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Denté · Class of 2026

35
Under
35

The dental profession's definitive recognition of the next generation. Seven categories. Five honourees each. One issue that changes what recognition looks like in dentistry.

Nominations open April 14, 2026
Nominations close July 31, 2026
Issue drops November 2026
Open to Full dental team
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The seven categories 5 honourees per category · 35 total
01
The Clinician
Clinical excellence above all. Raising the bar for what extraordinary care looks like.
Dental license required
02
The Founder
Built something from nothing. A startup, product, or platform at dentistry's frontier.
All dental professionals
03
The Educator
Teaching and mentoring the next generation — formally or with a platform.
All dental professionals
04
The Artist
Dentistry as art form. Craft and beauty as much as clinical outcome.
All dental professionals
05
The Futurist
AI, digital workflows, research. Oriented toward what dentistry becomes next.
All dental professionals
06
The Advocate
Equity, access, mental health, policy. Pushing the profession to be more just.
All dental professionals
07
The Voice
Shaping how dentistry is seen. Community builders changing the public narrative.
All dental professionals
Selection criteria

What earns a place on the list.

Every submission is scored against five dimensions by the Denté editorial team. This is not a popularity contest. It is not a credentialing exercise. It is a rigorous assessment of exceptional work done early in a career.

The shortlist threshold is 35 out of 50. Strong credentials alone will not get you there. We are looking for impact, originality, and conviction.

Shortlist threshold 35 / 50 pts
/ 10
Impact
Has this person changed something measurable — a patient population, a community, a conversation? Not just done their job well. Changed something.
/ 10
Trajectory
Where are they going, not just where they are. Early momentum that signals something significantly larger is ahead.
/ 10
Originality
Are they doing something that has not been done before, or doing something familiar in a way no one else has thought to do it?
/ 10
Proof
What exists in the world because of them? Numbers, outcomes, products, communities, publications. Evidence, not claims.
/ 10
Voice
Can this person articulate why they do what they do? Not credentials — conviction. Clarity of purpose about their work and the profession.
Submit a nomination

Make the case.

Self-submissions and nominations from colleagues are treated equally in the review process. Answer every question with honesty and specificity. Weak answers do not advance.

About the nominee
Your details
The nomination
Q1 — In your own words
Describe what this person does and why it matters. Not their CV. Not their credentials. What they have actually built, changed, or made possible.
300 words max. This is the primary quality filter. Weak answers here do not advance.
0 / 300 words
Q2 — The proof
What exists in the world because of this person's work? Give us something concrete — a number, an outcome, a product, a community, a publication, a system.
150 words max.
0 / 150 words
Q3 — The original thing
What has this person done that no one else in dentistry has done, or done the way they have done it?
150 words max. If the answer is "nothing specific," this submission is unlikely to advance.
0 / 150 words
Q4 — The trajectory
Where is this person going? What are they building toward? What makes you believe this is only the beginning?
150 words max.
0 / 150 words
Q5 — Their voice
Share one thing this person has said, written, posted, or published that captures how they think about dentistry. A quote, a post, a paragraph, a moment.
Optional but weighted heavily in final selection. Paste text or include a link.
Q6 — Supporting links
Website, Instagram, LinkedIn, published work, press coverage. Anything that lets the editorial team see more.
Optional. Include whatever exists.
Q7 — Why now
Why are you submitting this year specifically? What has happened in the last 12 months that makes this the right moment to be recognised?
150 words max. This question filters aspirational submissions from genuinely timely ones.
0 / 150 words

By submitting this nomination you confirm that all information provided is accurate to the best of your knowledge. The nominee will be contacted by Denté before any public announcement. All submissions are reviewed by the editorial team — selection decisions are final. Questions? carl@dentemagazine.com

✦
Nomination received.
Thank you. The Denté editorial team will review every submission before October 1, 2026. If the nominee is selected, they will be contacted privately before any public announcement. Honourees are revealed one per day throughout November 2026.