Karin Irani, DDS, JD, a California-based dentist, will assume the presidency of the organization in 2027.
The American Dental Association (ADA) has elected Karin Irani, DDS, JD, as its new president-elect and Rhett Raum, DMD, as its new Second Vice President, following votes at the ADA House of Delegates Meeting at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind., on Oct. 12. Irani, a general practice dentist based in Chatsworth, Calif, will assume the ADA presidency in 2027, while Raum, a general dentist with practices in Lafayette and Portland, Tenn, begins a one-year term as Second Vice President.
Leadership and Vision
Irani has been an active volunteer leader and member of the ADA for 26 years. Her current roles include serving as the 13th district trustee of the ADA, chair of the governance committee and governance and organizational task force, and chair of the audit committee.
“My vision is to help build an ADA that is steadfast, member-centered and prepared to meet the evolving needs of our profession,” says Irani, president-elect of the ADA, in a release. “Central to that vision is fostering a culture of belonging, where every member feels respected, valued and empowered to contribute. From insurance reform and workforce challenges to student debt, practice sustainability and oral health advocacy, the issues before us demand thoughtful leadership, meaningful collaboration and a commitment to meaningful action.”
Extensive Background and Philanthropy
In addition to her ADA involvement, Irani is a past president of the San Fernando Valley Dental Association and has served as a trustee for the California Dental Association.
She co-founded Veterans Smile Day, a national nonprofit organization that facilitates access to dental care for service veterans. She also founded the Serving Our Smiles Dental Assisting Program, which trains both veterans and non-veterans to become certified dental assistants.
Irani earned her dental degree from the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California in 2003 and later obtained her law degree from Glendale University College of Law in 2022. She currently dedicates her practice to low-income patients.
“My experience as a practicing dentist with a legal degree and volunteer leader has reinforced my belief that effective leadership begins with listening, builds on trust and is measured by results,” says Irani, president-elect of the ADA, in a release.
Tennessee Dentist Elected Second Vice President
Raum will serve a one-year term as Second Vice President for 2026-2027, a leadership post focused on advocacy and governance within the ADA’s Tripartite structure of national, state and local dental societies.
Raum has held multiple national leadership roles over his more than 22 years as an ADA member, most recently serving on the ADA’s Council on Communications and as its liaison to the ADA’s State Public Affairs Oversight Workgroup. He also chairs the Tennessee Dental Association Political Action Committee and, until his election, served as the Nashville Dental Society trustee of the Tennessee Dental Association and immediate past president of the Nashville Dental Society. While in dental school, he served as vice president of the American Student Dental Association and as that organization’s Speaker of the House of Delegates.
A Fellow with the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy, Raum earned his dental degree from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry in Birmingham and a Bachelor of Business Administration, magna cum laude, from Mississippi State University. He owns private practices in Lafayette and Portland, Tenn.
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