As the transforming dental market experiences another year of disruption and flat spending, more power players are emerging from outside the operatory. And with dental company valuations down, new investors smell opportunity—and they're betting on a coming dental boom.
PITTSTON, Pa., July 14, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- For the ninth consecutive year, Incisal Edge magazine has released its definitive ranking of dentistry's most impactful thought leaders, innovative clinicians, bold disruptors and powerhouse executives. Read the full list on IncisalEdgeMagazine.com or browse the complete digital edition.
The 32 Most Influential for 2025—one entry for every tooth—reflects several key shifts. Public companies, once buoyed by high market caps and rapid industry growth, are being eclipsed by privately owned enterprises. As valuations dip, outside investors are seizing the opportunity to buy into public dental companies, betting big on dentistry's seemingly endless ability to rebound. Meanwhile, large dental service organizations, or DSOs, are facing headwinds, while smaller and mid-sized DSOs are proving more agile and drawing interest from private equity thanks in part to their tighter operational control and adaptability.
The upshot? About one-third of the entries on this year's list are first-timers. That means a substantial number have been displaced. And only one of the top five is a dentist.
Among the 11 new entries breaking into the rankings are:
- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (#1): The secretary of Health and Human Services is a polarizing figure. Is he a disruptor upending the status quo, or a wrecking ball for oral health funding and water fluoridation?
- Dr. Elizabeth Shapiro and James Schulz (#2): The American Dental Association's new top dogs join returning influencer Marko Vujicic (up from #8 last year) in navigating internal challenges, plus growing uncertainty around federal oral health funding.
- Max Lin, William K. Daniel and Jim Momtazee (#3): These powerful private equity execs are making deals that could yield a smaller number of companies dominating the market—potentially driving up costs.
- The Midmarket Mentor (#13): A yet-to-be-named figure poised to become the voice of midmarket group practices, which, by our estimation, are the practice market's fastest-growing segment.
- Jacob Paulsen (#17): The new CEO of 3Shape brings a solid track record in biotech and corporate leadership—but no specific dental experience—to one of the world's leading intraoral scanner companies.
- Marv Nelson (#25): Since becoming CEO in 2023, he has driven innovation at A-dec—particularly in connected dental equipment—and is achieving a rare feat for U.S. manufacturers: growing market share in Europe.
- Paul Keel (formerly One To Watch, now #27): In his first year, the Envista Holdings CEO has begun a promising turnaround, demonstrating Keel's clear-eyed view of the company's challenges and product strengths.
- Dr. Richard Black (#31): Dean of Texas' first new dental school in 50 years, he has ample reason to be proud. Texas Tech University's Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine is already minting quality graduates in a region short on dentists.
Figures who have made notable upward moves from 2024 include:
- Karim Mansour (#19, up from #26): The president of Solventum Dental Solutions, who brings 25 years of 3M experience to the newly spun-off company, is ably piloting the dental division's growth and innovation amid choppy waters—and pressure from activist investor Nelson Peltz.
- Dr. Chris Steven Villanueva (#10, up from #14): The CEO and founder of MB2 Dental continues to scale rapidly. In 2024 alone, his "dental partnership organization" expanded into five new states and surpassed 700 affiliated practices, all while maintaining strong revenue growth.
- Sonia Williams (#11, up from #16): As senior vice president and general manager for dental at CareCredit, Williams is thriving in a moment tailor-made for her role. She remains a key force in keeping CareCredit the leading financial partner in fee-for-service dentistry.
Of the dentists populating this year's list, only two—Dr. Truvella "Trudy" Reese, Mrs. Nevada America 2024, and Des Moines-based cosmetic dentist Dr. Bob Margeas—fit the mold of traditional practitioners. Even they, however, are known for prominent side pursuits: Reese for her pageant title and advocacy for victims, and Margeas as editor-in-chief of Inside Dentistry, among other roles. The rest are colossus educators like Dr. Gordon J. Christensen, Dr. John Kois and Dr. Frank Spear or social stars like Dr. Bill Dorfman, whose prestigious and sizable patient base is nonetheless dwarfed by his multimillions of followers. Additionally, there are pioneering media moguls such as Dentaltown's irrepressible Dr. Howard Farran and Dr. Chris Steven Villanueva, who seemingly has his hands full running fast-growing MB2 Dental.
"For 2025, we're seeing a continued loosening of the dental establishment's grip—not just on industry norms, but also on its traditional corporate hierarchy," said Edward Kobesky, head of content for Benco Dental, publisher of Incisal Edge. "There will always be those who view establishment figures as out of touch or overly entrenched by default, and therefore ripe for replacement. But this current shift could have real consequences, including fewer choices for dentists when it comes to where to work and how to source technology and supplies. At the same time, emerging leaders and the trends they're driving, like midmarket practice models and AI, could offset those risks by driving greater efficiency. That's why our 32 Most Influential list matters: it helps readers understand where dentistry is headed so they can make smarter decisions."
As with all of Incisal Edge magazine's lists, rankings and awards, people and companies pay no fee to nominate, participate or be selected.
In addition to the 32 Most Influential, feature stories in the Summer 2025 issue include:
- The War on Fluoride: Award-winning author and New York Times contributor Mark Caro explains how we got here and investigates where the fluoridation debate might lead.
- Waiting For Liftoff: Novid Parsi digs into why dentistry has seen stagnant growth since the pandemic—and what can be done to reignite the dental boom of 2000-2020.
- When The Levies Break: A closeup look at how much—if at all—President Trump's tariffs may impact dentists, by longtime dental industry insider and former executive Lisa Randazzo.
- Incisal Edge's 2025 Hygienist of the Year: Meet Brittany Cox, RDH, who our editorial team believes is an emerging leader in the charge for eco-minded dentistry.
About Incisal Edge
Benco Dental's Incisal Edge magazine is focused on helping readers get an edge—and keep it—in the fast-changing worlds of healthcare and business. Known for its "40 Under 40 — America's Best Young Dentists," "32 Most Influential," "Year In Innovation" and "Lucy Hobbs Awards" signature issues, Incisal Edge curates the industry's most progressive thought leadership to concisely and compellingly spotlight the latest in dental innovations and the people behind them. Every edition delivers columns and features packed with sharp advice, expert success tips on everything from marketing to operations, and the latest clinical advances and essential tools for practicing and living smarter. Incisal Edge's print edition reaches over 107,000 readers quarterly via a direct mail distribution package with Dentaltown magazine. IncisalEdgeMagazine.com leads with dynamic visuals and follows with exclusive web content, an improved mobile experience, and a centralized nomination hub for the magazine's signature awards.
About Benco Dental
At Benco Dental, we believe that dental providers deserve a partner on their side. We're proud to be a national dental distributor with a century-long history, strong distribution network, and a comprehensive range of products, solutions, and services. We offer the unwavering support that can only come from a privately-owned company with the flexibility to do what is in customers' best interests, so they can focus on growing their practices and delivering the best patient outcomes. Our collaborations with the industry's leading vendors, buoyed by the market's best-trained sales and field service team plus our proven track record of agility, helps launch countless new innovations each year. Together, we are driving dentistry forward. Visit www.benco.com.
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Media Contact
Edward Kobesky, Benco Dental, 1 5706027081, [email protected], benco.com
SOURCE Benco Dental
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