Why She Was Nominated

Just 30 years old, Dr. Etzkorn is already managing a rapidly growing Maryland practice.

Inspiration

“I’ve known I wanted to be a dentist since I was 12 years old,” Dr. Etzkorn says. She chose the profession for “no better reason than I love teeth and sharing my knowledge.”

Favorite Aspect of Dentistry

“I love doing root canals. They challenge me, and I love when a patient says, ‘That was so easy — I
expected so much worse!’ ”

Exciting New Trend

Dr. Etzkorn is fascinated by developments in hard-tissue lasers for root canals, fillings and treating periodontal disease. “Lasers are the future of many aspects of medicine. I believe they’ll become mainstream in dentistry as well.”

Tool She Can't Live Without

The iLase soft-tissue diode laser pen. Dr. Etzkorn
says it enables her to perform frenectomies and re-contour gum tissue in a matter of minutes with very little bleeding.

Advice To Aspiring Dentists

“Don’t ever let corporate dentistry tell you how to treat your patients. Patients are not dollar signs — they’re people.”