Why She Was Nominated:

Dr. Shetler runs two South Carolina pediatric practices with her childhood best friend and co-owner, Dr. Matt Dahar. They’re lifelong friends who have the dental gene in their blood, thanks to their dads, who both played college football and completed their dental residencies together.

Tool She Can’t Live Without:

Her dental assistants. “My team makes me a better dentist than I ever thought I could be. They make me look good every day.”

Exciting New Trend:

“The blend of medical and dental is exciting and important. Having a child’s dentist and pediatrician work closely together gives a parent a sense of support and reassurance. From toddlers with failure to thrive to adolescents at high risk for obesity, we’re able to show the systemic importance of dental care and disease prevention.”

Impact of the Pandemic:

Dr. Shetler’s first two employees began in January, taking calls and scheduling patients from her dining room in preparation for their office’s February opening. “Just four weeks later, we were already booking out over a month, and we had to shut our doors.” They turned the disaster into opportunity by using the time to get their systems and organization in place. “We opened again with more intense protocols than we ever thought, with a skeleton crew in a six-chair office.”