Missouri Oral Health Champion Awards

Oral Health Champion Awardees are selected by the MCOH Board upon the recommendation of the Conference Planning Committee. Nominations are based on significant state-level work on oral health policy that contributes to improving Missouri's oral health or making oral health and oral health policy a priority for policy-makers and the Missouri public. 

Dr. Herbert Silva, DMD, FICD

Comprehensive Care Unit Director, A.T. Still University - Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health
Director, Smiles for Veterans

Dr. Herbert Silva received his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Southern Illinois University, School of Dental Medicine. He founded Chesterfield Dental Associates in 1977 where he maintained a family practice for 38 years. Prior to his career in dentistry, Dr Silva served as a USMC officer for 10 years, including a tour as a gunship helicopter pilot in Vietnam.

Upon retirement from his practice, Dr. Silva noted an opportunity with A.T. Still University-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health to help educate the next generation of dental students while also providing oral health care to others in need.  In 2016, he joined the A.T. Still University faculty as an assistant professor where he serves as a Comprehensive Care Unit Director and coordinates the Smiles for Veterans program, a community service project providing full and partial dentures to veterans at no cost.  

Dr Silva is a lifetime member of the VFW and the Marine Corps Combat Helicopter Association, as well as the Marine Corps League and Marine Corps Aviation Association. He is a member of the American Dental Association, American Dental Education Association, Missouri Dental Society, Greater St. Louis Dental Society, Delta Sigma Delta Dental Fraternity and is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists.

Dr. William T. Kane, DDS, MBA

General Dentist, Dexter MO

William T, Kane, DDS, MBA graduated from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Dentistry in 1980. He maintains a general practice in rural Dexter, Missouri. In addition to practicing dentistry, Dr. Kane’s interest and passion have been in the area of recovery and wellness. Dr. Kane credits Organized Dentistry’s well being with saving his life, as well as lives of hundreds of his dental colleagues. Dr. Kane served as Chairman of the Dental Well-Being Committee for the Missouri Dental Association from 1987 to 2016. Additionally, Dr. Kane served as a member of the Dental Wellness Advisory Committee (DWAC) with the American Dental Association. Dr. Kane is very familiar with issues facing dental professionals and patients with addictive diseases and has published articles and presented in this area. He also completed an MBA in 1992 from Southeast Missouri State University. In 2013, Dr. Kane was selected by the Missouri Dental Association as “Missouri Dentist of the Year”. In May of 2016, Dr. Kane was appointed to serve on the Missouri Dental Board, and served as President in 2018 and 2019and currently serves as Vice President. Currently he is the Representative of the Missouri Dental Board on The Prescription Drug Monitoring Task Force. Dr. Kane co-founded The Smiles of Hope Clinic in Dexter, Missouri in 2010 that provides emergency dental care for individuals who have difficulty accessing care. Smiles of Hope has treated over 11,000 patients and provided over $ 10 million of dental treatment. A second location for Smiles of Hope was opened in 2024 in Fenton, Missouri. Many of the patients are veterans and some patients travel over 1000 miles due to inability to find affordable treatment locally. This clinic also serves the recovery house and inmate populations. Dr. Kane received The American Dental Association 2025 Humanitarian Award.

A great passion of Dr. Kane enjoys mentoring pre-dental students and dental students as they begin and progress through dental school. In his free time, Dr. Kane is a waterfowl hunting enthusiast and enjoys traveling with his family

