Sumita Mitra

Sumita Mitra, inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2018, is a chemist whose groundbreaking work in nanotechnology has revolutionized dentistry. Raised in rural India with limited educational opportunities, Dr. Mitra’s early fascination with chemistry was nurtured through homeschooling and observing her father’s experiments in a wood factory lab. After coming to the United States and earning a PhD, Dr. Mitra embarked on a distinguished 32-year career at 3M, during which she received dozens of patents. Her most significant invention, 3M™ Filtek™ Supreme, is a nanocomposite dental material that has transformed dental fillings by combining nanoparticles to achieve a balance of aesthetics and durability. This innovation, the first successful application of nanotechnology in dentistry, has been widely adopted, generating nearly $2 billion in revenue. Dr. Mitra’s work enhanced dental care and established her as a role model in STEM fields, promoting education and innovation.