Meet the Team

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 the University of Lille II, France, in 1996. She earned her postgraduate 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% of 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).
 
Dr Sahafi finished a mini-residency in dental acupuncture in 2023 at UCLA making her one of the very few dentists in the US to be able to administer acupuncture to help her patients with different dental conditions.
 
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 education courses.
 
Dr. Sahafi is an active member of the American Academy Of General Dentistry.

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 the 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 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 on 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. 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.

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.

Yasmin graduated from CSUF in 2009 in the program of biological sciences then proceeded on to become 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 and clinical instructor. She also participated in many community outreach programs provided by USC. Her strong background and clinical experience have made her not only skilled in advanced instrumentation but also in providing patients with education and the best 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

Diana graduated from the dental hygiene program at Loma Linda University. She has been working in Orange County as a dental hygienist for eight years now and can't imagine living anywhere else. Diana loves being a dental hygienist and feels like she makes a big impact on her patient's overall health. She is married, and has one son and a golden doodle pup named Bode. She loves to be outside in the sunshine and loves anything to do at the beach.

She graduated as an RDH from SJVC in 2009 and obtained her RDHAP certificate from UOP in 2015. She's grateful to be able to help and educate people to improve their oral health and prevent oral or systemic diseases. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and leading an active and healthy lifestyle. She's into yoga, skiing, and swimming.

Miriam has two years of experience as an RDA working and living in the Newport Beach/Costa Mesa area. She enjoys being able to be part of the magical transformational process of getting peoples smiles looking and feeling their best. In her spare time, she enjoys living a health centered life, hanging out with her husband and family. Some of her hobbies are golfing, Pilates, and rowing.

Christine graduated from The College of Lake County (Grayslake, Illinois) with a degree in dental assisting and has been in the dental field for over 30 years. She moved to Southern California 4 years ago from the Chicago area where she raised her 2 children. Christine and her husband love exploring California, especially the state parks and beaches.