Dr. Elisa Velazquez (Dr. Lisa) graduated from the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey in 1999 and completed her pediatric residency program as chief resident in 2001. In 2002, she received a Master of Science in oral biology. Dr. Elisa earned her board certification in pediatric dentistry and is a Diplomate of the AAPD. She is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA), American Academy of Pediatric Dentists (AAPD), and New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA). She is past president of the Monmouth-Ocean County Dental Association (MOCDS) and serves as state trustee. She also serves as president of the NJ Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (NJAPD).

Dr. Velazquez is the chair of Governmental and Public Affairs for the NJ Dental Association. She is the staff dentist for Childrens Specialized Hospital in Toms River and works very closely with organizations for families with children with autism. Dr. Velazquez is on the surgery staff at St. Barnabas Community Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center. She holds a specialty permit to perform conscious sedation in the office. Dr. Elisa Velazquez has been named TOP DENTIST by her peers for NJ Monthly magazine.

Dr. Matt earned his B.S. with honors from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He obtained his Doctorate in Dental Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, where he graduated with honors and distinction in clinical practice and pharmacology and therapeutics. Dr. Matt completed a general practice residency at Monmouth Medical Center and Dr. Elisa served as one of his clinical instructors in pediatric dentistry.

He always had a true passion for working with children and went on to complete his residency in pediatric dental medicine at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, where he was chief resident. He is a member of the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), and New Jersey Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (NJAPD), and he serves as a member on the board of trustees of the Monmouth-Ocean County Dental Society (M-OCDS).

Dr. Matt is an attending at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and also holds a specialty permit to perform conscious sedation in the office. Dr. Matt has been recognized as one of the top dentists in America by the Consumers Research Council of America each year beginning in 2013, and has been named a TOP DENTIST by his peers for NJ Monthly magazine.

Dr. Insano graduated from the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey in 1992. She completed her pediatric specialty training at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in 1994. While there, Dr. Insano served as the chief resident. She is a founding partner of Ocean Pediatric Dental Associates and dedicates much time and energy in our community.

Dr. Insano is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA), American Academy of Pediatric Dentists (AAPD), New Jersey Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (NJAPD), and New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA). She is also a member of Donated Dental Services. Dr. Insano has been named TOP DENTIST by her peers for NJ Monthly magazine.

Dr. Roeder was born and raised in Campbell Hall, a small town in Orange County, New York. She is the fourth oldest of ten children. Dr. Roeder graduated from SUNY Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in May 1993. After completing a one-year advanced education in general dentistry residency with the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio, she served two years as a captain at the dental clinic on McGuire AFB in New Jersey. In 1996, she returned to upstate New York, where she became the chief resident during a two-year pediatric dentistry residency at Childrens Hospital in Buffalo. She worked as an associate in a pediatric dental practice and served as the staff dentist at Childrens Specialized Hospital in Toms River for ten years before opening Growing Smiles, now part of Ocean Pediatric Dental Associates.

Dr. Roeder truly enjoys her profession and feels blessed to be able to care for children by providing a service that can make such a large impact on a childs growth and development. She lives in Cream Ridge with her husband Arthur and their rescue dogs. When shes not at her office, she enjoys spending time with family, gardening, and flying with her husband.

Dr. Akriti Gupta was raised in Monmouth/Ocean County, and spent most of her youth in Toms River. She earned her B.S. in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, then returned to her home state to complete her education at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (UMDNJ). There, through her active outreach efforts at local Newark elementary schools, she realized she had a passion for working with children. She went on to specialize in pediatric dentistry at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn. Dr. Gupta is a board-certified pediatric dentist and a member of the American Dental Association, New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA), American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), and New Jersey Association of Pediatric Dentistry (NJAPD). When she isnt in the office, she enjoys painting, cooking, and practicing yoga!

Knowing from a young age that she wanted to become a dentist, Dr. Raha attended the University of Pennsylvania to pursue the seven-year Accelerated BioDental Program, and completed a bachelors in biology and the Benjamin Franklin Honors Program. She graduated from Penn Dental in 2010 and was inducted into the Omiron Kappa Upsilon Honor Society. While in dental school, Dr. Raha also pursued a masters in education and soon realized that her passions for dentistry, education, and helping others could all be satisfied through a career in pediatric dentistry. She furthered her training at the pediatric dental residency program at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Dr. Raha obtained her board certification and received the Richard C. Pugh Achievement Award for scoring in the top three percent of candidates on the written portion of the board examination. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and NJ Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Miriam T. Furlong, D.M.D., has been in practice since 1998, after completing her orthodontic residency at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Prior to that, she attended New Jersey Dental School (now Rutgers) in Newark for her doctorate (D.M.D.). She obtained her Bachelor of Science from Georgian Court University in Lakewood. In addition to practicing orthodontics, Dr. Furlong is a leader in her professional community. She is a past president of the Monmouth-Ocean County Dental Society, and serves on the board of trustees of the New Jersey Dental Association, the board of trustees of the New Jersey Association of Orthodontists, and the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Mid-Atlantic Society of Orthodontists. She is active in community outreach and provides pro bono treatment to people in need. Her honors and awards include Top NJ Dentists from NJ Monthly magazine and Top Dentists in Ocean County/Asbury Park Press Readers Choice poll.

Dr. Heather Albert completed her specialty training in Orthodontics at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Dental Medicine, where she also attended dental school as a Dean's Scholar and honors graduate. She received her Bachelor of Science in both physics and chemistry from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Albert is a certified Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, and she is passionate about working with patients to help them achieve radiant, confident smiles.

Dr. Albert is from New Jersey, where much of her family still resides. During her free time, she enjoys reading, trying new foods, and spending time with family and friends. Her husband, Anthony, is an orthodontist as well, and they love playing with their Havanese puppy named Cannoli!

Our dental hygienists understand a childs apprehension toward dental visits. They are specially trained to alleviate any concerns and make the dental visit fun and educational. The teamfocuses on oral hygiene education, nutrition, and regular six-month preventive cleaning visits. Our hygienists even place dental sealants when needed. They are instrumental in helping your child have positive dental visits and grow up with a lifetime of healthy smiles!

Our assistants are qualified, caring, passionate people who understand the needs of your children. They are always willing to help the doctors and other members of the team take the extra step to ensure that your children are comfortable and relaxed during their dental visit.

Ocean Pediatric Dental Associates has a reputation for offering comprehensive pediatric dental care in a friendly, inviting, and professional environment. When you visit our Cream Ridge, Toms River, or Manahawkinpractice, youre not just another smile ...youre family!

When a pediatric dentist is board-certified, it means that the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, or ABPD, certifies that the dental care being provided is based on standards of excellence that lead to high-quality oral health care for infants, children, adolescents, and patients with special healthcare needs.

Certification by the ABPD provides assurance to the public that a pediatric dentist has successfully completed accredited training and a rigorous examination process designed to steadily validate the knowledge, skills, problem-solving abilities, and experience necessary forthe delivery of quality patient care. A pediatric dentist certified by ABPD is also known as a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Ocean Pediatric Dental Associates is proud to have board certified pediatric dentists.

For over ten years, the doctors of Ocean Pediatric Dental Associates have been consistently VOTED TOP DENTISTS by their peers and by their patients in the state of New Jersey. We are proud and honored of this accomplishment!