Beyond the dental chair

New dentists use knowledge, training to follow career paths in dental industry

After just a few years in practice, Stephanie Gans, D.D.S., developed De Quervain’s tenosynovitis in both her wrists. The condition, which causes pain and inflammation in the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist, led her down a different career path in dentistry.

“That challenge forced me to think about how else I could use my education and passion for oral health. I realized I could make a broader impact outside the operatory — by influencing how oral care products are designed, researched and communicated to professionals and patients,” she said.

Dr. Gans joined Procter & Gamble in fall 2018. She is now a senior scientist in the North America Professional and Scientific Relations Group for Crest + Oral-B.

“My role bridges research and development, marketing, and communicating with dental professionals,” she said. “On any given day, I may be translating complex science into clear education for dental professionals, working with key opinion leaders, or presenting the science behind our products to both dental professionals and retail partners.”

Despite no longer working in a clinical setting, Dr. Gans still uses her clinical knowledge. She graduated from Ohio State University College of Dentistry in 2013 and completed a general practice residency at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Cleveland.

“I rely on my clinical background constantly — whether I’m teaching a colleague the ‘why’ behind a formula, consulting on product design, or creating resources that help both dental professionals and consumers understand the science,” she said. “At the end of the day, my goal is to make sure our research truly helps people improve their oral health.”

 

Like Dr. Gans, Mina Ghorbanifarajzadeh, D.M.D., followed a career path that led her to work in dental industry.

Dr. Ghorbanifarajzadeh knew from age 9 that she wanted to be a dentist, simply because she liked her own dentist, but she was always interested in technology as well. She graduated from the University of Florida College of Dentistry in 2019, and faced with the COVID-19 pandemic early in her career as a practicing dentist, she pivoted sooner than expected.

“The world changed, and I took a chance and changed with it,” Dr. Ghorbanifarajzadeh said. “It was a chance to make a change that I knew needed to happen. I took courses I knew would help me in making the transition and made sure I started networking — setting up meetings with those who were already in roles I wanted.”

Her job search wasn’t a short one.

“It took over 10 months of relentless trying and keeping up, but I knew in my bones I was making the right choice,” she said.

Dr. Ghorbanifarajzadeh is now a senior clinical manager at Overjet, a dental artificial intelligence company. As part of her job, she works with dental schools to help them understand how to use her company’s platform.

“This could be from a research project to curriculum integration with utilization in the clinics. It’s about problem-solving on multiple levels and interfacing with cross-functional teams,” she said. “Internally, I serve the machine learning team in their exploration and experimentation of how to apply different AI models to the relevant concept.”

Dr. Ghorbanifarajzadeh said she regularly uses her dental training in her current role.

“Without the knowledge and deep understanding of the daily needs of a dentist and the functions within a dental school, it simply wouldn’t be possible,” she said.

For other younger dentists who are considering dental careers outside of practice, Dr. Gans advises them not to be afraid of imagining a path that may look different from the traditional one many dentists take.

“The skills you gain as a dentist — problem-solving, empathy, technical expertise — translate far beyond the dental chair,” she said. “Whether in industry, education or public health, you can use your training to influence oral health on a much larger scale. The key is staying open to opportunities and being willing to reinvent yourself while still holding on to your identity as a dentist.”