You go, Girl!

More and more women are leaders in the dental industry, including the current president of the American Dental Association Dr. Maxine Feinberg, according to a recent article in Quartz. It seems logical, based on the steady increase of female graduates from U.S. dental school over the past decade.

According to the report by Quartz:

It’s time to re-think the stereotype of your average American dentist. The share of white men in the profession is declining, as more and more women and an increasing number of minorities opt for dental school, according to data from the American Dental Association (ADA).

The reason why more women are choosing dentistry can probably be summed up by one word: Flexibility. Ruchi Sahota is a spokesperson for the ADA and a practicing dentist. She had a baby six months ago. “As a woman, it is empowering to be able to have a profession where I can set my own hours, whether or not I was a mother,” she tells Quartz.

No surprise to members and organizers of The Lucy Hobbs Project®, which recently hosted its third annual Celebration of Exemplary Women in Dentistry. The project, powered by Benco Dental is a national, long-term program based on three pillars – networking, innovating and giving back. Named after Hobbs, this project aims to bring women together from all facets of the dental industry – dentists, dental assistants, hygienists, receptionists, sales representatives and others.

This year’s Lucy Hobbs Project Celebration began with an evening at the National Museum of Dentistry on June 4 and culminated June 5 with the recognition of six exemplary women in the dental community, including:

IECoverSummer15The 2015 Lucy Hobbs Award Winners

WOMAN TO WATCH AWARD: Dr. Amanda Seay, Mount Pleasant, SC,

INNOVATOR AWARD: Dr. Lindsay Limbaugh, Huntsville, AL,

MENTOR AWARD: Dr. Luz Marina Aguirre, New York, NY,

HUMANITARIAN AWARD: BB Maboby Bahadarakhann, Newport Beach, CA,

INDUSTRY ICON AWARD: Dr. Esther M. Wilkins, Boston, MA

CLINICAL EXPERTISE AWARD: Dr. Kendra S. Schaefer, Madison, WI.

Read about this year’s honorees, and learn more about The Lucy Hobbs Project in the current edition of Incisal Edge magazine (at right).

Want to join? Membership is free. Visit TheLucyHobbsProject.com for more information. Have a nomination for next year’s Lucy Hobbs Awards? E-mail submit@incisaledgemagazinecom