The 9 Most Influential Female Dentists to Follow in 2026

The nine most influential female dentists to follow in 2026 are Dr. Catrise Austin, Dr. Joyce Bassett, Dr. Joyce Kahng, Dr. Rhonda Kalasho, Dr. Susan Maples, Dr. Anjali Rajpal, Dr. Amanda Seay, Dr. Diana Tadros, and Dr. Grace Yum. The list spans cosmetic, pediatric, digital, and total-health dentistry across California, Florida, Arizona, South Carolina, New York, and Michigan. Two are current or past Presidents of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

I get asked this constantly. Friends, patients, journalists, the whole rotation. Who do I follow? Who’s worth your time if you want to learn something real about dentistry?

So here it is. My honest list for 2026.

One thing I want to be clear about before you read further. These nine women are not on this list because they pay me, sponsor me, or share an affiliate code with me. None of them do. This is a curated list, alphabetical by last name, based on the criteria I’ll walk you through next.

How I picked this list

I’m a cosmetic dentist with 16+ years in practice. I taught restorative sciences at USC’s Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry from 2014 to 2020, and I run Orange & Magnolia Dental Studio in Costa Mesa. That gives me a particular lens for whom I think is worth following.

Here’s what I looked for.

Real clinical credibility. Active practice, board-level accreditation, or recognized educator status. Some of the women on this list hold the highest credentials in cosmetic dentistry. Others teach at clinical institutes. A few wrote the books I recommend to my own associates.

A platform that teaches. I wanted women who use their reach to make patients smarter or peers better. The list is built around teachers.

Range across the field. Cosmetic, pediatric, total health, digital dentistry, and community building. This list spans nine different angles on what excellence in dentistry looks like in 2026.

No paid placements. I want that on record. If I link to a product or practice in this piece, it’s because I think you should know about it.

The list runs in alphabetical order by last name. There is no ranking. They are all worth following.

Dr. Catrise Austin

New York, NY · Cosmetic dentistry · @drcatriseaustin

Dr. Catrise Austin is a cosmetic dentist in Midtown Manhattan and the founder of VIP Smiles, specializing in porcelain veneers and professional whitening.

She’s been practicing since 1998 and has built one of the most recognizable cosmetic dentistry brands in New York. She’s done celebrity work for Cardi B, Wendy Williams, and others, which is the headline most people lead with. 

What I respect about her is how openly she shares the business side of dentistry. She’s been named one of the Top 25 Women in Dentistry by Dental Products Report and has spent years teaching other dentists how to build a practice on social media.

She’s also a #1 bestselling author and one of the few cosmetic dentists who’s been consistent on Instagram for over a decade. That kind of staying power matters when you’re trying to figure out who’s a real voice versus who’s having a moment.

What you’ll learn from her content: No-prep veneer cases, whitening realities, and the marketing side of dentistry if you’re a dental professional.

Where to find her: Instagram, VIP Smiles website, and 30 E 40th St in Midtown Manhattan if you’re in town.

Dr. Joyce Bassett

Scottsdale, AZ · Cosmetic dentistry · @smilesbyjoyce

Dr. Joyce Bassett is a cosmetic dentist in Scottsdale, Arizona and the first woman ever to serve as President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (2015-2016).

She’s also an Accredited Fellow of the AACD, a status held by fewer than 100 dentists worldwide, and the only one in Arizona to hold that designation. She earned her DDS from Ohio State in 1983, has been recognized 19 times by her peers as a top cosmetic dentist in Arizona, and received the AACD’s Excellence in Cosmetic Dentistry Education Award.

What makes Dr. Bassett worth following is her teaching. She lectures internationally on adhesive and esthetic dentistry. She runs Smiles by Joyce, her private practice, while still showing up consistently for the profession.

She also volunteers extensively with homeless women who have survived domestic violence. That’s not a sentence written to puff someone up but a real reflection of the kind of dentist (and human) she is.

