As the founder and CEO of the BakerDMD Institute for Oral Health and Behavioral Sciences, my mission is rooted in a personal realization: while oral health offers vital insights into our overall well-being, social status and economic situation, there exists a profound, often overlooked barrier to care—Dental Related Fear Spectrum Disorder (DRFSD). From the terrified eyes of children to the behavioral struggles of adults, I saw firsthand that this is far more than just fear—it's a genuine disability. 

My experiences both as a scholar in prestigious institutions such as UPENN, UMICH and UCLA and as a faculty/ Dept. Chair at Yale U and OHSU made me witness the  horrifying impact firsthand  and realize quickly that this isn't just a "patient behavior." It's a colossal public health crisis, often unacknowledged, demanding a new approach to care and understanding. The significant gap/lag in unconventional non -invasive approaches such as Cognitive Behavior Interventions for Dentistry (CBI-d), compelled me to establish an institute dedicated to pioneering comprehensive solutions for this critical and widespread challenge.