The most amazing thing about Pediatric Dentistry is being able to help kids gain confidence in their independence and abilities while they also learn how to take good care of their smiles. The best part of my day is seeing the smile on a little face after a successful appointment and the pride in a child’s eyes at having conquered a fear and accomplished something they didn’t think they could do. Working with kids makes every day new and exciting!
My path to becoming a pediatric dentist has taken me all over the country. I lived in Montana, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada – all before graduating high school. After high school, I moved to Oklahoma where I received a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Oklahoma and went on to earn a Doctorate of Dental Medicine from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. I then moved to DC and completed my post-doctoral certification in pediatric dentistry from Children’s National Medical Center. During my pediatric residency, I received extensive training in all areas of dentistry for children, including behavior management, restorative and preventive dentistry, craniofacial anomalies, trauma management, conscious sedation and general anesthesia. My research focus was in the areas of craniofacial anomalies, cleft lip and palate, and neural tube defects.
I am a board certified pediatric dentist and an active member of the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Northern Virginia Dental Society, and the Virginia Dental Association.
I now live in Annandale with my husband, Mehrak, and our two mutts, Pepper and Bella. In December 2014 we were happy to add a new member to the pack when our baby boy Oliver was born! When I’m not at work I like to spend my time traveling, cooking, hiking with our dogs, trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to keep up with Oliver and cheering on the OU Sooners!
