Why He Was Nominated

Dr. Martin grew up amid the coal fields of West Virginia to become a board-certified periodontist. With his partner, Nathan Kirk (see page 70), he expanded from a practice with four operatories to a new, state-of-the-art office that will soon have 15 operatories.

Inspiration

Kids. “I like to keep up with all the latest cartoons, kid’s movies and singers,” Dr. Martin says. “I can probably recite every word to every episode of SpongeBob SquarePants — I just try to be a kid myself.”

Favorite Part of the Profession

Teaching kids prevention and rewarding them with positive reinforcement. “I love telling kids ‘great job!’ when they’re cavity-free,” he says.

Advice for Aspiring Dentists

Find your niche and do what makes you happy.