Bringing Smiles From Boston to Hawaiʻi

“I’m sorry, I can’t help but get emotional when I talk about this place,” said a teary-eyed Dr. Anne Tran when asked about the past 10 years she’s spent as a dentist at KKV. It took a lot of courage to move across the country and leave behind the only home she’s known to start a new journey in Hawaii, but she says it was all worth it.  

Dr. Tran was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up in a big family, almost all of which were immigrants from Vietnam. “We were basically the only Asians in the neighborhood,” she recalled. “But I was always surrounded by cousins, there were like nine families under one roof. I had a great childhood.” From a young age, Dr. Tran knew she wanted to go into the medical field. After trying out different healthcare settings during her young adult life, she was steered toward dentistry by a family member. “My cousin’s wife had just opened a dental practice [in Boston], so I got to work the front desk there and be a dental assistant.” She really enjoyed observing the procedures and how hands-on the job was. “I always loved working with my hands, like cooking and arts and crafts. Dentistry was right up my alley.”  

Dr. Tran graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2011. She then moved onto dental school At Boston University, where she graduated from in 2015. During her last year of dental school, she debated finding a job right away or joining a residency program. “I saw that Hawaii was on the list of residency locations, and I just threw my application out there. I didn’t think anything would come from it,” she explained. Dr. Tran was shocked to receive a phone call the very next day to talk story about pursuing her residency in Hawaii. “I thought, this is my one chance to come to Hawaii for a year and experience being on my own.”  

When Dr. Tran got to KKV, she said it truly felt like a second home to her. “Seeing more people that looked like me in my community definitely played a big role.” She says she felt lucky to have had such an easy transition moving from Boston to Hawaii. As her residency came to an end, Dr. Tran said she wasn’t ready to return to the mainland. At that time, KKV had an opening for staff dentist, and she immediately got the position. Soon, two years turned into three, and now Dr. Tran can't imagine working anywhere else. She fought back tears thinking about her career thus far. “It’s hard being so far away from family, but KKV is my family now. Nothing beats coming to work and helping my community. It feels so rewarding.”  

In 2022, Dr. Tran found herself at a crossroads. She and her husband are both from the mainland and were considering moving back to be closer to family. But the assistant dental director position at KKV opened, which was a role she had been interested in for a while now. “My husband knows how much I care about KKV,” she said. “He encouraged me to apply for the position because I could make meaningful change within the department.”  Dr. Tran ended up getting the job, staying in Hawaii, and is now marking 10 years at KKV this year.  

Dr. Tran credits much of her success to her mentors over the years, especially the late Dr. David Breese. “I’m going to start crying again,” she laughed. “Dr. Breese had a huge impact on me. I was fortunate to work with him before he passed.” As one of the founding forces of KKV’s dental department, Dr. Tran always admired his dedication and commitment to KKV. This inspired her to continue what he started in the dental program. “A memory that will always stick with me was talking story about the Patriots with him. He was from Chicago, but we had that connection. That’s a core memory for me.”  

Dr. Tran says KKV opened her eyes to a side of healthcare that she never thought was possible. “At KKV, I love that I can provide care without having to think about if the patient can afford it or if insurance will cover it. We have the capability to just help people, no questions asked.” In this new leadership role as assistant dental director, Dr. Tran helps to manage and oversee the clinical, operational, and administrative aspects of the department. But she is glad she still gets to see and interact with her patients. “I got so lucky with my first real dental job. Thats why I never want to work anywhere else.”