Dentist/Specialist:
Dr. Jin Xiao

Dr. Jin Xiao has transformed the clinical examination process by pushing the limits of teledentistry and combining teledentistry and artificial intelligence. Dr. Jin Xiao is among the first to incorporate artificial intelligence into existing teledentistry technologies, making teledentistry more effective, productive, and accessible to the communities she serves. This combination has transformed how she screens for dental caries outside a traditional clinic setting, making diagnosing and formulating treatment plans as convenient and accessible as possible.

Dental Hygiene Innovation Winner:
Tiffany Grant, RDH

As an advocate and champion of teledentistry for almost a decade, Tiffany Grant has traveled around the country presenting on the topic of teledentistry and has helped launch several successful teledentistry programs for associations, dental schools, and non-profits throughout the United States. She began delivering teledentistry at the first Missouri pilot program serving schools, nursing homes, and FQHC primary care offices. Tiffany is now using teledentistry in the private practice setting at Green Leaf Dental Care to expand hygiene hours and make dental care more accessible for those in her community.

Dental Organization Innovation Winner:
Apple Tree Dental

Apple Tree Dental has made teledentistry an integral part of their dental services to underserved areas in North Dakota and Minnesota. Their incorporation of teledentistry played a crucial role in their mid-pandemic projects that targeted triaging urgent dental concerns and providing services to children with special needs including autism, developmental delays, and rare genetic conditions that typical dental offices are not comfortable treating. Virtual consultations were crucial to the success of their projects, as Apple Tree Dental recorded increases in pediatric patients seen, reduced wait time for appointments, and more productive in-clinic time. In-office visits were also more accessible to patients and their parents, saving them time, money, missed work time, and the need to arrange for childcare.

Dentist/Specialist:
Dr. Kwane Watson

Dr. Watson has pioneered methods to utilize teledentistry in a way that makes mobile concierge dentistry more effective, productive, and profitable – while also enhancing the experience for patients. He has greatly impacted the city of Louisville, KY with his practice Kare Mobile and continues to be a leader within the community with his outreach and work through his non-profit On-Demand Kare.

Educational Institution:
Harvard School Of Dental Medicine

The disruptive nature of the pandemic provided an opportunity to rethink and redesign courses at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM). Dr. Sahni, a faculty member at HSDM who has been a dentist for over a decade and a half, saw the importance of teledentistry and teaching students about modern treatment options and technology.

Oral Health Program:
Health Ravenswood Family Health Center

In 2012, a grant from San Mateo F5 and a partnership with Arthur A. Dugoni Pacific School of Dentistry, enabled Ravenswood Family Health Center to pilot telehealth services with the goal of increasing access to diagnostic and preventive services. As part of this project, Ravenswood partnered with preschools in the community where services were provided by a dental hygienist. Additionally, Ravenswood implemented synchronous teledentistry visits to provide same-day preventive and diagnostic visits for children 12 months to 3 years of age who were seen in their pediatric medical clinics.

Dental Innovator: Dr. Scott Howell

Dr. Scott Howell has created a robust oral health program at AT Still University/Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH). The program Dr. Howell helped to launch has trained hundreds of students in teledentistry. Students learn about the concept of teledentistry and examine how they can use it to reach a diverse patient population while also evaluating digital records collected via teledentistry. 

Hygiene Innovator: Jingjing Qian RDH, EA

Dental Innovator: Paul Labbe, DDS – Planet Dental

Dr. Labbe is a pediatric dentist with 5 office locations. He uses teledentistry to provide care to underserved children in his community. Teledentistry enables him and his team to conduct dental screenings at local schools and then in turn, provide the parents and guardians with diagnosis and treatment plans with the option to bring their children to one of his offices for restorative treatment.

Oral Health Program Innovator:
MiQuel McRae, RDH – ToothBUDDS

Miquel founded ToothBUDDS, a non-profit
that employs a team of dental hygienists to
provide oral care to underserved children in
her area – Many of which have some form
or oral disease. Miquel and her team
provide education, screenings, cleanings
and fluoride treatments in local school
settings. Thanks to teledentistry, they can
connect children with urgent dental needs
to a local dentist, so they don’t fall through
the cracks.

Dr. Brittany Kinol – Miracle Dental

With two offices in the Pittsburgh area,
Miracle Dental reaches children in a range of settings that are most convenient for them and their families.By coordinating care delivery with Head Start programs, schools, and public insurance carriers, Miracle Dental’s mobile hygienists use teledentistry to deliver preventive care to students in the most convenient way possible.

Liz Best – NYU School of Dentistry

Liz is a grants administrator at the
New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry,
who obtained a Human Resources & Services Administration grant to fund the implementation
of teledentistry technology into the school’s curriculum. Working with TeleDent, NYU has incorporated teledentistry technology into second
year coursework.