N. WAYNE HIATT RISING STAR AWARD: DR. GRACE EICHLER
Dr. Grace Eichler is the 2026 Ohio Dental Association N. Wayne Hiatt Rising Star Award winner.
Dr. Grace Eichler has been involved with organized dentistry at the local, state and national level as a new dentist. In recognition of her efforts, she will receive the Ohio Dental Association N. Wayne Hiatt Rising Star Award on Friday, Sept. 18 at the Callahan Celebration of Excellence, held in conjunction with the 160th ODA Annual Session.
“Dr. Eichler not only meets the criteria for this award, but she also surpasses them,” wrote Dr. Ruchika Khetarpal, Cincinnati Dental Society Council member, in her nomination letter. “Her forward-thinking leadership, commitment to service and passion for elevating others mark her as a true rising star within our profession. I am confident that she will continue to shape the future of dentistry through her tireless efforts, compassionate mentorship and unwavering integrity.”
Eichler said she’s honored to receive the award.
She decided she wanted to become a dentist because of the care she received from dentists and specialists as a child.
“I had my own dental transformation as a pacifier kid, and moving states when I was younger meant that I had two general dentists, two orthodontists and two oral surgeons that all contributed to my smile today,” she said. “Having worked with them, I was able to see the huge transformation in my smile and confidence, and love being able to create that confidence in my patients.”
Eichler earned her DMD from the Medical University of South Carolina James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine in 2020. She then went on to practice in Cincinnati.
“My four years of dental school ended suddenly with COVID, so I ‘graduated’ in 2020 from the Medical University of South Carolina,” she said. “With the world in chaos, I wanted to head back home until things settled down and was looking for a job in the greater Cincinnati area, without having to commit to a long-term contract. I found my perfect fit with the help of Heartland Dental and started working at Dental Care of Fairfield in June 2020. It’s been six years now, and the office has grown from a tiny team to three doctors, six hygienists, and (soon to be) 18 operatories. I’ve loved growing my clinical skills (because learning doesn’t end in dental school!) while also creating lasting relationships with my patients.”
Eichler said her favorite part about being a dentist is the unique mental and technical challenge alongside patient care.
“Dentistry is such a unique field where we not only have to diagnose and prescribe treatment on the fly, but then have to technically execute the treatment to a high degree of accuracy,” she said. “Being able to jump between the mental challenge and the technical challenge, while also keeping the patient comfortable and relaxed, reminds me of my original favorite hobby – theatre. I always say that dentistry is often like being on stage, where the end result is beautiful but the behind the scenes can feel like a whirlwind!”
Eichler has been involved in organized dentistry at the local, state and national level. With the Cincinnati Dental Society, she has served on the Membership Committee as well as the Cincinnati Dental Society Council.
With the ODA, she currently serves as the chair of the Subcouncil on New Dentists and vice chair of the Council on Membership Services. She has served on the Strategic Plan Review Committee and was chair of the Taskforce to Appoint New Dentist Representatives.
With the American Dental Association, she has served on the Standard Setting Panel for INDBE and the Council on Members Insurance and Retirement Programs. She also has served as an alternate delegate to the ADA and ODA House of Delegates.
“A highlight of my time in organized dentistry was definitely helping work to get Dr. Tom Paumier elected as ADA president-elect,” she said. “I was able to meet with ADA delegates nationwide and hear about the issues facing organized dentistry as well as the profession as a whole.”
Eichler said she thinks organized dentistry is important because of its advocacy efforts on behalf of the profession of dentistry.
“I originally got involved in organized dentistry via ASDA my first year of dental school,” she said. “ASDA’s Advocacy Month is in November, and this was directly after the 2016 presidential election. Paying attention to the role advocacy plays in not only dentistry, but the national landscape of our lives, opened my eyes to how I can get involved in shaping the future of dentistry. As the lobbyists like to say, ‘If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,’ and I know that the best way to protect the future of dentistry is for people like me to be involved in creating it.”
With ASDA, Eichler served as the District 4 trustee, as chapter vice president and as a member of the Council on Advocacy.
With Heartland Dental, Eichler has served as a presenter, facilitator and mentor. She is a fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry, received the AGD’s Top 10 Dentists to Watch, and has received several awards from Heartland Dental including the Heartland Dental University Learning Leaders Award and the Heartland Dental President’s Club. She is also a member of Pierre Fauchard Academy, Academy of Laser Dentistry, American Academy of Facial Esthetics and American Association of Women Dentists.
Eichler has also been involved in improving access to care by participating in Heartland Free Dental Day and going on mission trips with Heartland.
Outside of the operatory, she loves to travel and try all of the great restaurants around Cincinnati. She and her partner, Seth, have two pups, Billie and Ella.
The Rising Star Award recognizes a young leader in dentistry with outstanding leadership and initiative and a strong commitment to volunteerism within the community and the profession. This person must demonstrate promise for continued and future accomplishments within the dental profession, and must have been in practice for 10 years or less.