What you’ll learn from her content: Advanced esthetic case work, AACD-level treatment standards, and a window into what 40+ years of clinical excellence looks like in practice.

Where to find her: Instagram and Smiles by Joyce in Scottsdale.

Dr. Joyce Kahng

Costa Mesa, CA · Cosmetic dentistry · @joycethedentist

Including myself on this list felt strange. I left it in because leaving myself off would have been the more dishonest move. I’ve been practicing for 16+ years, I own Orange & Magnolia Dental Studio in Costa Mesa, and I taught restorative sciences at USC’s Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry from 2014 to 2020. I received the USC Outstanding Faculty Award in 2018.

What I cover here and on social: The cosmetic dentistry conversations most dentists avoid publicly. What veneers can and can’t do. When whitening is a bad call. The products I used to recommend and no longer do, and why my thinking changed. I update my positions when the evidence updates, and I say so openly. That part is the whole point.

I’ve been featured in Forbes, Vogue, The New York Times, Allure, Glamour, GQ, Shape, NBC News, and Vox. I’m the creator of the VeneerLIFT, a Founding Clinical Advisor at NEER, and a Founding Board Member at SmileViz.

Where to find me: Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube (all @joycethedentist), this site (my baby, my blog), and Orange & Magnolia Dental Studio.

Dr. Rhonda Kalasho

Los Angeles, CA · Cosmetic and general dentistry · @dr.rhondakalasho

Dr. Rhonda Kalasho is the founder and CEO of TruGlo Modern Dental with locations in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Calabasas.

She earned her DDS from UCLA and has built a multi-location practice that handles cosmetic work alongside complex restorative cases. What sets her apart is her social presence. She’s one of a small number of dentists who have grown a meaningful following on both Instagram and TikTok, which means she reaches a younger audience that doesn’t typically engage with dental content.

She’s also fluent in Arabic. That’s the kind of detail that doesn’t make headlines but tells you a lot about how she practices. Patients from different backgrounds get a different kind of care when their dentist speaks their language.

Her content covers cosmetic transformations, sleep apnea, bruxism, and the unsexy topics most cosmetic-focused accounts skip. I appreciate that. It’s where most patients need real help.

What you’ll learn from her content: Cosmetic case work, real talk about sensitive teeth and bruxism, and how a modern multi-location practice runs.

Where to find her: Instagram, TikTok, and TruGlo Modern Dental.

Dr. Susan Maples

Holt, MI · Total health dentistry · Total Health Dentistry

Dr. Susan Maples is a general dentist in Holt, Michigan, and the founder of Total Health Academy, an online learning platform that trains dental teams on oral-systemic health integration.

She has 30+ years in private practice, a master’s degree in business and marketing, and an insurance-independent model that gives her room to spend real time with patients. She wrote BlabberMouth! 77 Secrets Only Your Mouth Can Tell You, one of the more accessible patient-facing books I’ve recommended over the years. Her newer book Brave Parent covers raising healthy kids in a way that addresses oral health alongside everything else.

Dr. Maples represents an angle most cosmetic dentistry content ignores. The mouth is connected to the rest of the body. Inflammation in the gums, the bacterial environment, the way you breathe at night, and your sleep architecture. All of it ties together. She’s been teaching this since before “oral systemic” was a buzzword.

She doesn’t have a major Instagram presence, which is itself a useful signal. Her platform lives through her books, lectures, and the Total Health Academy. If you want depth over scroll content, this is where to go.

What you’ll learn from her content: Oral-systemic connections, total health screening protocols for dental teams, and patient education that respects intelligence.

Where to find her: Total Health Dentistry, Total Health Academy, and her books.

Dr. Anjali Rajpal

Beverly Hills, CA · Cosmetic dentistry · @beverlyhillsdentalarts

Dr. Anjali Rajpal is a cosmetic dentist in Beverly Hills and the founder of Beverly Hills Dental Arts, known for her work with A-list patients and her trademarked Diamond Dentist® specialty.

