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Passing the drill: Baby boomer dentists bid goodbye, allowing young dentists’ smiles in the spotlight
Disco on FM radio was cool. “Grease” ruled the box office. That’s when Dr. Michael Plunk opened his eponymous dental practice in June 1978 in East Dallas’ Casa Linda neighborhood. “We weren’t dependent on insurance plans, PPOs, like corporations are,” he said. “It was about relationships, long-term relationships.” Fast forward to 2026, and Latin music is popular on Spotify playlists. “Pegasus 3” is this year’s highest-grossing film so far. Plunk officially retired last year, taking with him nearly half a century of memories. His farewell isn’t unique. A large share of dentists aged 60 and older left the workforce between 2017 and 2024. The retirement surge is slowing, but the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute in 2025 projected that most baby boomer dentists will age out of the workforce by the late 2020s. Stepping up is a rapidly growing pool of younger national talent. Dentists under 45 are poised to reshape the profession. There’s more.

Howdy, Chancellor Glenn Hegar
Texas A&M College of Dentistry welcomed Texas A&M System Chancellor Glenn Hegar on Feb. 24 to visit the dental hospital in Dallas. Hegar toured the general practice and specialty clinics in the Clinic and Education Building. He took the opportunity to meet with students and staff.

Plemons named inaugural executive director of external affairs
Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas recently named Dr. Jacqueline Plemons as the inaugural executive director of external affairs. In her role, Plemons, a longtime clinical professor and director of Stomatology, will identify and cultivate collaborative opportunities between the 120-year-old dental college and the broader community, including other institutions, businesses, community care organizations and practicing dentists across the state. She will ensure each opportunity aligns with the dental college’s mission to provide academic excellence, trailblazing research and community-centered care and service. Plemons will develop operational guidelines when reviewing affiliation agreements in support of the dental school’s programs.
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Passing the drill: Baby boomer dentists bid goodbye, allowing young dentists’ smiles in the spotlight
Disco on FM radio was cool. “Grease” ruled the box office. That’s when Dr. Michael Plunk opened his eponymous dental practice in June 1978 in East Dallas’ Casa Linda neighborhood. “We weren’t dependent on insurance plans, PPOs, like corporations are,” he said. “It was about relationships, long-term relationships.” Fast forward to 2026, and Latin music is popular on Spotify playlists. “Pegasus 3” is this year’s highest-grossing film so far. Plunk officially retired last year, taking with him nearly half a century of memories. His farewell isn’t unique. A large share of dentists aged 60 and older left the workforce between 2017 and 2024. The retirement surge is slowing, but the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute in 2025 projected that most baby boomer dentists will age out of the workforce by the late 2020s. Stepping up is a rapidly growing pool of younger national talent. Dentists under 45 are poised to reshape the profession. There’s more.

Howdy, Chancellor Glenn Hegar
Texas A&M College of Dentistry welcomed Texas A&M System Chancellor Glenn Hegar on Feb. 24 to visit the dental hospital in Dallas. Hegar toured the general practice and specialty clinics in the Clinic and Education Building. He took the opportunity to meet with students and staff.

Giving kids healthy smiles
Texas A&M College of Dentistry joined the Dallas County Dental Society Feb. 6 for its annual Give Kids a Smile hosted at L.P. Cowart Elementary School in Dallas. GKAS is a long-standing community service initiative organized by DCDS to increase access to oral health education and dental care for children in the Dallas area.