I grew up right here on the Peninsula, attending Burlingame High School, where I graduated in 1988. Then, I went to college at UC Davis, where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology. After graduation, I worked as a biochemical technician at Genentech for two years.
It was during my time at Genentech that I decided on a career in Dentistry. I was accepted into UCLA School of Dentistry, where I received a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1999. During my dental school years, I found Endodontics to be the most difficult, challenging, and confounding aspect of dentistry. So, of course, I decided that this was what I was meant to do for the rest of my life.
I spent the next two years in the Endodontics residency program at SUNY Buffalo where I earned my Endodontics specialty certificate as well as a Master of Science degree in Oral Biology. While I enjoyed my time in Buffalo and was very lucky to have met many great people, I was thrilled to move back home to sunny California. After returning, I worked as an associate endodontist for 3 years until, in October 2004, we opened Bayside Endodontics in Daly City.
Although I didn't have many concrete reasons for choosing this specialty, fate would have it that I couldn't imagine a better, more satisfying job than the one I have. Few other professions can provide people relief from intense pain and suffering every single day. I truly feel very lucky to have chosen to work in such a rewarding field. When I am away from the office, I spend as much time as possible with my wife, Tina (also a dentist!), and our three young sons. I also hold a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which I have found to be a wonderful source of exercise and stress relief.
Born and raised in San Francisco, California, I attended San Francisco University High School and graduated in 2000. My education continued at the University of California, Davis, where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Genetics while being a member of the intercollegiate tennis team. The health sciences were always an interest of mine and after exploring various health care professions through internships, I made the decision to pursue dentistry. In 2007, I earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. After graduation, I furthered my dental education by completing a one-year General Practice Residency at the Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto in 2008. The next three years were spent practicing general dentistry in the San Francisco Bay Area. While general dentistry was enjoyable, I found Endodontics to be one of the most challenging, yet satisfying aspects of dentistry. After electing to pursue a career in Endodontics, I spent two years in Boston and earned my Endodontics specialty certificate at the Tufts Postgraduate Endodontics residency program in 2013. Currently, I am a diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics, and a member of the American Association of Endodontics, American Dental Association, California Dental Association, and San Mateo County Dental Society. Dentistry aside, I enjoy reading, tennis, swimming, cooking, playing outdoors, and spending quality time with friends and family.
University of California, DavisDavis, CAMajor: GeneticsDegree Received June, 2004Honors: Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society James & Leta Fulmor Scholarship Van R. Johnson Sutter Scholars Scholarship Deans Honor List, 2000-2004 Marya Welch Tennis Scholarship Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award, West Region NCAA Division IIWomens Tennis Edward Frank Kraft Scholarship PrizeActivities: NCAA Division II Womens Tennis Team, 2000-2004 Co-captain 2003-2004 California Collegiate Athletic Association Champions, 2000-2002
Alt-Holland A, Srinivasan S, Lucier R, Kublin CL,Fong JM, Goldfein J, Baker DL, Park A, Finkelman M, Kawai T, Paster BJ, Kugel G.Do Bib Clips Pose a Cross-Contamination Risk at the Dental Clinic?Supplement to Compendium of Continuing Education in Dent 2012;33(9):1-8.
American Dental AssociationAmerican Association of EndodontistsNorthern California Academy of EndodonticsCalifornia Dental AssociationSan Mateo County Dental SocietyNorthern California Asian Dental AssociationUnited States Dental Tennis Association
Born in Sri Lanka and raised in Japan, I spent my formative years in Tokyo before moving to California for college. I attended UCLA for my Bachelors degree in Science and then moved to London for my Masters degree in Public Health. While I was always drawn to healthcare, dentistry stood out to me as a field that was both exciting and humbling, which brought me to the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Upon graduating with honors, I returned to California, completed a general dental residency with the University of the Pacific and worked as a general dentist. During this time, I found endodontics to be the most challenging due to the high degree of technical detail involved and the most gratifying, so I decided to specialize. I completed my specialty residency in endodontics at Tufts University in Boston. Having bounced from city to city all my life, I am thrilled to be back home in California long-term. Outside of the office I love traveling, yoga, eating and spending time with my husband and our two young sons.