Not every dentist gets to share the stage with celebrities, appear on TV shows, or even star on magazine covers. But if there is one dentist who does, it’s Bill Dorfman.
He was destined to be different from an early age—not just because he fell into a dental office after losing a tooth, but because he set out to change other people’s smiles.
Undo
“I literally fell into the dentist’s office,” he says.
Undo
When he was three years old, Bill fell while playing in the living room and knocked out several of his baby teeth. For most kids, the dentist is a terrifying prospect, but for Dorfman, the gentle and dedicated family dentist became a role model. “He helped me to restore my smile, and I wanted to do the same for others.”
Undo
He didn’t plan to become a celebrity dentist, creating million-dollar smiles for Hollywood stars, rock idols, or activists. But through talent, perseverance, and a passion for the profession, he became one of the most recognizable names in the industry. Even without another “celebrity dentist” to go along with him, he’s achieved his original dream.
“I had nothing,” Dorfman recalls of his childhood in Granada Hills. He was born into a low-income family with supportive but not pushy parents. His motivation came from his inner belief in not giving up.
“I always worked twice as hard as the next person,” he said. “Some kids in school seemed to get A’s easily, but that was never a reality for me.”
He dreamed of attending Stanford University, but due to financial reasons, he ended up attending UCLA on scholarship. In 1983, he earned his dental degree as one of the youngest graduates in the history of the dental school.
In 1986, he opened his own practice in Los Angeles, across the street from his old office. To build his profile, he invited local TV staff to become clients, and soon he was named “Best Cosmetic Dentist” by Los Angeles Magazine. “That one selection completely changed my career,” he said.
Being Bill Dorfman is more than just seeing patients every day. He invented the popular teeth-whitening product Zoom! Whitening and has appeared on TV shows, including the hit Extreme Makeover.
In 2006, he published a New York Times bestseller and broke two Guinness World Records, including one for creating a $1 million “grill” for Katy Perry.
But he never rested on his laurels. His life motto is: “Learn so you can make money and then give back to society.”
He has paid for millions of dollars in dental work, including smile makeovers for battered women, the homeless and those with serious self-doubt. “The best part of success is that you have the ability to really change the world for the better,” he says.
He also founded the nonprofit LEAP (Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Personal Growth Workshops), which helps 15- to 25-year-olds build confidence and learn leadership and interpersonal skills. Today, 60 percent of students receive scholarships, most of which are funded by Dorfman himself.
Even at 66, he’s still pushing the envelope—and will soon be on the cover of Men’s Health Mexico. “I will be the oldest shirtless man on the cover,” he said. “I want to use this as a way to tell people that no matter how old you are, you can always challenge yourself.”
“My favorite thing now is giving back to the community,” he said. “This is the biggest gift that success has really brought me.”
