Why She Was Nominated

One of the youngest female dentists in Flagstaff, Dr. Collins is involved with her local Lucy Hobbs Project chapter and contributes to Missions of Mercy. She attends Loma Linda University and is pursuing a concentration in implant dentistry; in December, she will be defending her exam.

Favorite Aspect of Dentistry

“It’s so humbling. There’s so much to learn,” Dr. Collins says. “I never see two patients who are the same, and it’s challenging to see if there’s something better I could do to provide the best care in the most minimally invasive way.”

Philosophy

“Your work deserves as much attention and focus as your passion. Climbing is my passion, and when I climb I’m focused on my breathing, my body position, the rock and its features. I move systematically so that my climbing is efficient, purposeful and predictable. In my practice I focus on developing a system and being efficient so that outcomes will be consistent and predictable.”

Exciting New Trend

Creating digital impressions with her new 3M True Definition digital scanner, and using microscopes. “We’re working in such a small area, in a way doing microsurgery,” Dr. Collins says. “Magnification is so helpful not just for root canals but also prep design, to evaluate margins and cracked teeth.”