The American Dental Association 10 Under 10 award honors dentistry’s rising stars: dentists who are giving their all, sparking change and inspiring others – all less than 10 years after graduating from dental school. These winners have established charity events, mentored their peers, testified before lawmakers, helped develop innovative new technologies, steered young people toward careers in dentistry and so, so much more.
They’re the future of the profession and, from what they’ve accomplished so far, the future’s looking bright. After reviewing more than 200 nominations, these are the all-stars who rose to the top:
Dr. Vanessa Benavent
Clarksville , Maryland
University of Maryland, 2009
Dr. Benavent is the 2017-2018 president of the Maryland State Dental Association and teaches at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry in addition to her practice. She has testified numerous times before state legislators on behalf of the dental profession and her passion for dentistry is an inspiration to her colleagues and students. Dr. Benavent received an ADA Foundation Dental Student Scholarship in 2007.
Dr. Jon Copeland
Wildwood, Missouri
University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2009
Dr. Copeland is an active leader in the Missouri Dental Association as well as local civic organizations and has been instrumental in securing donations for charities he supports. He is a key organizer of the MDA’s annual Connect4Success Conference for new dentists and colleagues say he “elicits hope for the future of organized dentistry.”
Dr. Gerald E. Davis II
Nashville, Tennessee
Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, 2011
Dr. Davis has demonstrated incredible dedication to dental education through his work as the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and an assistant professor at Meharry Medical College and as a member of the ADA Test Construction Committee. At Meharry, he worked with Microsoft to make the college a development site for innovative new dental student training technologies.
Dr. Mai-Ly Duong
Mesa, Arizona
T. Still University, 2012
Dr. Duong demonstrates an inspiring passion for philanthropy through the establishment of an annual oral cancer walk to raise awareness and funds for research, as well as her leadership in organizing the annual Day for Special Smiles at ATSU providing free dental care for patients with special needs. She is also a volunteer consultant supporting the ADA Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry, Arizona AGD President-Elect and active in humanitarian volunteer missions.
Dr. Michael Kroll
Lawton, Oklahoma, Army
Case Western University, 2011
Dr. Kroll is a major in the U.S. Army, where he molds dentists straight out of dental school into Army officers and thriving, confident providers as assistant director of the dental residency program at Fort Sill. He also serves as Deputy Consultant to the Army Surgeon General for Comprehensive Dentistry.
Dr. Christine Meiners
San Antonio, Texas
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 2010
Dr. Meiners’s passion for serving the underserved in her community goes beyond her full-time position at Communicare Health Center, as she also offers free dentistry, oral health screenings and oral health education at charitable events each year. She’s an active leader in the San Antonio District Dental Society, National Hispanic Dental Society and Texas AGD boards.
Dr. Hubert J. Park
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Tufts University, 2011
Dr. Park is dedicated to community service and organized dental student participation in the Tufts Sharewood Free Medical Clinic while in school. He has also provided care to needy patients in Boston, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Kenya and Zambia, as well as being an active leader in the Massachusetts Dental Society.
Dr. Kristopher Rappold
New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana State University, 2010
Dr. Rappold is extremely active in local dental associations and was one of the youngest presidents of the New Orleans Dental Society. He founded RappGuard, a company that makes custom athletic mouthguards which he has provided for free to high school sports teams, and has served as team dentist for high school and college teams, as well as in the U.S. Olympic Committee Volunteer Dentist Program.
Dr. Amisha Singh
Aurora, Colorado
University of Colorado, 2015
In addition to her passion for dentistry, Dr. Singh has an impressive entrepreneurial spirit. She speaks five languages, owned and managed a convenience store while in dental school to pay for her education and is a licensed real estate agent in addition to being a practicing dentist and active leader in dental organizations.
Dr. Katie Vincer Sears
Columbus, Ohio
Ohio State University, 2008
Dr. Vincer Sears runs two dental practices in underserved rural areas catering to patients on Medicaid and encourages other dentists to help low-income patients by also accepting Medicaid. She also works with a number of local, national and international charities to provide care to those in need and participated in a World Health Organization mission to Kenya to provide dental care.
Join us in congratulating these outstanding dentists on their accomplishments! Visit ADA.org/10under10 to learn more.
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