ADA 10 Under 10 Awards honor new dentists for inspiring others, making impact
Winners exhibit excellence in philanthropy, leadership and more
Advocates, professors and rising stars in organized dentistry are among this year’s winners of the ADA 10 Under 10 Awards.
The ADA New Dentist Committee chose the recipients for demonstrating excellence and inspiring others in science, research and education; practice excellence; philanthropy; leadership; and advocacy. All 10 winners are ADA members who graduated dental school less than 10 years ago. They will receive a $1,000 cash award and plaque.
Below are the 10 Under 10 Award winners. To learn more, visit ADA.org/10under10.
Zerita C. Buchanan, D.D.S., Lithonia, Georgia
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry — 2014
Dr. Buchanan launched the Dental Dreams LLC — Dental Assisting School to help increase diversity within the dental profession and provide students at historically Black colleges and universities with the economic means to pursue their dreams of entering dental school. She also serves as the assistant director of the Increasing Diversity in Dentistry pipeline program.
Brittaney Hill, D.D.S., Chicago
Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry — 2015
Dr. Hill is a clinical associate professor and the director of the pediatric dentistry post-graduate residency program at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has served as president of the Kenwood-Hyde Park branch of the Chicago Dental Society, trustee for the Chicago Dental Society Foundation and new dentist director for the Chicago Dental Society.
Ana Keohane, D.M.D., Boston
Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine — 2016
Dr. Keohane is the director of urgent care at the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. She is the chair of the Boston District Dental Society Executive Committee and has served as president of the Massachusetts Hispanic Dental Association and treasurer of the Hispanic Dental Association.
Roopali Kulkarni, D.M.D., Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine — 2019
Dr. Kulkarni is an assistant professor of oral medicine and the assistant director of the postgraduate oral medicine residency program at Penn Dental Medicine. She is a researcher at the World Workshop on Oral Medicine and senior fellow at the Penn Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics.
Austin Lee, D.M.D., San Antonio
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine — 2015
Dr. Lee is a restorative dentist and the owner of Orbis Dental Group in San Antonio. He serves on the board of directors and chairs the New Dentist Committee at the San Antonio District Dental Society and serves on the Council on Governance and Peer Review Committee for the Texas Dental Association.
Brianna Muñoz, D.M.D., Avon, Connecticut
University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine — 2016
Dr. Muñoz is a pediatric dentist who recently started her own practice, Twinkle Tooth Pediatric Dentistry, in Connecticut. She is the board president of the Connecticut Oral Health Initiative, a nonprofit organization that promotes access, quality and equity of oral health care at the state level.
Joseph Samona, D.D.S., Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
University of Michigan School of Dentistry — 2020
Dr. Samona was born with profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and is committed to increasing accessibility to oral health care in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. As one of the few deaf dentists in the nation, he created a series of videos about oral health education in American Sign Language and co-founded the nonprofit organization Michigan Deaf Health.
Martin Smallidge, D.M.D., San Antonio, U.S. Army
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine — 2014
Dr. Smallidge, a major in the U.S. Army, aims to improve the oral health of U.S. military service members through organizational leadership, programs and clinical care. He is the army capability manager for dental services at Army Futures Command, Medical Capability Development and Integration Directorate, and an assistant professor at the Uniformed Services University for the Health Sciences.
Rubin A. Sorrell II, D.D.S., San Francisco
University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry — 2021
Dr. Sorrell served for 10 years in the U.S. Army, primarily with the California National Guard. He founded Dental Robin Hood, a nonprofit organization that provides oral health resources and services to disadvantaged communities. He serves on the San Francisco Dental Society Board of Directors and Legislative Committee and as programs director for the Greater Bay Area Dental Society.
Jessica C. Williams, D.M.D., Nashville, Tennessee
University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry — 2018
Dr. Williams is a dental public health specialist who worked in rural Iowa as part of the National Health Service Corps. She has sought opportunities to improve her patients’ health on a state and national level by participating in organizations such as the Iowa Public Health Association, American Association of Public Health Dentistry, American Public Health Association and National Coalition of Dentists for Health Equity.
