It used to be a rarity to find a woman dentist, but, as in other medical fields, women are finding that the profession is a good fit. Fifty percent of students in medical school are female, and the number in veterinary school is over 75 percent.

Dentistry reports similar trends. Just 20 years ago, women dentists were few and far between. Today, 14 percent of practicing dentists are women, and dental schools report that fully 30 percent of their students are female.

Dr. Susan Maples

Walking into the office of Dr. Susan Maples, clients are met by friendly staff members, colorful artwork and a display of proud members of the children’s No Cavity Club as well as before and after pictures of clients whose “after” smiles show not only the transformative expertise of Dr. Maples but also pride and self-confidence.

Dr. Maples is an East Lansing High School graduate who received her undergraduate degree from Dennison University and went on to the University of Michigan dental school. She also holds an MBA from Madonna University. According to Maples, “I’ve wanted to be a dentist since I was nine. I knew even at that young age that I like working with my hands, concentrating on small details and working with people, especially children. My childhood dentist encouraged my interest and spent extra time with me, showing me what he did and how he worked.”

Maples is celebrating her twenty fifth year in practice. Besides practicing general dentistry, Maples specializes in complex restorative work for adults. She often receives referrals from other dentists for these particularly difficult cases. According to Maples, “I like to do work that makes a real difference in a person’s life.” In keeping with that philosophy, Maples reports that about 10 percent of the work they do is pro bono, gifting her services to clients like the lost boys of Somalia and women escaping abusive relationships.

Maples works with a team of 10 employees, including three hygienists, two dental assistants and three administrators including Sherry Henderson, new-patient coordinator, and even a massage therapist who helps anxious patients by providing complimentary hand or foot massage during dental procedures. Other amenities, detailed on the website, make going to the dentist a positive pleasure, good for body and spirit alike. According to Maples, “I’m in the process of hiring a nutritionist. I want to help my patients live their best possible lives.”

As part of that belief (and also passing on the encouragement she herself was given by her childhood dentist), the office includes a children’s educational area complete with hands-on experimentation, interactive learning and fun activities for young people.

Maples thinks of the staff in her practice as a team. Most of the staff members have worked with Maples for many years, and as she says, “I work with the nicest women I know. We are a family.”

Besides time devoted to her practice and her 16-year-old son Hunter, Maples somehow finds time to teach practice management at Michigan State University and, in what she calls a “hobby job,” she consults in team building and as a leadership coach.

Dr. Christine Tenaglia

Originally from the small town of Hartland, Mich., Dr. Christine Tenaglia decided when she was very young that she wanted to be a dentist; she wanted to work with people and have a positive influence on their lives. Although she was the first in her family to attend college, she says, “I was a high school athlete in track and field, and I learned that with discipline and determination, I could accomplish whatever I wanted to. Running gave me the confidence to move forward, to learn and grow.”

Tenaglia attended Central Michigan University where she majored in biology and chemistry and went from there to the University of Michigan Dental School where she served as vice president of her class.

Tenaglia opened her Okemos practice in the early ‘90s in order to realize her vision of what a dental practice could be. She says, “I practice a very specialized, individual type of dentistry based on respect for the individual and a sophisticated understanding of their wants and needs. My patients range from corporate executives to students and soccer moms to grandmothers. Each one receives my personal, full attention and the most advanced dental techniques available.”

Tenaglia’s office is designed with the patients’ comfort in mind. Relaxing colors, open spaces and an atmosphere of calm make the offices seem “more like a spa,” as Tenaglia puts it.

As a general dentist, Tenaglia offers a wide range of services. She also has advanced training in neuromuscular dentistry, which can help alleviate symptoms of TMJ like headaches, neck and shoulder pain, jaw pain and tinnitus.

Teniglia focuses on cosmetic dentistry. As she says, “Bright smiles are important to everyone’s business and self-esteem. We make sure each client gets lots of personal attention. I meet with them to discuss their options and together we develop a treatment plan. Our clients are actively involved in their health care and value the kind of premium service I provide.”

She continues, “We provide special services for our clients so they can actually enjoy coming to the dentist. I always decorate for the holidays and clients receive little gifts from the practice when they come in. We take the time to go to great lengths to give patients a very comfortable, relaxed and rewarding experience here … and we are very sensitive to their timetables and privacy. ”

As a runner and as a dentist, Tenaglia goes the extra mile.

Dr. Sonja Norris

Dr. Sonja Norris is amazing—and many other superlatives. A dentist for children, she has made it her mission to serve the underserved. While some dental professionals won’t take clients on Medicaid or those with special needs, Dr. Norris has stepped up to make sure that they too get the best dental care possible. Besides a busy practice, she also performs specialized dental work at Ingham Regional Medical Center and Sparrow Hospital.

Norris graduated from Michigan State University and then went to U of M Dental School. She says, “I always knew I wanted to be in the medical field. During college, I spent time observing a friend who was a dentist, and I decided this is what I wanted to do. I am considered a general dentist, but I focus on children.”

Norris worked for four years as dental director of the Ingham County Health Department, overseeing the establishment of the Healthy Smiles Dental Center for Children. She also worked with Dr. Daniel Klein, a pediatric dentist, before opening her practice.

Her office, with its staff of 12, is specially designed for children. Lots of toys, colorful posters and themed rooms like the Space Room and the Jungle Room ease children’s fears. Norris says, “Everyone who works here loves kids and knows how to work with them. It’s not something you can read in a book. It’s a gift, and if you have it, you have it.”

Norris definitely has it. She has become known for her work with special needs children, including those with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome and other such conditions. She receives referrals from all over the state; between January and March of this year, she received 178 referrals. Thirty-two of the children had special needs; 65 were under the age of three, and only 11 had dental insurance. As Norris says, “We’re the last hope for many of these patients.”

For young patients whose dental needs can’t be met in the office, Norris performs complex procedures under general anesthesia in the hospital. She says, “This allows us to perform very complicated and lengthy treatment all at once, and since the child has no memory of the treatment, there is no trauma.”

A book of photographs shows the extent of the work she has done for many children. Due to lack of dental and medical care, some of the children have teeth that have decayed to the gum line, creating intense pain. For many, the situation has been going on for months with no remediation. Norris says, “No problem is too big. We can do anything we need to do.”

Norris is currently making plans to open a children’s surgery center in Grand Ledge in 2011 in order to accommodate even more children.

Dr. Norris says, “This is what I love to do and I’m making a difference.”