Gentle Dental Desert Dental

About Me
Dr. Shah is dedicated and passionate about her work as an Endodontist. She thrives to provide the best care for all her patients. She is proud of her work, knowing that it provides healthy, functional smiles for her patients, and its satisfying for her to witness the improvement of her patients’ self-esteem as their courses of treatment progress.

She received her D.D.S. from the The University of Otago School of Dentistry in New Zealand. She continued her studies receiving her Endodontic certificate from the University of Southern California School of Dentistry.

Dr. Shah is a member of the American Dental Association, the California Dental Association, and the American Association of Endodontics. She speaks Hindi, also.

Outside of the office, Dr. Shah enjoys spending time with her family.

Education

D.D.S.–The University of Otago-New Zealand
Endodontic certificate–USC School of Dentistry

Affiliations

American Dental Association
California Dental Association
American Association of Endodontics

ABOUT ME
Dr. Pham says, “I want everyone to smile! I love my profession because it gives me the opportunity to interact with so many people on a daily basis. I feel fortunate to have a career that allows me to improve my patients’ health, well-being and self-esteem by giving them a beautiful smile.”

Dr. Pham encourages his patients to be involved in their treatment in order to achieve the best results possible, and is always open to questions and is attentive to each patient’s needs.

After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Dr. Pham received his Dental Degree from the New York University College of Dentistry. He was awarded his Orthodontic Certificate from the Roseman University of Health Sciences. To keep abreast of cutting edge technology, he’s a member of the Association of American Orthodontists.

Dr. Pham says, “In my free time I enjoy tending to my saltwater aquarium and doing home improvement projects.”

EDUCATION
B.S., Biology–University of Colorado at Boulder
D.D.S.–New York University College of Dentistry
Orthodontic Certificate–Roseman University of Health Sciences

AFFILIATIONS
Association of American Orthodontists

About Me
For Dr. Bitar, patient care is his first concern and he appreciates how the teamwork at Gentle Dental allows him to concentrate on helping his patients develop comfortable and confident smiles as he nurtures trusting relationships with them. He feels that building a foundation of trust by treating his patients as special individuals is vital and understands how uneasy some patients may feel about their dental visits, and how he can make a difference in providing a relaxing and positive experience.

Dr. Bitar received both his Bachelor’s and D.D.S. degrees from Aleppo University, in Aleppo, Syria. After coming to the United States, he attended Loma Linda University School of Dentistry through the International Dentist Program, where he was featured on the Dean’s List for his academic success. To keep abreast of  cutting edge technology, he’s a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and has received the Clinical Excellence Gold Foil Award for his work in Cosmetic Dentistry. He is fluent in Arabic.

His time away from the office is spent unwinding with friends and family. Dr. Batar enjoys travel.

Education

B.S. – Aleppo University (Syria)
D.D.S. – Aleppo University (Syria) International
Dentist Program – Loma Linda University School of Dentistry

Affiliations

American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry

ABOUT ME
Dr. Altenburg is dedicated and passionate about his work as an Endodontist. He thrives to provide the best care for all his patients. He is proud of his work, knowing that it provides healthy, functional smiles for his patients and its satisfying for him to witness the improvement of his patients’ self-esteem as their courses of treatment progress.

After graduating from California State University, Dr. Altenburg earned his dental degree from Northwestern University Dental School and received his
Endodontic Certificate from the Temple University School of Dentistry. He is a member of the American Association of Endodontists, the California State Association of Endodontists, the American Dental Association, the California Dental Association and the Tri-County Dental Society.

Dr. Altenburg is also the endodontic consultant and mentor for the Pala Mesa Dental Study Club and the Temecula ITI Dental Study Club and serves the community as an elected trustee for the Escondido Union School District.

Dr. Altenburg is a native Southern Californian and was raised in Vista, California. He enjoys outdoor activities, including fly fishing, salt-water fishing and off-roading with his wife and three children.

EDUCATION
B.S., Economics–California State University, Long Beach
D.D.S.–Northwestern University Dental School
Endodontic Certificate–Temple University School of Dentistry

AFFILIATIONS
American Association of Endodontists
California State Association of Endodontists
American Dental Association
California Dental Association
Tri-County Dental Society

About Me
Dr. Paul Anderson has always enjoyed working with his hands and doing things that required hand-eye coordination. But it was a pre-dental class in college, at the University of Utah, that decided his career as a dentist.

After receiving his D.D.S. degree from the UCLA School of Dentistry, Dr. Anderson picked up his studies at the University of Texas, Houston, to earn his Medical Doctor degree in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. He is now a Fellow of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, as well as a member of numerous other professional organizations. In his practice, he most enjoys utilizing modern sedation (anesthesia) techniques to turn a potentially frightening experience for his patients into a pleasant one.

Outside the office, Dr. Anderson is active in community service and with his church affiliations. His personal hobbies include alpine skiing and photography. Dr. Anderson is also fluent in Mandarin.

Education

B.S., Biology – University of Utah
D.D.S. – UCLA School of Dentistry
M.D., Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery – University of Texas, Houston

Affiliations

Fellow – American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
American Dental Association
California Dental Association
Orange County Dental Association
American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association
Academy of Osseointegration
American Dental Society of Anesthesia

About Me
Dr. Abude says, “I love making people smile, and I believe strongly in doing everything possible to achieve that. Having the ability to touch patients’ their lives by improving their smile is what first attracted me to Dentistry. It is about being able to see the transformation and joy on a patient’s face when they realize that you met their goals and surpassed it!”
After graduating from the University of Benin, Dr. Abude received his Dental Degree from the New York University College of Dentistry. He’s a member of the American Dental Association, the American Dental Education Association and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Away from the office, Dr. Abude enjoys travel and is an auto enthusiast.

Education

B.S., Dentistry–University of Benin College of Dentistry, Nigeria
D.D.S.–New York University College of Dentistry

Affiliations

American Dental Association
American Dental Education Association
American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry

About Me
Dr. Stephen Kallaos’ goal is to provide a pleasant periodontic evaluation and an informative discussion of the options for attaining optimum oral health. He offers multiple levels of sedation to make treatment for his patients as comfortable as possible. He is also very active with his peers to stay on top of the latest technology and procedures available. His membership to industry associations include the Academy of Osseointegration, the American Dental Association, and the California Society of Periodontists, to name a few.
After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from UCLA, Dr. Kallaos continued his studies as a Bruin, entering the UCLA School of Dentistry for his D.D.S. degree. He then focused his studies on Periodontics and earned his certificate in this specialty from the UC San Francisco School of Dentistry. He is Board-certified by the American Board of Periodontology. Dr. Kallaos has been practicing Periodontics since 1998. Outside of the office, he enjoys bicycling, snow skiing, and Sudoku, and his favorite author is Dan Brown. He is married and has three children.

Education

B.S., Biology – University of California, Los Angeles
D.D.S. – University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry
Certificate, Periodontics – University of California
San Francisco School of Dentistry

Affiliations

Diplomate – American Board of Periodontology
Newport Harbor Academy of Dentistry

American Academy of Periodontology
California Society of Periodontists
American Dental Association
California Dental Association
Orange County Dental Society
Tri-County Dental Society