Dr. Dean Elledge, program director for the Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program at Wichita State, has won the Dentist of the Year award from the Wichita District Dental Society. 

Elledge's specialties include implantology and prosthodontics, and he is the only licensed prosthodontist in the area. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry in 1983 and earned his master's in prosthodontics from the University of Minnesota in 1985. Elledge received his certificate in Advanced Education in General Dentistry from UMKC. As an associate professor emeritus in the department of Advanced Education in General Dentistry at UMKC, he has lectured to dental societies throughout the U.S., including 18 universities.  

As the AEGD program director, Elledge oversees six dental residents who are post-doctoral students from across the U.S. The Delta Dental of Kansas AEGD Clinic is home to the Wichita State AEGD program and is the largest dental training center in the state of Kansas, with the only fully equipped dental simulation lab. Dentists choose the AEGD program in order to utilize the technology and innovation Wichita State has to offer. This allows resident dentists to become versatilists who can offer a broader scope of practice where specialists may not be available, such as in small, rural towns. 

Elledge is very involved in the community, performing leadership roles at events such as Medical Mission at Home and the Kansas Mission of Mercy. 

Elledge is married to Sally Elledge, RDH, MS, who is clinical faculty in the UMKC Department of Dental Hygiene. They have three children; Lindsay, a physician; Abby, a nurse; and Samantha, who is in her second year of pharmacy school. His hobbies include supporting Chief's football, magic, rock collecting and his 1970 vintage Opel.

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