Transforming Dentistry Through Involvement and Innovation
By Ashley Musick
Once told by a middle school teacher that she “had no aptitude for science,” Dr. Erin Shah ’14 exemplifies how challenging perceptions can open doors—not only for oneself, but for an entire profession and the patients it serves. From establishing an innovative pediatric dentistry practice to driving policy changes that expand access to care, Shah has built her career by transforming obstacles into opportunities for meaningful change.
Growing up in South Dakota and Wisconsin, Shah earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration/management from Columbia College Chicago before searching for a career that truly inspired her. Fate intervened when she began to manage oral certification exams for the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, where surgeons suggested she might excel in dentistry—a pivot that reshaped her career trajectory. “I’d never considered being a dentist, not in a million years,” Shah recalls. “But then I started thinking, if I put my mind to it, I could probably do it.”
This openness to opportunity became a defining characteristic of Shah’s career. Her first experience with pediatric dentistry came while working for Dr. Mary Tierney at City Kids Dental in Chicago as Shah was completing her post-baccalaureate science prerequisites. Drawn by its exceptional reputation and community, she then set her sights on the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry.
“The Dugoni School always came up in a very positive light—I just kept hearing about it,” she remembers. “It stood out to me as the place most in line with the kind of dentist I wanted to be, the kind of professional I want to be and what my personal goals were.”
During dental school, Shah became a catalyst for change. She served as a California Dental Association (CDA) student representative, and with two other first-year students—Drs. Laura (Stewart) Kadillak ’14 and Keon Ahghar ’14—participated in an initial CDA Cares event in Modesto in 2012. “As first-year dental students, the experience in Modesto was so enlightening for us,’’ said Kadillak.
As chair of the Student Volunteer Committee for CDA Cares, Shah helped reimagine student participation in the initiative. Having attended a previous Mission of Mercy event while working for Dr. Tierney in Chicago, she was eager to share the experience with fellow dental students. When faculty and the administration hesitated due to safety concerns, Shah helped develop protocols to protect patients while ensuring valuable student experiences. Her approach enabled 86 students to participate in the two-day event in Sacramento, in 2012, with attendance growing significantly in following years.
After graduation, she served as an adjunct faculty member at the Dugoni School and worked as a general dentist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She then earned a master of science degree in oral sciences and a certificate in pediatric dentistry at University of Illinois at Chicago in 2017. She maintained connections with the CDA by joining the CDA Committee on Volunteer Placement and would fly back to California to attend meetings.
Shah’s involvement in organized dentistry expanded. By 2017, she had joined CDA’s Government Affairs Council and throughout her tenure, contributed to key achievements including securing silver diamine fluoride as a Medi-Cal dental covered benefit, long-term protection of the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act and new student loan repayment programs under the Prop 56 Cal Health Cares program. She has also been active in the San Francisco Dental Society for the past 10 years and served as president in 2024.
A notable conversation with a colleague about dental assistant duties inspired Shah to propose legislation allowing dental assistants who have their coronal polishing certificate to perform coronal polishing without having an RDA license. “I testified for the bill at the Capitol in Sacramento, which was exciting and nerve-racking because I don’t really view myself as a public speaker. But I knew what I wanted to say about the issue, and that it was important.”
Effective January 2025, the new legislation (SB1453) allows properly certified dental assistants to perform coronal polishing without an RDA license—significantly increasing access to care, particularly in public health clinics and pediatric dentistry practices across California.
“Erin is such a kind individual, and truly abides by the humanistic culture that we hold dear at the Dugoni School,” said Kadillak. “I saw her during the ADA House of Delegates the past couple of years. She shared with me some of the wonderful impact she’s had on California dental regulations that help assistants, which parallels some of the efforts that we are working towards in my own state of Utah.”
This fusion of pragmatism and passion extends to Shah’s San Francisco-based practice, Mission Bay Pediatric Dentistry—a carefully crafted environment reflecting years of thoughtful planning. “As a student, I meticulously collected ‘practice nuggets’ from publications like Dentaltown and Dental Economics,” Shah reveals. “I created folders of tear sheets of unique ideas that would inspire my eventual practice. I was collecting my future blueprint, one page at a time.”
Guided by mentors including Drs. Tierney, Natasha Lee ’00 and Cynthia Brattesani, Shah developed innovations that define her practice—from the specially designed “baby room” to her partnership with the Children’s Book Project, supporting the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Brush, Book, Bed initiative. “Cynthia also inspired my interest in children’s airway and sleep disordered breathing,” says Shah. “We are one of the few area pediatric practices with a rigorous screening protocol, and we are planning on expanding services in this area in the near future.”
Beyond her professional pursuits, Shah enjoys reading, baking and cooking as wind-down activities, and loves traveling with her husband—an interventional radiologist she met in Chicago—and their nine-year-old daughter.
Looking ahead, Shah remains committed to mentoring the next generation of dentists, encouraging them to see their profession not only as a career, but as a platform for meaningful change. “Don’t be afraid to speak up and get involved,” she advises. “You never know where an idea might lead you, or how you can make things better for your colleagues or patients.” Shah is a compelling reminder of the extraordinary difference one person can make through reimagining possibilities and persistently bringing that vision to life.
Ashley Musick is a freelance writer from Orange, California.