Kevin DeArman, NACM

Dental Minister, Smiles of Hope

Kevin De Arman serves as the Dental Minister for Smiles of Hope, a ministry that began in March 2010 after God placed the vision in the hearts of Senior Pastor Tim Russell of Lighthouse Ministries, Dr. William T. Kane, and Kevin De Arman. These three men were strategically positioned for “such a time as this,” laying the foundation for what would become a vital community outreach.
In its early years, Smiles of Hope operated small monthly clinics with limited local providers and patients. A pivotal moment came in July 2015, when the ministry hosted a two-week Military Innovative Readiness Training mission. This experience revealed both the significant regional need for dental care and what could be achieved through a unified, large-scale effort.
In 2016, Kevin met Dr. Silva, and through their shared background as U.S. Marines, their conversations quickly turned toward serving Veterans. That same year, on Thursday, September 15, 2016, Smiles of Hope marked a historic milestone when A.T. Still University arrived with six student doctors, two professors, one registered dental hygienist, and additional support personnel. This visit launched a Community Dental Care collaboration that continues to this day.
Kevin retired from Southeast Missouri State University in 2019 following the disbanding of the SHOWmobile program. Since then, he has volunteered full-time with Smiles of Hope, witnessing God’s continued blessings on the ministry. In 2025, Smiles of Hope broke ground on a new 33-chair dental operatory, with plans to open in 2026—further expanding its mission of bringing hope and healing through dental care.

Missouri Coalition for Oral Health Board of Directors Chair Award

Special recognition for exceptional contributions to Missouri's oral health. 

Joe Pierle, MPA

Chief Executive Officer, Missouri Primary Care Association

Joseph E. Pierle, MPA is a native Missourian. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Missouri Primary Care Association in April 1999. The Association serves as a voice for the medically underserved and represents Missouri’s community health centers, or FQHCs. Prior to this appointment, he worked for United States Senator Christopher S. Bond in Washington D.C., serving as an advisor on issues concerning health, children, the elderly, and veterans.

Mr. Pierle has shared his experience as a member of the National Advisory Committee on the National Health Service Corps, Missouri HITECH Advisory Board, Community Advisory Council to the Missouri Foundation for Health, and as a board member of the National Association of Community Health Centers. For six years, he served as board chair of the Central Missouri Division of the March of Dimes. Currently, he is a member of Missouri MO HealthNet (Medicaid) Oversight Committee, Community Advisory Board to the UMKC School of Dentistry, and Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (MOSDOH) Council.

Mr. Pierle received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas and a master’s in public administration from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He also received certificates from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health for completing health care executive programs.

Mr. Pierle is a dedicated volunteer and is committed to the betterment of the community in which he resides. He was honored by the March of Dimes for his work promoting healthier babies, the National Association of Children’s Hospitals for child advocacy efforts, and by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) for Exceptional Service on behalf of community health. He was inducted into NACHC’s Hall of Fame in March 2012.

MCOH Leadership Award

Recognizing Coalition leadership for the past 14 years. 

Gary Harbison, MA

Gary Harbison served as the Executive Director of the Missouri Coalition for Oral Health December 2011-2025. He provided leadership through several significant changes in Missouri oral health, including an historic leap in Medicaid dental provider rates in 2022, the reinstatement of adult dental benefits in Medicaid, the establishment of the Oral Health Caucus in the Missouri legislature and the filling of the MO State Dental Director position after nearly 12 years without oral health leadership within the state system. Mr. Harbison developed MCOH into a focused and strategic statewide network of advocates dedicated to health equity and access to care. He was awarded Oral Health Champion by the Missouri Dental Hygienists’ Association in 2018. MCOH was awarded Health Advocacy Organization of the Year in 2016. Prior to his work with MCOH, Mr. Harbison worked in a variety of leadership positions, including the Kansas Mental Health Director, the Maternal & Child Health Title V Director of Special Health Care Needs at the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services and as the Director of Outcomes Evaluation at the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Mr. Harbison worked in community mental health, psychiatric rehabilitation and hospital-based psychiatric services. Mr. Harbison worked as an individual, marital and family psychotherapist and has worked in community service and in service to people with complex health challenges for most of his career. Mr. Harbison serves on the Board of the American Network of Oral Health Coalitions and is a fellow of the American College of Mental Health Administration. He has a Master of Arts in Psychological Counseling and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, both from Southeast Missouri State University.