She earned her DMD from Tufts School of Dental Medicine and completed a general practice residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She’s been named one of Southern California’s Top Dentists by Los Angeles Magazine and has built a practice on Roxbury Drive that handles smile design work for some of the most-photographed faces in Hollywood.

What makes Dr. Rajpal stand out is her treatment of dentistry as an art form. The Diamond Dentist trademark refers to her work bejeweling teeth with gems, which sounds gimmicky until you understand the technical precision it takes to bond a small ornament to enamel in a way that’s both safe and reversible. She’s done thousands of cases. She knows the material science behind every step.

Her content shows cosmetic case work at a level you don’t see often. If you’re considering veneers, smile redesign, or any high-end cosmetic procedure, her Instagram is one of the best portfolios on the platform.

What you’ll learn from her content: Smile design at the celebrity tier, the technical side of cosmetic case work, and a window into what a Beverly Hills cosmetic practice looks like day to day.

Where to find her: Instagram and Beverly Hills Dental Arts, 465 N. Roxbury Dr, Beverly Hills.

Dr. Amanda Seay

Mount Pleasant, SC · Cosmetic dentistry · @expertisedental

Dr. Amanda Seay is the current President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, inaugurated in March 2025, and the founder of Expertise Dental in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

She’s also the 85th dentist in the world to achieve Accredited Fellow status with the AACD, a designation earned through years of submitted case work judged by the most experienced cosmetic dentists in the field. She holds a Clinical Instructor position at the Kois Center in Seattle, one of the most rigorous post-graduate training environments in dentistry.

Dr. Seay’s strength shows up in the foundation work. Her restorative case work consistently demonstrates the kind of precision that produces results that age well, look natural, and hold up at year five and beyond. She’s mentored AACD accreditation candidates from around the world and has contributed regularly to the Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Being the current AACD President means she’s setting the direction of the profession for the next several years. That alone makes her one of the most consequential voices in cosmetic dentistry right now.

What you’ll learn from her content: Restorative excellence, AACD-level case planning, and what world-class cosmetic dentistry looks like when the focus is longevity.

Where to find her: Expertise Dental Instagram and Expertise Dental in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Dr. Diana Tadros

Fort Lauderdale, FL · Cosmetic and digital dentistry · @beautyandtheteeth

Dr. Diana Tadros is the only board-certified cosmetic dentist in Fort Lauderdale and the founder of Beauty and the Teeth, a boutique private practice focused on cosmetic and digital dentistry.

She’s an AACD Accredited Fellow, an examiner for the AACD accreditation process, and a Board Member of the American Board of Cosmetic Dentistry. She’s also a Kois Center Graduate and Guest Instructor, where she teaches digital design courses to other dentists. Over 750 hours of advanced training. That’s not a typo.

What I find most valuable about Dr. Tadros is her leadership in digital dentistry. She trains for Exocad, lectures internationally, and integrates digital workflows into her cosmetic case planning at a level most practices haven’t caught up to yet. The future of cosmetic dentistry is digital, and she’s been working in that future for years.

Her practice is a one-doctor boutique by design. She sees a small number of patients and gives them an extraordinary amount of time. That model is rare and worth understanding.

What you’ll learn from her content: Digital cosmetic case work, smile design planning at the highest level, and what AACD accreditation requires from the inside.

Where to find her: Instagram and Beauty and the Teeth in Fort Lauderdale.

Dr. Grace Yum

Pediatric dentistry · Founder of Mommy Dentists in Business · @mommydentistsinbusiness

Dr. Grace Yum is a board-certified pediatric dentist, the founder and CEO of Mommy Dentists in Business, and the host of the MDIB podcast, which has ranked in the iTunes top 100 dental podcasts across 17 seasons.

Pediatric board certification is held by fewer than 5% of all dentists in the U.S. Dr. Yum earned hers after years of additional training following her DDS from the University of Maryland. She built and ran Yummy Dental & Orthodontics for Kids in Chicago for years before stepping back from the clinical side to grow the MDIB platform.

