Meet The Doctors

David Coleman, DDS

Orthodontist

Dr. Coleman was born and raised in Kansas and received his dental degree from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in New York. After dental school, he served for 4 years in the Air Force as a commissioned officer, working as a general dentist, dental lab director, and officer in charge of mass casualty response training. While in the Air Force, Dr. Coleman earned the rank of Captain, received the Air Force Commendation Medal, and was given the honor of being named Company Grade Officer of the Year for the medical group at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ. Following his military service, he went on to earn his Certificate in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics from NYU Langone Dental Medicine.

Dr. Coleman enjoys working with patients of all ages and is highly experienced in providing child, adolescent, and adult orthodontic treatment with braces and Invisalign. He continually seeks to expand his skillset with continuing education courses, including the Aligner Intensive Fellowship, a rigorous course focusing on clear aligner treatment.

Dr. Coleman’s Professional Training and Memberships

  • American Dental Association
  • American Association of Orthodontists
  • Northeastern Society of Orthodontists
Phong Ta, DDS

Board Certified Dental Anesthesiologist

Dr. Phong Ta specializes in delivering anesthesia for dentistry and is a Board Certified Dentist Anesthesiologist with extensive anesthesia training from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. While at that institution he was trained to provide the full spectrum of anesthesia from mild sedation to complete general anesthesia for a wide range of procedures and patients. As part of his training Dr. Ta maintains active certification in Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life support (PALS).

During his career he has worked with dentists throughout the New York Metropolitan area and has treated thousands of patients, both pediatric and adult, in the dental office setting. Mobile dental anesthesia is a unique combination of medicine and dentistry that Dr. Ta has honed his skills in over the years, and he is proud to be a specialist who can offer these services for patients in and around the New York City area.

Prior to his time at Mount Sinai Hospital, he competed a general practice residency at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System in California in association with Stanford University. As a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Maryland’s Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, Dr. Ta was in the top 10% of his class and was awarded his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree with distinctions from multiple departments.

As a member of the medical and dental community, Dr. Ta maintains membership in the following organizations:

  • American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists
  • American Dental Association
  • New York State Dental Association
  • New York County Dental Society
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists
  • Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society

Outside the world of medicine and dentistry Dr. Ta is an avid musician and plays the violin with several orchestras throughout the city.

Billy Buchbinder, DMD, MDS

Orthodontist

Dr. Billy Buchbinder is an avid tennis (and now pickleball) player, a passionate guitarist, a baking and coffee enthusiast, and a North Jersey native who truly believes that smiles changes lives!

He received his Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) at The University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine graduating with Honors in Community Oral Health and achieving the Penn Dental Medicine Oral Pathology Award. He then attended a 3-year clinical residency in
Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at Rutgers University where he received his specialty certificate in orthodontics and Master’s degree in Dental Science (MDS).

Prior to his dental training, he grew up in Scotch Plains, NJ, attended The Wardlaw Hartridge School, and completed his undergraduate education at The College of New Jersey where he majored in Chemistry, graduated Magna Cum Laude, and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society as a junior.

Dr. Buchbinder loves working with children and adults alike and possesses an inherent
enthusiasm for his profession and a commitment to his patients. Coming from a family of pediatric dentists, he is proficient in dentofacial development and highly experienced working with young patients. He also enjoys working with adults and is an expert with the Invisalign
system as well as with clear braces treatment.

Dr. Buchbinder’s Professional Training and Memberships

  • University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine
  • Rutgers University, Residency in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
  • American Association of Orthodontics
  • American Dental Association
Donna Chen, DDS
“Dr. Donna”

Board Certified Pediatric Dentist

Dr. Donna Chen is a compassionate dentist who loves building relationships with patients and parents. She caters to children’s individualized needs and strives to make every dental visit fun for patients and worry free for parents.  She is a proponent of preventative dental care and firmly believes in educating and establishing a healthy diet and oral hygiene habits at a young age.

Dr. Donna received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her doctoral training at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. She completed an additional two-year specialty training in pediatric dentistry at Stony Brook University Hospital and served as Chief Resident.  Dr. Donna is board certified and a diplomat of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.  She earned amongst the highest scores in the nation on the case-based oral board certification examination in pediatric dentistry.   Dr. Donna stays up-to-date with continuing education courses in order to provide the highest quality care to her patients.

Dr. Donna resides in Brooklyn with her husband and fluffy Samoyed dog, Yuzu. She is a lover of animals, pickleball, travel, and good food.  Dr. Donna speaks English and Mandarin Chinese.

Dr. Ani Merjian

Pediatric Dentist

Dr. Ani Merjian is a highly accomplished professional in the field of dentistry. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University and a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from New York University College of Dentistry. Furthering her education, Dr. Ani completed a certificate program in Advanced Education in General Dentistry at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine/New York Presbyterian Hospital. She then pursued specialized training in Pediatric Dentistry at St. Barnabas Hospital, where she served as a Chief Resident.

Dr. Ani is dedicated to providing comprehensive oral health care services to infants, children, and adolescents. Her commitment to high-quality and compassionate care is evident in her practice. She places a strong emphasis on creating positive and comfortable experiences for children during their dental visits. Dr. Ani values the importance of building meaningful relationships with her patients and leverages her background to inspire them to adopt and maintain healthy lifelong habits.

Battery Park Pediatric Dentists Staff

Battery Park Pediatric Dentists’ staff consists of passionate individuals who are kind, friendly, and caring. Our staff is here to ensure a pleasant experience during your child’s visits to our office.

Battery Park Pediatric Dentists includes experienced and energetic people whose goal is to communicate well with both you and your child to provide the best care possible.