Dr. Quint Lester is a dentist motivated by his strong Christian faith. “My logo is an illuminated tooth. My practice is my way of bringing light into the world. My ministry, if you will, is giving people the ability to shine with their smile to make this world brighter,” he said.
Lester has purchased Hilltop Dental Clinic at 50 County Road B East in Maplewood. Starting September 9, Twin Cities residents will have access to this dental practice owned and operated by a Black dentist.
“I want to be a beacon and a place of refuge, especially for those who have had a bad experience with dentistry,” Dr. Lester said. “I’m excited to provide a safe space for patients to receive comprehensive and compassionate oral care.”
Lester will lead a team of seven at the east metro office, which includes a dental hygienist, three dental assistants, and office staff. He said he is especially eager to work with patients who fear dentists.
“Fear stems from a bad experience. Dental school teaches procedures but doesn’t do a very good job speaking to the fact that patients come with their own experiences, cultural beliefs, and traditions,” he said.
According to the American Dental Association, a mere 3.8% of dentists in the U.S. are Black. In Minnesota, that figure is even lower. The 2019 Minnesota Dental Workforce report by the Minnesota Department of Health found that 1% of Minnesota’s dentists are “Black or African American.”
“The African American community has a distrust of healthcare providers, especially when we don’t have providers that look like us and have the same experience and background. There’s a lack of mutual understanding,” Lester said.
Black Americans are disproportionately plagued with dental and oral health concerns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that periodontal disease is higher in African Americans, and that African Americans experience untreated tooth decay nearly twice as often as white Americans.
“People are thought to be in control of their teeth. If they don’t brush or floss and eat junk, they have a bad outcome. Dentists can be very judgmental about how a patient presents,” he said. “That doesn’t open the door for good oral health care. That’s not my approach.”
Lester was born and raised in central Georgia. He is the oldest of six children, and he was a standout athlete, playing football and running track. He was still in high school when he shadowed a relative who was a dentist and observed his “pure, selfless acts of care” afforded to patients that made him “fall in love” with dentistry.
After graduating from Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in Nashville in 2018, Lester completed a residency at a community health clinic. He found he enjoyed working with patients with dental anxiety. His “favorite patient” was a woman who had not been in the dentist’s chair in 30 years.
“Dentistry is an intimate field; I was able to build rapport and eliminate her fear,” he recalled. “I’ve been blessed with many patients like that. They tell me, ‘I hate the dentist, but I don’t hate you.’”
After his residency, Lester was recruited to Minnesota, a place he “couldn’t have found on a map.” He moved to Brooklyn Park with his wife Saida and four children, and five years later, they settled into life in the Twin Cities. The southern family has taken up snowboarding, learned to embrace winter, and found a church home at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Minneapolis.
Lester’s goal in purchasing the Hilltop Dental practice is to make dentistry accessible and affordable for families. He plans to accept state insurance and those without insurance as patients.
For information and appointments with Dr Lester, go to thehilltopdental.com or call 651-488-2541.