Pediatric dentist, Dr. J grew up in San Diego and went to Rancho Bernardo High School, where he played soccer for the Broncos. Currently, he is on faculty with the UCLA Department of Pediatric Dentistry and is on staff with San Diegos Rady Childrens Hospital. He is also a blogger and a breastfeeding advocate. Since 2010, he established his private practice in his hometown to serve San Diego families with two offices in Scripps Ranch/Mira Mesa area. He is also a proud husband and father of three girls.
Dr J. earned a honors degree in Molecular Cell Biology at UC Berkeley, then he attended UCLA for dental school. There, he served as Student Body President and was recognized by the Deans Leadership Institute. Subsequent to earning his D.D.S. from UCLA with honors, Dr. J completed 3 years of specialty training at the University of North Carolina. At UNC, Dr. J served as Chief Resident and won national recognition for his research on hereditary dental disorders. Dr J is also a breastfeeding advocate and a UCSD trained Certified Lactation Educator Counselor.
Dr. Nicole Neek LaMantia is a Chicago native who competed at the collegiate level as a triathlete and at the international level as an Irish dancer. She studied at Marquette University before completing her DDS at UC San Francisco. She then completed a residency in Pediatric Dentistry along with a masters degree in Public Health at UCLA. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the California Society of Pediatric Dentistry and as a liaison for the San Diego area for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Vahid is our office manager. He studied Information mangement at the University of Kyotos PhD program prior to entering the healthcare industry. Before the dental field, he managed a successful healthcare facility in San Diego. When asked about his 4 kids, he brags about having put 2 doctors, an engineer, and an attorney through school and hasnt had to sell his left leg to pay for them. He currently has 3 grand-kids and loves it so much, he says he wouldve just skipped being a dad and would have opted for grand-kids the first time around ! We hope youll enjoy meeting Vahid when you visit our office.
Christina is not only a dental professional but a Web & Graphic Designer. She is a well-trained office manager and dental administrator. She is also an insurance and account specialist, and will help you if you have any questions and concerns. Did we mention she also computer savvy, upgrades our website, and keeps our social media up to date. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her family. On the weekends, she can be found cooking and experimenting with different recipes from the various countries she has lived in. We cant wait for you to be meet her.
Stephanie is a great patient care coordinator. She specializes in insurance and if you have any questions, shes there to help. She has a most loving and caring aura about her and will make you feel at home when visiting our office. Stephanies happily married with 3 beautiful kids; 2 boys, 1 girl and a dog. She loves spending time with her family in the outdoors, spending a lot of time going to the beach and the parks, camping is her latest pastime.
Rebecca is an awesome patient care coordinator. She is dual trained and has been working in dentistry for 9 years, specializing in surgical work. She has a wonderful personality and will help you with any questions you may have. She has a teenage daughter and is very involved with the marching band at her school. You can find her volunteering for the San Diego Symphony.
Marissa is a Registered Dental Assistant and is absolutely amazing with kids. She is a San Diego native, a proud military spouse, and a mother of two gorgeous little girls. She has 3 years of experience in family dentistry and is now a dual trained pediatric assistant and patient care coordinator. Yup, she wears (at least) two hats at once. Shes a talented, intelligent young lady who can connect with any happy or nervous little patients to make them at ease before their dental visit. On her free time, you can find her spending time with her family and friends. Did we mention how awesome she is with kids? Really.
Reviews
Rating 4.8 out of 5 based on 148 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestShalabh Arora
2 years ago
Dr. J is very knowledgeable and provided quick treatment for my kid's teeth pain. Very friendly staff and the ambience is so much kid friendly, our first experience was a breeze. Definitely recommend !!
Sara Mashoof
2 years ago
We had such a pleasant experience. My son enjoyed his first dental visit alot. Such a friendly and helpful staff and wonderful doctor.
Lily Ho-Le
2 years ago
Had a fantastic and informative Toddler Time with my 1 year old. I'm impressed how Dr J is investing time in preventing problems for the kids, rather than just treating problems when they arise. I liked hearing about the science behind dental care. Highly recommend!
SaunieInDiego
2 years ago
Rebecca, Priscilla and all the other kind friendly staff make it fun for my child to take care of her teeth. Dr. J explains everything well. Thank you all
Sucheta Kumar
2 years ago
Very friendly staff and Dr J was kind , understanding of our concerns and very friendly.
Courtney Giordano
2 years ago
Dr. J's Toddler Time is such an amazing and valuable opportunity. I highly recommend any parents to attend. We visited yesterday with my one year old and I now feel confident that we know how best to support our daughter's oral health as her teeth continue to come in.
Neda Nouri
2 years ago
Dr.J and his friendly staff are an incredible team. Not only has he taken great care of my scared 5 years old son, but also he helped him to overcome with his fear of future dentist appointments. It's rare to find a dentist that combines such personal touches and care for a patient as a person with outstanding quality of dental care. I highly recommend becoming his patient!
Heather Horning
2 years ago
Dr. J is amazing! I absolutely love this place! All of the office staff is amazing! Especially Rebecca rocks, she greets us and always brings a smile to our face!
Stephanie Bautista
2 years ago
My daughter had her wisdom teeth extracted and Dr. Mac and his nurse were phenomenal. So caring and informative. My daughter was scared in the weeks leading up to the procedure but they put her at ease and answered any questions we had. Caring and knowledgeable! Dr. Mac checked on her that evening to ensure she was recovering well!!
Jeena Thevathasan
2 years ago
Love his dentist office! Dr. J is wonderful! My daughter had a tooth pulled and she didn't even know! That's magic :)
Lia Bailey
2 years ago
Was sent as a Referral. They rocked it out. Dr. J is great at communication with parents and the staff is super Friendly. Perfect styled office to entertain kids and keep them distracted as necessary! Also, very willing to work out payments as needed!
Kri Dwy
2 years ago
We love this dentist! Great service, fast and the hygienists and Dentist are so friendly and fast! The kids feel comfortable and the environment is very friendly!
Erika Ruelas
2 years ago
Staff is always knowledgeable and courteous. I've been taking my kids here for years and have never had a bad experience.
Erin Ayres
3 years ago
Thank you, Dr. J! You are an incredible pediatric dentist. I appreciate all your support and guidance through this process. I will recommend you and your team through and through. We'll be back!
Staci Gingery
3 years ago
My kids love Dr. J! He makes them feel comfortable and safe. My son had his first cavity filled and did not need any laughing gas because he was very calm and at ease in the chair with Dr. J and all of the assistants.
Karina Paholke
3 years ago
I appreciated how patient they were with my two year old. It was her first visit to a dentist. They were very informative, professional yet friendly, and just wonderful! We will definitely be going back!
CaLiLyn 102
3 years ago
Check in was a breeze. They had strict COVID 19 rules that they implement. The staff was nice, friendly. Kianna technician was very conscientious (forgot you name sorry) and of course Dr. J is always there to answer questions and provide encouragement both to my girls and myself. I appreciate the work that they do.
Heather Horning
3 years ago
Dr. J is amazing! I absolutely love this place! All of the office staff is amazing! Especially Rebecca rocks, she greets us and always brings a smile to our face!
Andre Asue
3 years ago
Dr. J is amazing! By far very professional, very gentle bringing his patients care in a relaxed comfortable way to performed the procedure. Thank you Dr. J! Very warm environment and staff are very nice.
Jeena Thevathasan
3 years ago
Love his dentist office! Dr. J is wonderful! My daughter had a tooth pulled and she didn't even know! That's magic :)
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