ABOUT US - LITTLE STAR PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LITTLE STAR
Our expert team will provide your children with the gentle, advanced dental care that they deserve. From our relaxed, fun office atmosphere to our experienced and friendly staff, our goal is to help your children to build healthy dental habits that will last them a lifetime.
Dr. Hannanvash
Dr. Najmeh Hannanvash, DDS, MSD, is a board-certified pediatric dentist who owns and operates Little Star Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics.
Dr. Najmeh was born in Iran and moved to the United States at the age of seven. After some time in California and Iowa, her family settled in Oregon where she spent most of her childhood. Upon completing high school, she attended Portland State University and obtained her Bachelor of Science in 2005.
She then attended the University of California, San Francisco, and earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree in 2010. She spent one year in Maui, Hawaii completing an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency prior to moving to Seattle, WA for a pediatric dental residency at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital. There she also received her Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) in 2013.
After completing her final degree, she moved to sunny San Diego and has been providing excellent care in pediatric dentistry since 2013. After learning, researching, and further understanding the issues caused by tongue and lip ties, she decided to open her own, specialized clinic to provide advanced laser treatment to this patient population. Dr. Najmeh states that her work in this specialty clinic and with these patients has “been profoundly rewarding and has changed the focus and direction of her career”.
In 2017 she opened her full pediatric dental practice where she prides herself in using the most current and state-of-the-art equipment and technology to provide the most efficient care for her patients.
Dr. Najmeh is a diplomat of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD) and a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), American Dental Association (ADA), California Dental Association (CDA), California Society of Pediatric Dentistry (CSPD), San Diego County Dental Society (SDCDC), San Diego County Breastfeeding Coalition (SDBC), and International Affiliation of Tongue Tie Professionals (IATP).
Dr. Najmeh Hannanvash is locally known for her commitment and work on treating newborns, infants, toddlers, and children of all ages with lip and tongue ties with the use of advanced laser surgery. She is an expert in her field and is a preferred provider in Southern California.
In her free time, Najmeh enjoys traveling, going to concerts, watching movies, exploring San Diego, and spending time with her Chihuahua Bailey. She is passionate about giving back to her community.
Dr. Jack
Dr. Wai Chan is a pediatric dentist who goes by Dr. Jack around the office. He was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to the US when he was around 9. He spent the rest of his childhood growing up in the picturesque Adirondacks of upstate New York. After growing up and training in cold states, he is now here and hopes to establish his roots in sunny San Diego.
He attended Cornell University, where he completed his Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences.
He then received his Doctorate of Dental Surgery at SUNY Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine where he not only got training in pediatric dentistry but also training in treating patients with special needs. After graduating from dental school, he went on to complete a year of general practice residency at SUNY Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, where he received additional training on complex restoration for the adult population and an in-depth focus on the special needs population. He then practiced as a general dentist at a federally qualified health center in upstate New York to help deliver care to low-income individuals and discovered his passion for pediatric dentistry. Following the stint as a general dentist, he continued to seek further education in pediatric dentistry at the University of Minnesota, where he got additional training in treating the pediatric population and kids with special health care needs. He has since worked as a pediatric dentist in California.
Dr. Jack enjoys pediatric dentistry because it offers him a chance to interact with kids and make a difference in their oral health. He believes in creating individualized care for each child and their family. Having worked as a general dentist, He has seen the detrimental effects of a lack of education and lack of prevention on teeth. This effect can often carry on into adulthood and have permanent effects on adult teeth. He focuses on creating a positive experience and helping to build self-esteem in a dental setting while encouraging healthy oral habits.
Dr. Jack is excited to be working with the team at Little Star Pediatric Dentistry! When he isn’t practicing dentistry, he enjoys being outdoors or cooking recipes that he's tried in restaurants.
Dr. Stephen
Dr. Stephen O’Donnell earned his doctorate (D.D.S.) and specialty certification in Pediatric Dentistry from the esteemed Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California. He was awarded the prestigious Floyde E. Hogeboom Award for outstanding achievement in pediatric dentistry, awarded to only one member of the graduating class. Dr. Stephen also earned his Master of Science in Global Medicine from USC’s Keck School of Medicine.
Dr. Stephen is a compassionate doctor who strives to create a warm and welcoming environment for every child. He has experience treating a wide range of children, from infants who are just hours old up to adolescent children. He strongly believes every child should be treated the same as his own family and provides a quality of care that reflects that belief. His level of expertise and training enable him to gently care for even the most anxious children.
Dr. Stephen also has extensive training in children with a variety of special healthcare needs as well. He is provided care as a member of multi-disciplinary teams at several major hospitals: Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), Los Angeles County USC Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), and Rancho Los Amigo’s National Rehabilitation Center.
Dr. Stephen has participated in the Pediatric Oral Health Advocacy Conference (POHAC), where he met with congressional leaders to improve patient care for children locally and across the nation. He has also taken part in numerous dental mission trips abroad and participated in a mobile clinic program providing free dental care to underserved children across Central and Southern California.
In his free time, Dr Stephen and his fiancé can be found exploring trails across Southern California! Occasionally you can find him around town paddle boarding around San Diego!
Dr. Sarah
Dr. Sarah Borghei is an American Board of Orthodontics certified orthodontist who is ready to give you the smile you've always wanted!
Born and raised in San Diego, Dr. Borghei (pronounced corgi but with a “b”) knew she wanted to return to start growing her roots where she grew up. After she attended Westview High, she went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Biology at UC San Diego, where her passion for dentistry grew.
She moved to Los Angeles, CA to begin her dental career at USC Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, where she earned her Doctorate of Dental Surgery by spending countless hours in the Pediatric Clinic and attending the Dental Humanitarian Outreach Program (DHOP) internationally to treat underserved populations in the Philippines and Belize. She continued her education to earn her Advanced Education in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, as well as her MBA, at Roseman University of Health Sciences in Henderson, NV.
Since going into private practice, Dr. Borghei has continued her education through the Aligner Intensive Fellowship, which offered her a deep dive into aligners for improved treatment efficiency. She is also a member of the following professional associations:
- American Board of Orthodontics
- American Association of Orthodontists
- American Dental Association
- California Dental Association
- San Diego Dental Society
Dr. Borghei and her husband, Amir, met mutually through their brothers. Amir also was born and raised in San Diego and attended TPHS. When Dr. Borghei isn't working to improve your smile, she loves to spend time with her family, traveling both locally and internationally, camping (both car camping and backpacking), and going to concerts.