What she’s built with Mommy Dentists in Business is rare. A community of thousands of dentist mothers across the country, a top-ranked podcast with tens of thousands of downloads, and a network that connects female dentists with each other in a profession that historically did not make that easy. She’s also a #1 Amazon bestselling author.

She’s appeared on the TODAY Show, NBC Chicago, Parents magazine, and Parenting magazine. Her work is less about clinical case content and more about helping dentists, especially mothers, build careers and businesses that sustain them.

What you’ll learn from her content: How to build a dental practice, navigate motherhood in clinical careers, and find community in a profession that can feel isolating. If you’re a dentist (or want to become one), MDIB is the most valuable network you can join.

Where to find her: Mommy Dentists in Business website, the MDIB podcast, and Instagram.

Why follow female dentists at all?

Fair question. The answer isn’t tokenism. The women on this list are doing some of the most innovative, accessible, and patient-centered work in the profession right now. The current AACD President and the first woman ever to hold that role are both on this list. So are two of the most established cosmetic educators in the country. So is the leading voice in the pediatric dentistry community-building.

If your follow list is all male dentists, you’re missing real expertise.

Female dentists also tend to communicate differently. More patient education. Less ego content. More transparency about what works, what doesn’t, and why their thinking has changed over the years. The list above reflects that pattern.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the most influential female cosmetic dentist in 2026? 

Dr. Amanda Seay holds the most influential current position as President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, inaugurated in March 2025. Other major voices include Dr. Joyce Bassett, the first woman ever to serve as AACD President (2015-2016), Dr. Diana Tadros, an AACD Accredited Fellow and accreditation examiner, and Dr. Joyce Kahng who has become one of the most influential modern cosmetic dentists online.

Which female dentists hold AACD Accredited Fellow status? 

Three women on this list are AACD Accredited Fellows: Dr. Joyce Bassett (FAACD since 2013), Dr. Amanda Seay (FAACD since 2020), and Dr. Diana Tadros. Fewer than 100 dentists worldwide hold this designation.

Which female dentists should I follow on Instagram for cosmetic case work? 

For cosmetic case work specifically, follow Dr. Catrise Austin (@drcatriseaustin), Dr. Joyce Bassett (@smilesbyjoyce), Dr. Joyce Kahng (@joycethedentist), Dr. Anjali Rajpal (@beverlyhillsdentalarts), and Dr. Diana Tadros (@beautyandtheteeth).

Which female dentists focus on pediatric care or family dentistry? 

Dr. Grace Yum is a board-certified pediatric dentist and the founder of Mommy Dentists in Business, the largest community of dentist mothers in the country.

Which female dentists teach other dentists? 

Several. Dr. Joyce Bassett lectures internationally and received the AACD Excellence in Cosmetic Dentistry Education Award. Dr. Amanda Seay holds a Clinical Instructor position at the Kois Center. Dr. Diana Tadros is a Kois Guest Instructor and teaches digital design courses. Dr. Susan Maples founded Total Health Academy, an online learning platform for dental teams. I teach through my own content at joycethedentist.com.

How do I find a credible female dentist near me? 

Look for board certification or recognized accreditations like AACD Accredited Fellow status, AGD Fellowship, or specialty board certification (pediatric, orthodontic, periodontal, prosthodontic). Verify their education and the year they began practicing. Check whether they teach, lecture, or contribute to the profession beyond their own practice. The dentists on this list all meet those criteria in different ways.

Why is this list limited to nine dentists? 

There are many talented female dentists in the U.S. and abroad. I limited this list to nine to keep it focused and give each entry enough space to explain why she’s worth following. This isn’t an exhaustive ranking but a curated list based on the criteria outlined above.

Last updated: May 2026. This list is reviewed and updated annually. If a dentist’s credentials, practice, or platform changes meaningfully, the entry will be revised.