Published by Benco Dental, Incisal Edge presents The 32 Most Influential People in Dentistry.
“Identifying who’s leading the conversation right now—and positioned to drive change—is vital in a world where the rules of influence and authority are shifting faster than ever,” Incisal Edge Founder Chuck Cohen said of the magazine’s fourth annual ranking, which is featured in its summer, 2020 edition (shown).
PITTSTON, PA — July 7, 2020 — The annual rundown of the dental profession’s heaviest hitters as presented by Incisal Edgemagazine has never been more fraught—because the industry has never faced anything quite like the pandemic. How have these top players achieved their current status—and where are they, and dentistry itself, headed in the months and years ahead?
The 32 individuals—one for every adult tooth—have some ideas. And they’re well-placed to implement them. Not all of them are focused on Covid-19 to the exclusion of all else, of course, but the virus and its attendant maladies, physiological and economic alike, is at the fore of everyone’s mind. And the esteemed power players you’ll read about in the summer edition will certainly be a part of the recovery.
“Four years ago, when we began tracking dentistry’s most influential people, we didn’t envision how a pandemic could shock all of dentistry, or how quickly the industry would begin adapting,” said Incisal Edge Founder Chuck Cohen. “But here we are, and identifying who’s leading the conversation right now—and positioned to drive change—is vital in a world where the rules of influence and authority are shifting faster than ever and effective thought leadership more often propels people to positions of influence.”
The 32 Most Influential People in Dentistry for 2020, ranked by Incisal Edge include:
Eric Wenzel, Director, Oral Care Global Business, 3M Minneapolis, Minnesota
Joseph Hogan, Director, President and CEO, Align Technology San Jose, California
Casey Hannan, Director, Division of Oral Health, CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Atlanta, Georgia
Stanley Bergman, Chairman and CEO, Henry Schein Melville, New York
Lawmakers – dentists in the U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.
Brian Babin (R-TX)
Drew Ferguson (R-GA)
Paul Gosar (R-AZ)
Mike Simpson (R-ID)
Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ)
Don Casey, CEO, Dentsply Sirona Columbus, Ohio
Roshan Parikh, Head of Dentistry, Walmart U.S. Health & Wellness Atlanta, Georgia
Howard Farran, Founder, Dentaltown.Com, Dentaltown Magazine Phoenix, Arizona
Kathleen O’Loughlin, Executive Director, ADA Chicago, Illinois
Michael Graham, Senior VP, Government and Public Affairs, ADA Washington, D.C
Marko Vujicic, Chief Economist & Vice President, ADA Health Policy Institute Chicago, Illinois
The Entrepreneurial Dentist, Business-Minded, Pandemic-Nervous Everytown, USA
Karen West, President, American Dental Education Association, Washington, D.C.
Rick Workman, Founder and Executive Chairman, Heartland Dental Effingham, Illinois
Robert Fontana, CEO, Aspen Dental, East Syracuse, New York
Steve Thorne, Founder and CEO, Pacific Dental Services, Irvine, California
Michael Apa, Cosmetic Dentist, Apa Aesthetic New York, New York; Los Angeles, California; Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Michael Cohen, Founder, Seattle Study Club, Seattle, Washington
Frank Spear, Founder & Director, Spear Education, Phoenix, Arizona; Seattle,Washington
Amir Aghdaei,CEO, Envista Holdings Brea, California
Gordon Christensen, Founder and CEO, Practical Clinical Courses Provo, Utah
John Kois, Founder and Director, The Kois Center Seattle, Washington
Douglas Erickson, CEO, Facility Guidelines Institute, St. Louis, Missouri
Michael Castro, CEO, Delta Dental Oak Brook, Illinois
Michelle Lee, Executive Director, Organization for Safety Asepsis and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Richard Schnall, Managing Partner, Clayton Dubilier & Rice Healthcare Practice, New York, New York
Ann Battrell, Executive Director, American Dental Hygienists’ Association, Chicago,Illinois
Jerome Adams, 20th Surgeon General of The United States, Washington, D.C.
Anton Woolf, CEO, Argen, San Diego, California
Jeff Johnson, Senior Research Analyst, Medical Technology Robert W. Baird & Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mark Adams, Dental Business Leader, Amazon, Seattle, Washington
Mike Cataldo, CEO,Convergent Dental, Needham, Massachusetts
Scott Leune, Founder, Breakaway Practice, San Antonio, Texas
Dave Sproat, CEO, Young Innovations, Algonquin, Illinois
Honorable Mention Jim Harding, CEO, Henry Schein Laura Kelly, CEO, Microdental Laboratories and Modern Dental USA Diego Gabathuler, CEO, Ivoclar Vivadent Jay Geier, CEO, The Scheduling Institute Steve Bishop, CEO, Procter & Gamble Health Care Justin Joffe & Hitesh Tolani, CEO, Henry The Dentist; Founder and CEO, Virtudent
Ones to Watch Christopher E. Steele, President, Park Dental Jonathan Koch, Senior Vice President and CEO, Global Dental Group, Henry Schein Kenneth Serota & Ron Saslow, President of Dental, Cantel Medical; CEO, Hu-Friedy
Browse the complete Summer 2020 digital edition here, or go directly to the feature here For additional information regarding the magazine, visit: http://www.incisaledgemagazine.com
About Incisal Edge Knowledge. Success. Life. Those three words, printed on the cover of every issue, guide editorial content for Incisal Edgemagazine. Published by Benco Dental since 1997, Incisal Edge is focued 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,” which highlights the country’s brightest rising stars, the magazine’s content includes “The 32 Most Influential People in Dentistry,” plus 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 Edgemagazine’s print edition reaches 130,000 readers quarterly via a direct mail distribution package with Dentaltown magazine. Digitally, 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: the aforementioned 40 Under 40, the Lucy Hobbs Project Awards for Exemplary Women in Dentistry and the Incisal EdgeDesign Competition for interior design, architecture and space planning within the dental profession.
About Benco Dental Benco Dental is Driving Dentistry ForwardSMwith innovative solutions and our caring family culture. Our industry firsts include Painless® electronic ordering, automated supply management, BluChip® customer loyalty rewards, CenterPoint design/equipment superstores and OneVisitTMopen architecture CAD/CAM. Independent since 1930, our over 1,500 dedicated associates serve customers at locations nationwide including 400+ sales representatives and 300+ factory-trained service technicians. Benco Dental is one of Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Health Care and Biopharma and among Pennsylvania Best Places to Work® for 12 of 15 prior years.
Larry Cohen graduated from Wilkes College with a B.S. in Accounting in 1957 and Columbia University Graduate School of Business, earning an M.S. in Management and Finance, 1958. He served in the U. S. Army Reserve from 1958 through 1964.
He is the second-generation owner of Benco Dental Company, which was founded by his father, Benjamin Cohen in 1930.
Joining Benco Dental in 1959 as manager of the Tooth Department, in 1960, Larry became an outside sales rep, a position he enjoyed full time until 1972. Beginning that year, Larry began reducing his outside sales role and increasing his managerial duties, later becoming the president of Benco Dental from 1965 – 1996.
Larry is the Founder of the American Dental Cooperative; Board, American Dental Trade Associate, plus Various ADTA committees. He sits on the Board of Wilkes University, Board of Visiting Nurses Association and the Board of Jewish Community Center.
