About Us

Dover Dental is a premier practice in the field of Aesthetic, Reconstructive & Implant Dentistry; we also offer Orafacial pain management, treating problems such as sleep apnea and snoring with oral appliances. At Dover Dental, we strive to provide our patients with the latest advancements in the field of general and cosmetic dentistry, and are committed to delivering superior service to every patient. As a family and cosmetic dental practice, we take pride in our tradition of combining art, passion, and technology to create beautiful smiles that have brought joy and have enriched the lives of our patients.

Meet the Team

Dr. Kate Sahafi, D.D.S.

Dr. Kate Sahafi has spent her professional life dedicated to giving her patients the highest level of quality dental care while focusing on both long-term health and aesthetics.

Veneers/Crowns, Bridges, Natural Looking Fillings, and 1-Hour Power Teeth Whitening are only some of the procedures that Dr. Sahafi uses to create beautiful smiles that last a lifetime.

Dr. Sahafi earned her Doctorate of Dentistry’s Degree at University of Lille II, France, in 1996. She earned her post graduate degree from UCLA and completed her training in Cosmetic Dentistry at the UOP in San Francisco.

Dr. Sahafi has earned her clinical expertise in the field of Advanced Functional Aesthetics from the world renowned Las Vegas Institute which trains the top 1% dentists worldwide.

In 2009 Dr. Sahafi attended a mini-residency program in Sleep Apnea directed by Dr. Dennis Bailey and Dr. Merill at the Craniofacial Pain department of UCLA School of Dentistry. There she learned how to diagnose and treat patients suffering from sleep apnea who are intolerant to CPAP (Please the Sleep Apnea page for more details).

In her relentless effort to provide the best quality dental care to her patients, she continuously hones her skills by investing tens of hours in continuing dental educational courses.

Dr. Sahafi is an active member of the American Academy Of General Dentistry.

Dr. Pichak Kelk, Periodontist

Meet our Periodontist We are glad to introduce Dr. Pichak Kelk DDS DABP as a member of our team here at Dover
Dental. Dr. Kelk is a Board certified Periodontist and Dental Implant Surgeon. She has 3 years of post-doctoral training in Periodontology beyond dental school. She has also completed 15 months of Fellowship in Dental Implant Surgery at Loma Linda University. She is specialized in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal or gum disease, treatment of oral inflammation, performing cosmetic periodontal procedures such as cosmetic soft tissue/gum grafting, treatment of gingival recession and bone regeneration as well as implant surgery. For the past 20 years, Dr. Kelk’s has focused her practice on
Periodontal and Implant surgery.

Dr. Kelk ‘s Educational background
Dr. Kelk received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Tehran University followed by a Fellowship Degree in Dental Implants from Loma Linda University Dental Implant Department. She then did her specialty training at the Advanced Periodontology Department at Loma Linda University and became a specialist and has been in practice since 2000.

She is currently a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. She was originally Board Certified by the American Board of Periodontology in 2004 and has been recertified twice since then. Dr. Kelk has previously served as the Dental Board
of California onsite examiner for conscious sedation for many years.

Dr.Kelk currently serves as a clinical faculty at the Advanced Periodontology Program at USC Dental School and she trains
future periodontists with their surgical skills.

Dr. Ronald Wright, Oral Surgeon

Dr. Wright completed his residency at UCLA. He received his board certification in 1998 from the American Board Of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery. He was also recognized in the national registry of “Who’s Who” 1999 edition. Dr. Wright also served as Chairperson for the Oral Surgery and Dentistry Department at Hoag Presbyterian Hospital in Newport Beach, California from 2002 to 2004. Dr. Wright is a member of “Pathways to Independence” which is an organization that assists women who have been abused both physically and sexually or have been released from various drug rehab facilities. He provides necessary surgery and treatment for these women at no cost. He is the first Oral Surgeon to join “Pathways” in their quest to make a difference in the lives of these women.

Effrain Chara, Orthodontist.

EDUCATION

Graduated from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, in 1990. DDS.
Graduated from Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá, Colombia, in 1995, Orthodontics.

MEMBERSHIPS

Member ADA, CDA, Harbor Dental Association, World Federation of Orthodontics, SCO.

HOBBIES

Dr Chara likes to compete in triathlons, sailing, hiking, traveling, scuba and free diving. Dr Chara has a son 20 yrs old and a daughter 18 yrs old.

Janelle O’Rork, Hygienist

Janelle started as a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) in 1989. She became a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) in 1995. Janelle teaches Dental Assisting (DA) program at Orange Coast College. She is married with 2 kids and has been working in Newport Beach for the last 14 years.

Yasamin Behbehani BS, RDH Hygienist

Yasmin graduated from CSUF in 2009 in the program of biological sciences then proceeded on to becoming a dental hygienist at USC school of Dentistry’s Dental Hygiene program. She has taught at the USC School Of dentistry as a dental hygienist as a clinical instructor. She also participated in many community outreach programs provided by USC. Her strong background and clinical experience has made her not only skilled in advanced instrumentation but also providing patients with education and best of dental hygiene care. Yasmin likes to keep herself up to date with new advances in dental care in order to best serve our patients. In her spare time She likes to bake, spend quality time with family and friends and of course her furry baby dog Lucy💕

Diane Meehleis

My name is Diane and I am very excited and privileged to be hired in such a wonderful office. I have been in some form of customer service all my life and love interacting with people. I have always tried to be fair and to treat others the way I would want to be treated. I have already met a few of you, but for those I have not, here is a little information about me.

I’m married, with two wonderful children and I have a great love for animals. My husband and I have three dogs and two cats. We volunteer at a big feline sanctuary in Acton called Shambala, which is run by The Roar Foundation. We also open up our garden once a year for The MaryLou Heard Garden Tour Foundation which benefits the Tustin Sheepfold for abused and battered women and their children. Between all of the above I enjoy spending time with family and friends.

I am looking forward to meeting all of you and learning about your talents and interests in the near future.

Brenda Cariño, Dental Assistant

My name is Elice Brenda Cariño. I prefer the name Brenda. I attended Concorde College in 2015. I am currently working at Dover Dental with Dr. Kate Sahafi. I used to work at Chu and Yang Dental. I am very privileged to be working with a left handed doctor sometimes I feel like I’m the doctor since I’m always on the right. My priority is patient care. So far I feel like I’m doing an excellent job. I enjoy traveling and exploring. I love to enjoy the outdoors.