Nicole McGrath-Barnes, DDS, FACD
“Dr. Nicole,” as she is lovingly referred to by her patients and community partners, established The KinderSmile Foundation, Inc. as a charitable organization in 2007, based on her personal exposure to the disparity of dental care access in Montclair, New Jersey, where she ran a private practice for nearly 25 years.
Dr. Nicole is a tireless advocate in reaching out to at-risk children in her community who lack access to affordable dental care. To date, she has led KinderSmile Foundation to provide free or low-cost dental services to over 25,000 children in New Jersey, and traveled to Jamaica, Trinidad, Haiti, Nicaragua, Peru, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Ecuador to donate dental care to children and adults.
Dr. Nicole earned her Dental Degree from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, and completed her residency program in UMDNJ, Newark, NJ. She also successfully completed the Leadership Program in 2010 offered by American Dental Association, Institute for Diversity in Leadership, in partnership with Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.
Dr. Nicole has been a member of New Jersey Dental Association’s Oral Health Coalition since 2008 and has been recognized for her commitment and spirit of volunteering by multiple organizations over the past two decades. She is a past Board Member of Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), the former President of Essex County Dental Society, and the Chair of the Membership Council of New Jersey Dental Association. She is currently a board member of the NAACP Montclair branch, committee member of Medicaid Policy Center Advisory Council and Trenton Health Team.
Dr. Nicole became a Fellow of the American College of Dentists—the oldest national honorary organization for dentists—with the Class of 2017. Fellows of ACD have exemplified excellence through outstanding leadership and exceptional contributions to dentistry and society, and only 3.5% of U.S. dentists have the honor of being inducted.