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Women in Dentistry: From Refugee to Renaissance Woman by Emily Letran, DDS, MS

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Dr. Emily Letran

I was born in war-torn Vietnam in 1968.

There was nightly news coverage on TV—troops firing, bombs dropping and dead bodies. At my young age, I didn’t understand what the war meant. When the communists took over in April 1975, our new, dark life started with food rationing, neighborhood meetings, censored music and literature, and numerous regulations.

As a teenager, I remember standing in line at the government-run store to buy food, whether it was rice, dry noodles, or even old, stale bread. At times, our family meals consisted of just plain macaroni soup, rice mixed with sweet potatoes, or noodles with soy sauce.

In 1976, I lost my mother to colon cancer. In the summer of 1981, my aunt, her two children, my two cousins, my brother and I escaped from Vietnam in a fishing boat. My brother and cousins left to avoid impending military draft for the unjustified wars at the borders of Cambodia and China. My father thought I was the oldest who could go help in this journey, so I went along.

I was 13.

I never saw my father again, because he passed away when I was in the United States. The trade embargo between our countries meant there was no possibility of my returning home.

When my foot left the soil of Vietnam, my life changed forever, irrevocably.

My first cruise
Have you ever gone on a dream vacation with fine dining and exquisite service, perhaps visiting an exotic island? I took my first cruise on a wooden fishing boat that packed 60 people in like sardines. After only half a day at sea, we were stopped by the Vietnamese Coast Guard. They shot to stop our boat, robbed people’s pockets and belongings, and then let us go. After seven days at sea, surviving with only daily sips of water, we arrived at a Malaysian refugee camp on a deserted island. We lived in makeshift housing, had small rations of food and water, and enjoyed a few hours of electricity per night.

When we came to the U.S., our main belongings were hope and faith. Shortly thereafter I started eighth grade, but I didn’t know much English. Translating almost every word from English to Vietnamese to understand school material was a daily task. I delivered newspapers every day at 6 a.m. to earn money in addition to the government help we received.

I slept on the floor for several years in our two-bedroom apartment that somehow fit 10 people. I walked or biked to school regardless of the weather, borrowed money to go to college, lived frugally throughout dental school, and held multiple jobs whenever school wasn’t in session. Through those years, I never lost sight of my goal: I wanted to have a professional career that would give me status and income and make my family proud. I studied very hard to achieve that goal.

Navigating rough waters
I gave up most of the fun in undergraduate school to finish my Bachelor of Science from the University of California Riverside in three years, and completed two additional degrees—DDS and MS in oral biology from UCLA—in four years. I purchased my first dental practice with practically no money or experience because I had learned how to present myself as a confident professional when I applied for the loan. Afterward, I successfully acquired additional loans to buy another three practices, and currently I own two multi-specialty practices in Southern California.

My more than 22 years of entrepreneurship are filled with memorable experiences. I learned to buy commercial buildings for my practices and became an expert in tenant improvement. I took time to travel and study leadership skills, while learning from great mentors (who I watched recorded or on stage) and colleagues who shared the same vision. I authored multiple books, sharing my story and business strategies to help others shorten their path to success. Although busy at work, I am still the best mom as far as my three children are concerned, because I am always there for their annual two-song Christmas programs, their numerous tae kwon do promotions and competitions, and their daily 7 a.m. choral practices.

What I always do best, besides being a mom, is leverage my talent, effort and opportunities to create social impacts that are bigger than I am. I live with appreciation and gratitude every day, thankful for what this country has given me.

Docking procedures


At the end of your life, do you want people to remember you by a title? Or do you want to be remembered as a compassionate, loving individual who spent time to create relationships and memories that actually mattered?

In my professional life, I give back to my clients by inviting them to appreciation events, such as a movie night or a bowling party. I created The Emily Letran Foundation to leave a legacy. Our mission: to change lives, one smile at a time. We reach underserved communities, veterans and disadvantaged families for their basic dental needs. We also provide scholarships for mentoring business owners from minority backgrounds. I want to be that small connection, or link, that provides greater social impact.

What if today were the last day of your life? What would your legacy be? We all navigate our own way—in this ocean called life—by the choices we make. Let’s make a difference in our lifetime so we can create a better world for all the children who come after us. Let’s build a few lifeboats, and teach some navigation skills.

Now go out and rock the world, and may the floss be with you!


Dr. Emily Letran
Dr. Emily Letran came to the U.S. as a 13-year-old refugee from Vietnam. She overcame multiple challenges to attain her DDS degree at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is the CEO of two dental corporations in Southern California, a business mentor for entrepreneurs and business professionals, and an author.

Letran is a proud mother of three children who grew up learning the values of dedication, commitment, perseverance and integrity. She recently started a nonprofit foundation to provide mobile dentistry and services for outreach communities, senior centers, veterans, and families from disadvantaged backgrounds. Her mission is to create positive social impact through philanthropy and business collaboration.






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