Our doctors received an extra two years of specialized training after dental school. They are dedicated to treating infants through adolescents and patients with special needs. The additional education builds a strong foundation in child psychology, growth and development, non-pharmacological behavior management, sedation techniques, in-office general anesthesia and hospital dentistry.
Much like a pediatrician is trained to meet a child’s medical needs, our pediatric dental specialists are uniquely qualified to protect your child’s oral health and help them avoid future dental problems.
Dr. Stephanie Morphis-Onwuegbusi
Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist
Hi! I’m Dr. Stephanie and I look forward to helping you and your family. I feel so fortunate to genuinely love doing what I do. Working with wonderful children and their families hardly feels like work!
My goal as a board-certified pediatric dentist is to allow children (and their parents) to have a positive experience learning about preventing tooth decay and maintaining optimal oral health. If tooth decay does occur, I absolutely strive to give each child the best experience possible to avoid creating dental phobias or negative feelings. To become a pediatric dentist, I attended Berkeley for my undergraduate degree, UCLA for dental school and USC and Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles for pediatric dental residency… Go Bears! … U-C-L-A Fight, Fight, Fight! … Fight On!!
Being a mom myself, I truly do understand how it feels to want the absolute best for your child. I became a pediatric dentist in 2010 and my obligation to my patients is to treat them as if they were one of my own and deliver the best treatment possible.
Dr. Tera Van Houten
Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist
Hi! I’m Dr. Tera. I am excited to meet you and your family. My goal as a board-certified pediatric dentist is to provide a warm, welcoming and kid-friendly environment. I emphasize prevention and education and encourage a team approach involving my patients, their parents and their pediatricians.
As a pediatric dentist, I treat children from 12 months old through adolescence and I’m competently trained and experienced in treating patients with special healthcare needs. I completed my bachelor’s degree at the University of San Diego, followed by my doctorate degree from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry and my post-doctorate pediatric dentistry training at the University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
I have a strong passion for getting involved in my community and volunteering with worthy organizations. I have completed mission dentistry in Belize, Africa and Mexico. I also love teaching and I am an Associate Professor of Clinical Dentistry at USC and Miller’s Children’s Hospital/CDHC in Long Beach, where I supervise pediatric dental residents. When I’m not practicing dentistry, I enjoy spending time with my husband, and two young children, Mila and Ari.
Dr. Prusky
Hi, I am Dr. Sean. As a board-eligible orthodontist I strive to provide my patients with beautiful and healthy smiles that they can show off with confidence. My focus is to make orthodontic treatment as simple and effective as possible using modern and innovative techniques.
As an orthodontist I am competently trained in treating children, teenagers, and adults. I completed my bachelor’s degree at McGill University followed by my doctorate degree from University of Toronto and my post-doctorate orthodontic training at the University of Colorado.
When I am not doing orthodontics, I spend time with my wife and two children having fun around the South Bay. In my spare time, I enjoy being active and playing sports like hockey, skiing, canoe tripping, golf and tennis.
Dr. Stafford
Some children are unable to have dental work done in a traditional setting due to apprehension, previous negative experiences, young age, special needs, etc. We strive to keep your child’s dental experience positive and avoid creating dental phobias that can be carried into adulthood.
We offer intravenous sedation for children unable to have dental treatment using conventional methods. Dr. Richard Stafford helps care for our patients by providing pediatric sedation and anesthesia. Dr. Stafford is a board-certified dentist anesthesiologist.
Dr. Stafford attended UCLA School of Dentistry, Harvard School of Dental Medicine with a Hospital Dental Residency at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Loma Linda University for his Anesthesia Residency. Dr. Stafford works in private pediatric dental practices and is on staff at Miller Children’s Hospital of Long Beach.