Why He Was Nominated

It’s rare to hear a small-business success story that emerged from last decade’s financial crisis, but Dr. Shaftel and his partner, Dr. Andrew Jordan launched Vita Dental in Cincinnati in 2009 and have succeeded ever since. The practice has grown so much that the duo just broke ground on a new 9,000-square-foot facility

Philosophy

“Each smile is connected to a person. Anxiety, systemic medical issues, financial limitations and aesthetic concerns all factor into how a patient wishes to proceed. A person’s mouth can be restored in numerous ways, but providing successful treatment requires the doctor to take into account other factors not related to teeth.”

Exciting New Trend

“The use of Cone Beam CT in pathology recognition and treatment, implantology, orthodontics and endodontics.”

Tool He Can’t Live Without

High magnification, whether via loupes or an operative microscope. “Magnification changed the way I practice with every procedure, from oral surgery to endodontics to basic operative dentistry,” Dr. Shaftel says. “Dentistry is a mixture of precision and art, and to have predictable, successful outcomes in both, magnification is necessary.”