Stephanie Gans

I graduated from Ohio State dental school in 2013 with my DDS and completed a general practice residency for additional training. I practiced dentistry for five years in Cleveland, where I'm from, primarily treating pediatric patients. Unfortunately, I developed a wrist injury from overuse - specifically de Quervain's tenosynovitis, also known as 'mommy thumb' - which made it impossible to continue practicing clinically. Facing this challenge, I explored various options including the CDC and getting an MBA, but then discovered an opportunity at Procter & Gamble for an R&D General Dentist position. Even though I had never been to Cincinnati and didn't know anyone at P&G, I applied, and skills that hadn't been relevant in years suddenly mattered again, like my experience as a tour guide and spin class instructor proving I could present effectively. I joined P&G in fall 2018 and have been working with Crest and Oral-B ever since, building relationships with dental associations and key opinion leaders. I present at major conventions like SmileCon and the Pacific Northwest Dental Conference, and create continuing education content available on dentalCare.com. During COVID, we launched daily webinars - 40 in a row - to help dental professionals who were out of work stay engaged and earn CE credits while also supporting speakers whose conventions had been canceled. I'm currently pursuing my MBA with P&G's financial support because, while I understand the science, having a business foundation gives me better perspective in this industry role. My twin sister is also a dentist facing similar physical challenges and is now in a full-time MBA program. I'm fortunate that my transition has allowed me to utilize my dental and scientific background to reach much larger audiences - thousands through webinars instead of individual patients - and continue making an impact in oral health education.