Today, USA Dental Report is proud to introduce the inaugural class of the USA Dental Report 100 — our recognition of the one hundred key opinion leaders whose work is shaping how dentistry is practiced, taught, and talked about in 2026.

These are not names drawn from a popularity contest. They are the people other dentists actually listen to: the clinicians pushing techniques forward, the educators who fill lecture halls and course rosters, the founders building the tools and practices of the next decade, and the voices who have turned podcasts and communities into the profession’s most accessible continuing education.

Dentistry has always advanced through influence — one mentor, one lecture, one shared case at a time. What has changed is the reach. A single clinician in Raleigh or Albuquerque can now change the way thousands of colleagues across the country practice even though they may never meet in person. The Class of 2026 is our attempt to name the people making an outsized impact on our profession, and to thank them for it.

The one hundred honorees practice and teach across more than thirty U.S. states and into Canada — from California, Florida, Texas, and North Carolina to Massachusetts, Arizona, Illinois, and beyond. Some lead multi-location groups, some author books, some use a microphone and a podcast.

The class of 2026 is deliberately broad in discipline. It includes restorative and cosmetic dentists, implant surgeons, periodontists, prosthodontists, orthodontists, and oral surgeons alongside practice owners, DSO and group-practice founders, consultants, accountants, lab technicians, and researchers. Nearly half are educators. More than a third are professional speakers who anchor the country’s major meetings. And more than twenty host podcasts — a reminder that a growing share of the profession’s learning now happens on your phone and on the go.

A key opinion leader, as we define it, is someone whose voice changes what other dentists do. In selecting the Class of 2026, our editors weighed a blend of signals rather than any single metric:

•      Clinical and educational contribution — teaching, lecturing, publishing, and mentoring that measurably raises the level of care.

•      Reach and trust — an audience of peers who genuinely act on what the honoree shares, across stages, print, and digital channels.

•      Building and innovation — founders and operators creating the practices, products, and platforms the profession relies on.

•      Service to the community — a demonstrated commitment to lifting up colleagues, students, and the patients dentistry ultimately serves.

Honorees were surfaced through editorial research, industry nominations, and their presence on the meeting circuit and across professional media. The list is intentionally a snapshot of this moment — not a lifetime-achievement register — and it will refresh with each new class.

The full roster of honorees is listed below in alphabetical order by last name.

To every honoree: thank you. Your lectures, your cases, your episodes, your open-door mentorship, and your willingness to share what works are what keep this profession moving. Recognition badges and official assets for the USA Dental Report 100 are available to each member of the class to display across their practice, profiles, and speaking materials. For assets, please contact us here: https://press.usadentalreport.com/contact/

Nominations for the Class of 2027 will open in the fall of 2026.