Dr. Kahng, an assistant clinical professor at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, is one of USC’s youngest female dental-faculty members. She graduated from dental school at 23 and went into solo practice at 27. She’s the author of Instagram Marketing for the Modern Dentist and believes that social media—including YouTube, on which she’s quite active—will change dentistry for the better.

“I’m obsessed with my computerized anesthetic unit, the STA. My practice has been syringe-less since I took over, and it has been amazing seeing patients who were once afraid of needles realize that the injections can actually be pretty close to, if not completely, painless. The sight of a traditional syringe can really cause a lot of anxiety for many.”

“I spend a lot of my time educating patients about what is going on in their mouth. Everything in dentistry is patient-specific, and it all comes down to bacteria, habits and genetics. To say it’s as simple as brushing twice a day and flossing is really a disservice. Patients are smart enough to under- stand more-complex dental concepts. This conversation is what helps patients become their own biggest advocate.”