VCU Shines as Top Dentists and Super Stars

Richmond magazine published its annual list of Top Dentists this month, and the VCU School of Dentistry is represented in all 18 specialty categories. 

[See the list here.]

A new list debuted this year called Super Star Dentists, which identifies individuals who have been voted a Top Dentist at least five of the last 10 years, and the school is well represented there, too. 

MCV Campus alumni, faculty and former residents make up more than 71% of this year’s Top Dentists honorees spanning general dentistry, hospital dentistry and orthodontics. They’re also represented in new categories including oral and maxillofacial pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology and one that celebrates the best of other oral conditions and diseases outside of cancer. 

Nine individuals are even listed in multiple categories. 

Of those listed as Super Star Dentists, 82% are VCU alumni, faculty or residents. 

The Super Star Dentists list adds extra sparkle to the prestige of Top Dentists, which Richmond magazine compiles by asking local dentists whom they would recommend across these specialty areas.

"Although recognition is not why we do what we do, it gives me a sense of pride to see so many faculty and alumni of our school featured,” said Lyndon Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Dentistry. “Our school’s overwhelming presence on the list is a reflection of the work we do within our walls and the work that our alumni continue to do beyond."

VCU is home to the state’s only dental school. Annually, more than 2,100 applications are submitted for fewer than 100 spots. The school offers a wide array of professional degrees and certifications spanning Doctor of Dental Surgery to Master of Science in Dentistry. It is also one of just two schools in Virginia to offer a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene. 

Additionally, VCU School of Dentistry is uniquely positioned within a health system, which fosters collaboration between medical and dental professionals that results in the best overall patient care.

Beyond training and patient care, VCU’s school of dentistry is ranked 9th nationally among all U.S. dental schools by the National Institutes of Health for research funding in areas like cancer, bioengineering and more. The Philips Institute for Oral Health Research advances national oral health through cancer and infection research. Its advanced graduate research programs, which offer Ph.D., D.D.S./Ph.D. and master’s degrees, train future generations of oral health researchers who translate  important findings into better patient care.

If you would like to make a gift to support the education of tomorrow’s Top Dentists, please contact Gloria Greiner-Callihan, associate dean of development and alumni relations at the School of Dentistry, by emailing gfcallihan@vcu or calling 804-828-8101.