golf, tennis, triathlons, hiking and spending time with his 1-year-old son and his wife, Krystal.

Boston University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts - 2011 

Director of the Samuels Sinclair Dental Center at Rhode Island Hospital, Program Director of the Joseph S. Sinclair General Practice Residency, and International College of Dentists Fellow are just some of the titles used to describe Dr. Elizabeth G. Benz. Dr. Benz teaches dental residents, physicians, nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants in the ER, as well as medical residents in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, ENT, and Plastics departments at Rhode Island Hospital. In addition to her work at the hospital, Dr. Benz manages a multi-million dollar hospital-based practice specializing in intellectually disabled individuals and medically complex patients.  She has procured two grants from Delta Dental of Rhode Island for charitable dental care, equipment, and technology upgrades.  When Dr. Benz is not teaching or practicing, she provides service to an area predental club, volunteers with local elementary schools, acts as ambassador for the Providence College Alumni, and volunteers with the Allyson T. Gibree Foundation and Tomorrow Fund Organization.

University of Detroit-Mercy School of Dentistry – 2014

Dr. Gabriel B. Holdwick is an inspiring example for all dentists. Immediately following his residency, Dr. Holdwick purchased his dental practice, where he leads a team of four employees that sees approximately 1,700 patients. Dr. Holdwick has also introduced surgical implant placement as a new service and has increased collections of the practice by 30% during his first year of ownership. While building his practice, Dr. Holdwick has served at all three levels of the American Dental Association’s tripartite, continued his leadership involvement with the American Student Dental Association, and is the recipient of the Michigan Dental Association’s New Dentist Leadership Award. As a leader, Dr. Holdwick has positioned himself as an example to all dentists. He is active in his community, volunteering with the Grice House Heritage Association and The Harbor Beach Rotary Club, and holds professional affiliations with the American Dental Association, including serving as an ADA Success speaker, and affiliations with the Academy of General Dentistry.

University of Illinois – College of Dentistry - 2012  

Private practice owner, adjunct professor at University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry, husband and father of three, Dr. Brian Homann has seen his practice grow by 200% in only five short years. Together, with his eight member staff, Dr. Homann has expanded and modernized his clinic to include a total of six treatment rooms, which has improved the overall patient experience and allowed for the creation of a Free Dental Day for those in need. In addition to managing his practice, Dr. Homann created a mobile dentistry set-up that serves elderly and disabled patients that cannot leave their homes. He also volunteers to help UIC College of Dentistry students administer free services to underserved populations, and mentors fellow dentists on practice purchase and ownership. Dr. Homann is also a current dental team leader for Refugee One, where he was tasked with starting a dental clinic that serves new refugees from Burma, Bhutan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan and Syria, as they enter the U.S.  

Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health - 2014

Dentist and Public Health advocate, Dr. Scott Howell began his academic and public health career in 2015 at A.T. Still University, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health. Dr. Howell went on to complete a dental public health residency at UT Health San Antonio in 2019 and is currently working to attain specialty status in dental public health. Educator and mentor to many, Dr. Howell has created a teledentistry curriculum for dental students to work with individuals with special needs, the elderly, and those currently in juvenile detention centers. Described as someone “who genuinely cares for his students and community”, Dr. Howell oftentimes stays after hours to meet with students, complete treatment plans for teledentistry patients, and establish partnerships. In addition to his work in the classroom, Dr. Howell is also a member of multiple academic committees and organizations, holds numerous awards, and has lent his time and talents to service initiatives on the state and national level. 

Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine – 2010

With a focus on general and esthetic dentistry, it’s no surprise that Dr. Mina C. Kim was the recipient of the Esthetics Dentistry Award while completing her studies at Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine, and later went on to receive the Prosthodontics award while completing her residency at New York Methodist Hospital. Since completing her studies, Dr. Kim has gone on to become a dentist at Bryant Park Dental Associates, is the Secretary at New York County Dental Society, co-founded the Woman to Woman Dentist Network, was a previous Fellow of the American Dental Association Institute for Diversity and Leadership, and serves on the Dean’s Strategic Advisory Committee at New York University College of Dentistry. Dr. Kim has also guest lectured at Harvard University School of Dental Medicine, been an executive board member on Columbia’s Alumni Association, the founder of the NYCDS Give Kids A Smile Day event, mentor, and has made appearances on daytime talk show, The Dr. Oz Show in 2016 and 2017. Dr. Kim also gives back by providing pro bono dental services to sex trafficking victims, distributes toiletries to the homeless, and more.

Tufts University School of Dental Medicine – 2011

Endodontist, Dr. Rebekah Lucier-Pryles, co-founded Pulp Nonfiction Endodontics, an educational collaborative that provides cutting edge, evidence based endodontic continuing education. Additionally, she is a Postgraduate Department Assistant Clinical Professor at her alma mater, a partner in the Endodontics group practice Upper Valley Endodontics, and teaches at the Harvard University School of Dental Medicine. She has co-written a textbook entitled, Endodontics: A Review, and has been published in Inside Dentistry and the Journal of Periodontics. Dr. Lucier-Pryles has been serving on the Vermont State Dental Society Board since 2016, and is the current Vice President, was an alternate to the American Dental Association House of Delegates in 2019, volunteers her time by providing free dental services in her hometown, holds numerous honors, and lectures nationally and internationally.  

University of Missouri-Kansas City - 2012 

Dr. Ashley Popejoy has made it her mission to use her gifts in a way that serves those who need it most.  Serving as the Director of Pediatric Dentistry at the Jordan Valley Community Health Center in Springfield, Missouri, Dr. Popejoy provides dental services to those from underserved backgrounds, manages staff, develops training protocols, and serves as a liaison and mentor. In addition to her role at the Community Health Center, Dr. Popejoy is the Associate Director of Pediatric Dentistry for NYU-Langone, Board Member and Co-Chair of Programs for the Greater Springfield Dental Society, and current Clinical Director of Special Smiles for Special Olympics of Missouri’. When Dr. Popejoy is not caring for her pediatric patients, she is an avid philanthropist and mother of three.

University of Missouri-Kansas City – 2013

Dr. Nathan Suter, CEO of Access Teledentistry and owner of Green Leaf Dental Care, is a leader and problem solver. After serving as dental director at an FQHC in Jefferson County, Dr. Suter opened his own private practice where he splits his time with his teledentistry consulting company.In partnership with the Missouri Dental Association (MDA), Dr. Suter worked to pass legislation on teledentistry in 2016 and in 2017 started the first teledentistry pilot in Missouri. He has replicated this work with clients that want to utilize teledentistry in private practice, government, non-profit, and group practices. In addition, he has developed a teledentistry training workshop and has spoken nationally on the topic of teledentistry. Dr. Suter is the Board Chair of the Missouri Coalition for Oral Health, is the recipient of the MDA 2019 Dentist of the Year and the ADA Foundation’s Dr. David Whiston Leadership Award. In order to help increase access to dental care for his community he wrote and developed grant projects totaling over $2.8 million and reaching over 9,500 under-served Missourians each year.