Meet Our Team

MEET DR. MAI 

Dr. Mai Ferrara, who likes to go by Dr. Mai, genuinely cares about every patient she treats. Every smile she creates is a new challenge, and a new opportunity to have a positive impact on someone’s life. She acquired her passion for becoming an orthodontist as a young teen while working in multiple orthodontists’ offices throughout high school, college, and beyond. Her wide breadth of experience has been channeled into providing great care for her patients, and she finds that her perfectionist personality benefits all of her patient’s treatment.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Dr. Mai continued her education by attending dental school at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. She graduated at the top of her class with the highest honors and was inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon. She then was accepted into one of our nation’s leading orthodontic residency programs at Baylor College of Dentistry where she received her master’s degree and certificate of orthodontics in 2001.

Coming home to Austin after all of her training, Dr. Mai has been in private practice for the past 21 years. She started her orthodontic practice in 2004 and served the South West Austin orthodontic community for 16 years while raising two boys. She recently retired and sold her practice to focus on her family. Hill Country Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics is now creating a perfect balance for her to still do what she loves while caring for her loved ones at home!

OUTSIDE THE OFFICE 

As a devoted mom, Dr. Mai balances life with patient care. A native of Austin, she enjoys being outside in the sunshine and spending time with her family and friends. She likes to stay active, whether she is swimming laps in the pool, cycling with her sons, hiking the trails, playing golf, or power walking with friends. She also enjoys cooking, wine tasting, ballroom dancing, traveling, and spending quality time with family and friends. 

Dr. Ana Tijerina grew up spending most of her time at her family’s dental clinic and from a young age she decided that she wanted to be a dentist. After graduating from dental school, Dr. Ana did a one-year fellowship where she discovered her desire to work with children. This led her to complete a two-year residency in Pediatric Dentistry at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in New Jersey, were she received extensive training in oral conscious sedation and behavior management.

She believes in providing quality care while making the experience fun and relaxing for children and their parents; Dr. Ana is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association and the Texas Dental Association.

In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs; she loves hiking, cycling and exploring everything that Austin has to offer.

Dr. Corey Shook is an orthodontist who received his certificate and MDS degree from the University of Pittsburgh Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics program. Prior to this, he completed his undergraduate and dental education at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and a one-year fellowship in Advanced General Dentistry at Boston University School of Dental Medicine. He is a member of the American Dental Association and the American Association of Orthodontists. He is also board eligible by the American Board of Orthodontics. His favorite part of being an orthodontist is getting to be part of such a huge milestone in his patients’ lives. Outside of life as an orthodontist, Dr. Shook enjoys trying new restaurants, traveling, and meeting new people. He is also proud to call Texas his new home!

Dr. Nieku Manshadi is a pediatric dentist who views treating children as a privilege and an opportunity to make dental visits fun and enjoyable for patients and their families. He believes in building trust from the first visit to ensure a comfortable experience for his patients. Dr. Manshadi graduated with a Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree from University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and completed a two-year pediatric dental residency at Boston University. He is board-certified by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and licensed to provide safe treatment to patients with special needs and oral conscious sedation for those with anxiety.

A firm believer in expanding access to care to those in need, his travels have taken him as far as Ecuador and the Philippines to provide treatment to areas with limited health care. He is also an avid traveler who loves to explore the food and culture of various countries. In his spare time, Dr. Manshadi enjoys alpine skiing and spending time with close friends and family.