Faculty - Pediatric Dentistry Residency

Dan Burch, DDS, is a board-certified pediatric dentist with the Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Fisk University, and his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Burch completed his Pediatric Dentistry residency at Howard University and later completed a fellowship in Special Care Dentistry at Texas A&M College of Dentistry.

Dr. Burch serves as Chair of the Department of Dental Medicine, Chief of Dental Medicine, and Program Director of the Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. He is also a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Otolaryngology at Drexel University College of Medicine. Prior to joining St. Christopher’s, he held numerous academic leadership positions at Texas A&M College of Dentistry, including Associate Department Head, Chief of Community and Hospital Dentistry, and Director of Special Care Dentistry. His clinical and academic interests include pediatric dentistry, special care dentistry, hospital dentistry, public health, and improving access to oral healthcare for individuals with special healthcare needs.

Richard Clark, DMD, is a pediatric dentist at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and completed his pediatric dental residency at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. Following residency, Dr. Clark worked in private practice in Pottstown, PA before returning to St. Christopher's. Since then, he has served as Associate Program Director and Interim Clinical and Program Director for the Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program.

Dr. Clark is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Drexel University College of Medicine and is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. He is also the owner and founder of Mighty Bites Pediatric Dentistry in Newtown Square, PA. His interests include pediatric oral health, preventive dentistry, and caring for children with special needs.

James P Murphy, DMD, completed his DMD training at The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, followed by a Pediatric Dental Medicine residency at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. He has been a practicing Pediatric Dentist since 1990, most of that time in private practice and here at St. Christopher’s. His interests include special needs dentistry, relative analgesia, behavior management of the anxious child, procedural sedation, and care of the medically complex child.

Dustin Root, DMD, is a board-certified pediatric dentist. He received his dental degree from Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry and his pediatric dental certificate from St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. He currently serves as a pediatric dental attending at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Drexel University College of Medicine. Much of his focus at St. Christopher’s is public health related on the mobile dental unit in the Community Oral Health Initiatives Department, providing comprehensive dental treatment to children in North Philadelphia.

When not treating patients, Dr. Root is an associate dentist at Bala Kids Dentistry, a private practice in Bala Cynwyd, PA. His professional interests include minimally invasive dentistry, behavior management, treating underserved populations at risk for dental disease, and expanding much-needed dental care within the North Philadelphia community.

Liara Vinson, DDS, MSD, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. She earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry in 2020. Following graduation, she completed a General Practice Residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia before returning to Virginia Commonwealth University to earn a Master of Science in Dentistry and a certificate in Pediatric Dentistry.

While Dr. Vinson continues to provide clinical pediatric dental care through the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Unit, her primary focus is resident and medical student education. She serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Drexel University School of Medicine and is a full-time attending pediatric dentist at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. At St. Chris, she is both a clinical and didactic instructor in our residency program. Her teaching encompasses general anesthesia, procedural sedation, and comprehensive clinical treatment, preparing residents to provide safe, evidence-based care for medically complex pediatric patients.