Dr. LaTedra Collins credits her family’s influence on finding dentistry as her career. Her grandfathers were carpenters, and she enjoyed fixing things with them as a child. Her mom was a social worker and her dad in the military, spending their careers in service to others.
“As I got to college, I leaned toward the healthcare sector but realized I wanted a profession in which I could be more hands-on. So, me and dentistry had a date, and the rest is history,” Dr. Collins said.
Dr. Collins attended Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, where students were encouraged to participate in summer programs. She attended one such career prep experience at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor that exposed her to a role in dentistry.
The following year she engaged in research at the University of Notre Dame, which ultimately reinforced her interest in dentistry. As a junior, she participated in another dentistry summer program at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, which also prepared her for the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). This experience solidified her decision to pursue dentistry as a career, leading to her acceptance into the University of Missouri's dental school. She fondly recalls, "I’ll never forget that they called me on my birthday to say I was accepted."
During her dental studies, Dr. Collins was inspired by a professor who shared his experience volunteering after Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, where she grew up and where her family still lived. “It was in a public health lecture that I decided that public health would be the right specialty for me."
After graduation, she completed a one-year residency at University Hospital in New Orleans, part of Louisiana State University. Then, she transitioned to a role at the Samuel U. Rogers Community Health Center in Kansas City for nearly seven years, further confirming her dedication to public health.
Eventually, she felt the pull to return home to Louisiana. She attended a National Dental Association conference in New Orleans, where she met a Benevis recruiter. “You hear things about corporate companies coming from public health, but I was open to the experience. From my research, it seemed that Benevis’ mission and goals aligned with what I was doing in public health, just on a much larger scale,” Dr. Collins said. “It took me two years to realize that we have the same mission and the same goal, but we are seeing a higher volume of patients because we have someone that is managing the business side. We're not federally funded like public health is."
In her decade with Benevis, Dr. Collins advanced from an Associate Dentist to a Senior Associate and now serves as State Dental Director for Louisiana. In that time, she has developed deep relationships with her patients. “One of my favorite things to do is to help alleviate patients' fear of dentistry. Many little girls come to their appointments with their baby dolls. I enjoy performing checkups on toy unicorns, teddy bears, and anything else they bring along to demonstrate what we will do, reassuring them that we won’t hurt them.”
Committed to her community and providing access to care, Dr. Collins led efforts to establish a mobile unit in Lake Charles, Louisiana, after the office sustained significant damage from Hurricane Laura in August 2020. “Because we were able to treat the patients in Lake Charles, we are the only practice in the whole city that provides care to the underserved community, which is often children on Medicaid. We had two chairs, we stayed busy, and it helped us to maintain our patient base. Some patients drove to our other location in Lafayette, but it is an hour away, and many could not afford to travel,” said Dr. Collins. The renovated office reopened in April 2023.
Dr. Collins's dedication to serving underserved communities is exemplified by her day-to-day work with Benevis, which serves patients covered by Medicaid and/or CHIP, along with her founding of Miles of Smiles, a nonprofit organization focused on providing oral health education, cancer screenings, and preventive care in Louisiana. This initiative underscores her commitment to addressing disparities in dental care access. In addition, Dr. Collins often volunteers her time on military bases, providing soldiers with dental exams and treatment as part of the physical health assessment conducted during basic training.
“Community service has been part of what I do from an early age. We've always been taught to give back, and so yes, you have a job, but there's something that you can do outside of that to help someone.”
In addition, Dr. Collins showcases her leadership and advocacy for the profession through other avenues of service. In 2011, Dr. Collins began leadership roles within the National Dental Association (NDA), starting with revitalizing the Heart of America Dental Society. She also served as a member of the House of Delegates, subsequently serving as Assistant Secretary, Secretary, and a District V member of the Board of Trustees, before being elected to Vice President of the NDA in 2025. In this role, she collaborates with the Executive Committee to advance the organization's strategic objectives, which include improving the delivery of oral health in underserved communities and educating minorities about dental care in underrepresented areas. Additionally, Dr. Collins serves as the National Advisor to the Student National Dental Association (SNDA).
To learn more about Benevis’ offices and services in Louisiana, where Dr. Collins and her team see patients, visit the Taylor Dental & Braces website at https://www.taylordentalgroup.com/.