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Who We Are

Are you searching for a dentist or orthodontist for your child? SmileBuilders Children’s Dentistry & Orthodontics is here to serve! Located in San Marcos, CA, we accept pediatric patients from across San Diego County. Meet our team below!

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Pediatric Dentists

Marjan Rashedi, DMD Children's Dentist & Orthodontist in San Marcos, CA | SmileBuilders Children's Dentistry & Orthodontics

Marjan Rashedi, DMD

Dr. Rashedi is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. She has a degree in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology from UCLA.  She graduated with honors from Boston University School of Dental Medicine and completed her General Practice Residency from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  From there, her lifelong desire to treat children led her to complete two additional years of specialty training in Pediatric Dentistry at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, a hospital consistently ranked in the top ten of all U.S. Children’s Hospitals.

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Dr. Rashedi proudly serves as the current Chief of the Dental & Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Section at Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego where she has been on staff since 2012. She has been recognized as a young leader in San Diego County and named a “40 under 40” by both the San Diego Metro Magazine in 2016 and the San Diego Business Journal in 2018.  Dr. Rashedi was recognized in Boston University’s School of Dental Medicine Spring 2024 alumni magazine, Impressions, for her contributions in providing increased access to care to pediatric dental patients and to patients with special health care needs.

A believer in lifelong learning, Dr. Rashedi is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, California Society of Pediatric Dentistry, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Dental Practice, and American Business Women’s Association. Dr. Rashedi enthusiastically participates in the San Diego County Oral Health Coalition and Advisory Committee.  In her spare time, Dr. Rashedi enjoys traveling, playing sports, and spending time with her husband, Josh, and her daughter and son, Ensi and Andreas.

Shiva Mohazab, DDS Children's Dentist & Orthodontist in San Marcos, CA | SmileBuilders Children's Dentistry & Orthodontics

Shiva Mohazab, DDS

Dr. Shiva Mohazab became board-certified through the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry in 2015. She is local to San Diego and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from San Diego State University. She then attended UCLA School of Dentistry for her Doctorates of Dental Surgery (DDS) and participated in several dental mission trips abroad.

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Her love for children led her to decide on pursuing a specialty, and she completed an extra two years of advanced training in Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Puerto Rico, where she was trained on dental management of young children, including special needs children, using both behavior management and sedation techniques. During her time in Puerto Rico, she became fluent in Spanish and grew a passion to serve the Spanish-speaking community as well.

Dr. Shiva Mohazab is a member of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Diplomates for Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, California Dental Association, and San Diego County Dental Society. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her husband, hiking, beach volleyball, deep-sea diving, cooking, hosting friends and family, and most of all, salsa dancing.

Neehal Ghoniem, DDS MS Children's Dentist & Orthodontist in San Marcos, CA | SmileBuilders Children's Dentistry & Orthodontics

Neehal Ghoniem, DMD MS

Dr. Ghoniem has a degree in Psychology and Chemistry from the University of Miami. She graduated from Nova Southeastern University School of Dental Medicine and completed her General Practice Residency at the Veteran Affairs Hospital in San Diego.

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Her passion for advocating for and treating children led her to pursue pediatric dental specialty training at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. This dental school is consistently ranked in the top five of all U.S. dental schools. Dr. Ghoniem also received a Masters of Science in pediatric dentistry. Dr. Ghoniem is board certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.

Dr. Ghoniem is a member of the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, California Dental Association, and the San Diego County Dental Society. Dr. Ghoniem enjoys running, traveling, hiking, and spending time with her friends, family, husband, and daughter in her spare time.

Kathryn Dardis, DDS Children's Dentist & Orthodontist in San Marcos, CA | SmileBuilders Children's Dentistry & Orthodontics

Kathryn Dardis, DDS

Dr. Kathryn Dardis is a board-certified pediatric dentist and a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Miami University with a degree in Zoology. She went on to graduate from one of the country’s consistently top-ranked dental schools, the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, where she was class vice president, a curriculum committee student representative, and a member of the Scholars Program in Dental Leadership.

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There she was recognized with the Donald A Kerr Award in Oral Pathology and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Predoctoral Student Award. Dr. Kate completed her residency in pediatric dentistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Dr. Kate is a member of the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the California Dental Association, and the San Diego County Dental Society. She is thankful to call San Diego her home for all the outdoor opportunities provided by our sunny climate. In her spare time she loves to run, practice yoga, sail, hike, camp, and travel with her husband, friends, and family.

Jaclyn Barrera DMD Children's Dentist & Orthodontist in San Marcos, CA | SmileBuilders Children's Dentistry & Orthodontics

Jaclyn Barrera, DMD

Jaclyn Barrera, DMD is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Irvine with a degree in Biology and specialization in Neurobiology. She earned her dental degree from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine.

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Her passion for pediatric oral health and education motivated her to pursue two years of specialized training in Pediatric Dentistry at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she served as chief resident.

Jaclyn Barrera, DMD. is a member of the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, California Society of Pediatric Dentistry, and the San Diego County Dental Society. During her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking/baking, being outdoors, volunteering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and spending time with her family and friends.

Orthodontists

Virginia Kim DDS Children's Dentist & Orthodontist in San Marcos, CA | SmileBuilders Children's Dentistry & Orthodontics

Virginia Kim, DDS

Dr. Virginia Kim is a board-certified orthodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. She received her dental degree (DDS) from the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry. She then continued onto the University of Southern California for her postdoctoral orthodontic residency where she received 3 more years of critical specialist training and became an expert in creating smiles that look beautiful and last a lifetime.

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Dr. Kim’s professional interests include the identification of the correct timing of treatment to minimize the amount of time a patient is in active therapy. Dr Kim uses only the most advanced technologies including digital technology, self-ligating brackets, Acceledent, and Invisalign which allows her to create beautiful smiles faster and more precisely than ever before.

Dr. Kim is a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists and the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO). In her spare time, Dr. Kim enjoys traveling, exploring San Diego and spending time with her friends, husband, son and daughter.

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