At Chula Vista Pediatric Dentistry, caring for the smiles of children and teens isn’t just our job. It’s our passion. We love watching our patients grow from little ones with just a few teeth into inspiring young adults. Our mission is to deliver the best quality dental care in a fun, caring, and safe environment. We will go above and beyond what is expected of us to serve our patients and their families.
Dr. Rene is a board-certified pediatric dentist. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, where he graduated with honors and was inducted into the Tau Kappa Omega Honor Society.
While working for private and public dental clinics, Dr. Rene discovered the joy of treating children. At St. Barnabas Hospital in New York, he trained in different aspects of pediatric dentistry, including care for special needs patients.
Dr. Rene is an active member of the following dental societies:
Dr. Rene and his wife and two children reside in Chula Vista. They enjoy the outdoors, hiking, running, and walking by the lake and the beach. When Dr. Rene isn’t caring for patients, he enjoys spending time with his family, spending time outdoors, running, walking by the lake, playing golf, and practicing Jiu-jitsu.
Our specialists have decades of experience helping children have positive experiences in the dental chair. This dedication ensures that children grow up enjoying their dental visits, so they become adults who have as little dental anxiety as possible.
Dr. Denisse Monroy is a California native and was born and raised in Northern California. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at CSU Stanislaus. Dr. Monroy obtained her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at UCLA School of Dentistry. She also completed her pediatric dentistry training at UCLA where she served as Chief Resident. Soon after graduation she relocated to Santa Cruz, CA and as a National Health Service Corps Scholar she had the opportunity to provide dental care to children within low income and underserved communities. Dr. Monroy feels fortunate to have the opportunity to treat children and play a role in early dental education. She hopes to empower children and their families to make choices for a lifetime of good oral health.
Dr. Monroy, her husband and toddler love exploring San Diego’s different neighborhoods, restaurants and coffee shops. She also loves to spend time with her energetic Goldendoodle at his favorite dog beach or park!
Dr. Denisse Monroy is a California native and was born and raised in Northern California. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at CSU Stanislaus. Dr. Monroy obtained her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at UCLA School of Dentistry. She also completed her pediatric dentistry training at UCLA where she served as Chief Resident. Soon after graduation she relocated to Santa Cruz, CA and as a National Health Service Corps Scholar she had the opportunity to provide dental care to children within low income and underserved communities. Dr. Monroy feels fortunate to have the opportunity to treat children and play a role in early dental education. She hopes to empower children and their families to make choices for a lifetime of good oral health.
Dr. Monroy, her husband and toddler love exploring San Diego’s different neighborhoods, restaurants and coffee shops. She also loves to spend time with her energetic Goldendoodle at his favorite dog beach or park!
A Southern California native, Dr. Nadia is a highly accomplished and experienced Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist. She also dedicates time to teaching pediatric dental residents and works part-time as a clinical professor and lecturer at Rady Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Nadia began her dental career by graduating with Honors in Biological Sciences from the University of California at Irvine. Afterward, she completed her dental education at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, which is consistently ranked as one of the top ten dental schools in the country.
In San Diego, she worked for several years in some of the city's most distinguished private dental practices and community dental centers, where her passion for treating children and special-needs patients blossomed. Dr. Nadia went forward to pursue advanced training in pediatric dentistry, which included training in sedation dentistry, dental trauma care, and the treatment of medically-compromised and special-needs patients. She completed her specialty training at St. Barnabas Hospital in New York City and focused on special needs and medically compromised patients at the Rose F. Kennedy Center in New York.
Dr. Nadia’s hobbies include traveling, kayaking, and enjoying the outdoors. She also volunteers her time and dental skills to help children in need. She loves working with children and is an invited speaker and delegate at several dental conferences around the country.
Dr. Nadia is an active member in the following organizations:
As a pediatric dentist, Dr. Pat believes he can make a difference in this world, one child at a time, one tooth at a time. He realized his interest in dentistry while attending San Diego State University.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Dr. Pat left his native Southern California to attend dental school at New York University and graduated in May of 2000. It was during his Advanced Education in General Dentistry at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY that his interest in caring for children grew.
He went on to further his education and ability to care for the dental needs of children by attending the Pediatric Dentistry residency program at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, NY. Upon graduating in 2007, Dr. Pat couldn't wait to return to his home in San Diego, CA to care for and serve the dental needs of the children of San Diego. He also serves the dental needs of children in Henderson, NV.
Dr. Pat is very passionate about caring for the children that are entrusted to him, in both private practice and the various volunteer missions that he has taken part in.
In his time away from the dental office, Dr. Pat enjoys having fun and laughing with family and friends, cooking, watching his favorite sports teams compete, watching TV and movies, snowboarding in the winter, playing golf year-round in Southern California, and traveling.
Dr. Pat is involved in the following organizations:
Biography coming soon!
Dr. Marco Savittieri is a board-certified dentist anesthesiologist specialist providing general anesthesia, intravenous sedation and pain management services for patients of all ages requiring restorative dentistry or maxillofacial surgery in a private office setting. His goal is to provide safe, compassionate, hospital-quality care, tailored to the patient’s specific needs and medical history, while fostering a peaceful and calm environment.
After graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology, Dr. Savittieri worked in San Diego’s cutting-edge pharmaceutical industry. He desired to be more directly involved with the patients he was helping, ultimately pursuing a career as a health care provider. While obtaining his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at USC, Dr. Savittieri was recognized for his passion in anesthesiology and received the J. Walter Reeves Memorial Award and the DR. STAT/IV TEAM Laryngoscope Award while graduating atop his class with recognition by Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honors Society.
Dr. Savittieri completed his post-doctoral residency in Dental Anesthesiology at UCLA. He provided more than a thousand anesthetics for general surgeries in America’s top-rated hospitals such as Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Santa Monica-UCLA Hospital. Throughout his specialty training, he gained unrivaled experience as a mobile-anesthesia provider, delivering several hundred anesthetics in an ambulatory, dental office settings. As chief resident, his proficiency expanded to include out-patient orthognathic surgeries and “all-on-four” implant procedures requiring multifaceted anesthesia techniques and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Upon completion of his residency, Dr. Savittieri practiced as a mobile anesthesia provider for multiple enterprises – Comfort Dental Anesthesia, The Los Angeles Center of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Desert State Dental Anesthesia. Most of his practice is dedicated to pediatric and special needs patients. He is also devoted to servicing dental-phobic adult and geriatric patients, with complex medical conditions, requiring extensive dental rehabilitation.
Dr. Savittieri currently lives and practices in San Diego. He is a diplomate for the American Dental Board of Anesthesiology and the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists. He holds current Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support certification. Dr. Savittieri loves his job, which perfectly combines his passion for science and enthusiasm for quality patient care. Dr. Savittieri is a dedicated family man. In his free time, Dr. Savittieri enjoys all that sunny California has to offer surfing, hiking, and sandy beach days with his wife and kids.
A San Diego native, Dr. Gina Dowdy is happy to be back in hometown providing anesthesia services in her community. During her time at USC she developed a passion to care for pediatric and special needs populations, which was further promoted during her residency.
Dr. Gina attended The Ohio State University for her dental anesthesiology residency. Here, she was able to serve patients of all ages and health complexities. Her favorite rotations were spent working at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Ohio State Wexner Medical Center’s medical and surgical intensive care units. During her residency she was fortunate to speak at anesthesia conferences, participate in research, and publish articles.
Humanitarian work is a large part of Dr. Gina’s training. She has travelled globally, volunteering either as a general dentist or a dental anesthesiologist. She has served in Ghana, Mexico, Peru, Fiji, and the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic was an especially rewarding experience as she was able to utilize her anesthesia training and adapt it to the equipment and supplies that were available, differing from her traditional hospital operating rooms.
In her free time, you may catch Dr. Gina down in Ocean Beach playing softball or with her dogs at dog beach soaking in the San Diego sun.
Dr. Mark Macaoay was born in San Diego, CA and has spent most of his life here. He received his Bachelors of Science degree in Mammalian Physiology and Neuroscience from the University of California at San Diego. He then earned his Doctor of Dental Science Degree from the University of the Pacific’s Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, California. Dr. Macaoay also received a Navy Health Professions Scholarship in dental school and participated in pediatric outreach and organized dentistry during his time there. He graduated with honors and went on to complete an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego. After completing his Navy commitment, Dr. Macaoay returned to University of the Pacific School of Dentistry as a clinical professor and co-director in the International Dental Studies program.
While teaching at the dental university, he practiced in a pediatric dental office where he discovered his passion for children’s dental health. He completed his Pediatric Dental Residency training at St. Barnabas Hospital, a Level I trauma center in New York City. Dr. Macaoay has been featured in publications of the American Dental Association, the California Dental Association and local newspapers. He is a volunteer for UCSD’s Predental Society Student Run Dental Clinic and has participated in international humanitarian dental missions in Fiji, Jamaica, Jerusalem, and Grenada.
When Dr. Macaoay is not helping children achieve healthy smiles, you can find him reading, traveling, hiking, training for triathlons, and spending quality time with his family.
With their commitment to compassionate care, our team enjoys instilling positive habits in your child for a lifetime of thriving oral health. They can't wait to get to know you and your little one soon!
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Our office, as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Dental Association (ADA), and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) all recommend establishing a "Dental Home" for your child by one year of age. Children who have a dental home are more likely to receive appropriate preventive and routine oral health care.
You can make the first visit to the dentist enjoyable and positive. If old enough, your child should be informed of the visit and told that the dentist and their staff will explain all procedures and answer any questions.
We invite you to stay with your child during the initial examination. During future appointments, we suggest you allow our staff to accompany your child through the dental experience. We can usually establish a closer rapport with your child when you are not present. Our purpose is to gain your child's confidence and overcome apprehension. However, if you choose, you are more than welcome to accompany your child to the treatment room.
Our amenities help us make your child’s visit more fun! Keeping things light helps your child relax. Giving them an enjoyable visit means they’ll be excited to come back and see us!
Using the latest in dental technology helps us make sure your child is having the best dental experience possible. Digital X-rays require up to 90% less radiation than traditional films and give us a clearer image to make sure your child’s bones and teeth are developing properly. Sedation dentistry helps us work quickly while your child is relaxed. This makes for a faster appointment and a positive dental memory for your child.
At Chula Vista Pediatric Dentistry, we love to give back to a community that has supported us from the beginning. Whether it’s sponsoring a Little League or high school team, or donating our time and services performing free cleanings and oral exams to children that don’t have access to dental care, we strive to be a light of kindness and compassion in our community.
