Somtochukwu “Somie” Agunwah wants to empower the next generation of dental students.
QCity Metro reports that Agunwah, who moved from Lagos, Nigeria, to Charlotte, NC, in 2003, initially pursued a career in nursing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte and worked as a critical care nurse in Washington, DC, at Howard University Hospital. However, she soon realized that nursing was not the career path she wanted to continue.
“I didn’t like the lifestyle of the medical doctors that I was interacting with,” Agunwah told the outlet, referencing the lack of work-life balance and long hours.
Agunwah discovered her true calling while working under a Maryland dentist. She pivoted to attend Howard University College of Dentistry, later completing a pediatric residency in Brooklyn, NY. Reflecting on her mission, she decided to focus her efforts on prioritizing children.
“They are still teachable,” Agunwah explained, according to QCity Metro.
Agunwah is set to open a 4,200-square-foot dental practice in the Beatties Ford Road business district of Charlotte in 2025. Called Bubbles Pediatric Dentistry, a name that sounds “happy and playful,” the practice aims to provide a comfortable place for Black and brown patients, ranging from 6 months to 18 years old.
“I wanted to make sure I was situated in a place where brown and Black girls that look like me, and boys, can have a safe space where they could get their treatment,” she told the outlet.
Bubbles Pediatric Dentistry follows the earlier opening of African Kitchen, a restaurant that Agunwah later closed due to challenges related to location and marketing.
“It’s something that if you’re gonna do, you need to be very visible, and it needs to be in a great location,” Agunwah explained to QCity Metro.
However she is now turning a new leaf, with the goal of increasing Black representation in the dental space.
“My vision is experience. My goal is experience,” Agunwah expressed. “I hope to increase the number of Black dental assistants and also hope to give them job opportunities as well.”
