As we continue to adapt to the changing nature of Covid-19, our office routinely monitors the Community Level of Covid-19 as part of CDC public indoor guidance/safety protocols. Currently, our community level is LOW, which means masks are welcome but not required in our office. If you or your child are at severe risk for illness from Covid-19, we encourage you to wear a mask in all public indoor areas, per CDC guidelines. As we continue to monitor our local levels, we will require indoor masking in our office if our local level is upgraded to HIGH.

Childrens Dental Village team members will continue to adhere to Covid-19 safety protocols. The health and safety of our patients and families is our top priority and the clinical team will continue wearing all proper personal protective equipment. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.

Dr. Mercedes Padilla was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. While on an elementary school field trip, she was fascinated by a dental exhibit at a local museum and from that moment on, she set her sights on pursuing a dental career. Dr. Padilla attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California for her undergraduate studies. She received her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City and completed her Pediatric Dentistry Residency at The Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

Dr. Padilla has many passions but she says two rise to the top of her list: dentistry and education. To satisfy her thirst for knowledge, she enjoys membership in the following professional organizations: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, Arizona Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, California Society of Pediatric Dentistry, Arizona Dental Association, Central Arizona Dental Association and Psi Omega Dental Fraternity. Dr. Padilla also enjoys sharing her dental knowledge with local school children. Throughout the year, she offers dental presentations at many of the local elementary schools and gets lots of giggles from the kids as she dresses them up as teeth and shares healthy brushing habits. Dr. Padilla is also highly involved with the Arizona Mission of Mercy, a completely volunteer driven, large scale dental clinic.

When she's away from the office, Dr. Padilla enjoys spending time with her husband and their two daughters. These Tempe residents are always looking to support the local schools and businesses, especially locally-owned restaurants (don't hesitate to offer up some suggestions). They love the great outdoors and enjoy visiting national parks, spending a weekend with family in California or just enjoying a great roadtrip! They are always looking for new places to explore, especially in the Southwest, and welcome any of your suggestions for new places to visit! Dr. Padilla is happy to be an Arizona resident and to serve patients around the Valley including Tempe, Phoenix, Chandler and neighboring areas.

Dr. Lepetich has a long family history in the Valley having been born and raised in Tempe, AZ. He attended many of the same local schools as our patients including Waggoner Elementary, Kyrene Middle School and Corona Del Sol High School. Following the example of his father, an Obstetrician, he desired to make a difference in the lives of others and decided at an early age that dentistry was in his future. He is passionate about dentistry and the role that oral health can play on childrens attitudes, emotions and overall good health.

After receiving his Bachelors Degree from Arizona State University, Dr. Lepetich attended dental school at A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, was awarded his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree, and was authorized and licensed by the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners in 2012. He completed his pediatric residency at Loma Linda University and joined Childrens Dental Village in July 2014. Dr. Lepetich is a recipient of the prestigious Richard C. Pugh Achievement Award for outstanding performance on the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Examination, placing him in the top 3% of all candidates in 2014.

While Dr. Lepetich may be new to seeing patients as a pediatric dental provider, he is truly not new to Childrens Dental Village. In 2006, during college, he interned for Childrens Dental Village which ignited his passion for pediatric dentistry. While interning for our practice, Dr. Lepetich found an environment and culture that he believed in and set a goal to mold himself after the philosophies of the doctors at Childrens Dental Village. During his undergraduate and doctoral degree studies, he had been a regular visitor of Childrens Dental Village melding his studies with observation time to become the most complete and compassionate pediatric dentist possible. Dr. Lepetich believes that caring for a pediatric patient is more than diagnosing and completing a procedure and that every child should be treated like he would his children. While working side-by-side with Dr. Longfellow, Dr. Lepetich developed such a strong interest in orthodontics that he completed additional instruction in the delivery of orthodontic care for his patients in addition to pediatric dentistry.

Dr. Lepetich has been married to his wife Michelle for 5 years. They have a daughter Marlee and a son, Nolan. His interests outside of dentistry include spending time with his family, competing in endurance cycling events and mentoring youth as a Scout Leader. He also has been a part of medical mission trips to Nicaragua, Honduras, and Ecuador. Dr. Lepetich is excited to join Childrens Dental Village and continue the tradition of excellence.