The good practitioner: the story of Brent L. Benkelman

Dr Brent Benkelman has practiced oral surgery in Manhattan, Kansas, since 1971. Having grown up in a tiny farming town in western Kansas, he opted for the lifestyle of a smaller community after graduating from the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Dentistry in 1966 and completing his training in oral and maxillofacial surgery in 1969. His experiences since then have revolved around family, practice, and community. With his family as his first priority, he has participated in various community activities, including a church-operated food pantry, an emergency shelter for the homeless, and Habitat for Humanity. He was nominated as a moral exemplar in dentistry for his dedicated commitment to his patients and because he understands and cares about the complexities of his patients as human beings, placing his own financial gain secondary to the interests of his patients.