We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Najmeh Hannanvash. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Najmeh below.

Najmeh, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

In 2014, As a pediatric dentist, deep in the throws of a busy associateship, I thought I had experience in just about ever procedure, treatment, and challenge that could come my way. I was wrong. I was introduced to the need for helping infants with feeding issues due to restrictive oral tissues (tongue-tie, lip-tie, etc) from a lactation consultant. Prior to this introduction, I had experienced treating patient with oral restrictions by performing a frenectomy, but at a much older age and for different symptoms (speech issues, dental gapping (diastema), or other limitations in range of motion). I had never learned about treating infants for ties to facilitate feeding, latching, weight gain and a whole host of other symptoms that can be associated with this impaired function. This lactation consultant helped introduce me to a new subspecialty that I have since been deeply affected by, personally and professionally. Doing a procedure with a new intent and for a different purpose change the direction of my professional course. I have spent years providing caring for the SoCal population. I have since become an expert in the field of oral restrictions and pediatric airway/functional growth modification. I speak on these topics and have even established my own course to help other dentists and professionals alike to become more educated in these topics as well.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

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 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, traveling, watching movies, exploring San Diego, and spending time with her Chihuahuas Simba and Nala. She is passionate about giving back to her community.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Absolutely. I think that as a pediatric dentist, I can make the biggest change and have the most influence on a child’s dental development and outlook. I think that, in addition to taking care of a childs teeth and oral hygiene, my biggest role is to help foster a positive dental experience to help set the stage for them as they continue to grow and enter adulthood. The impact I can make for these children at such young ages is not lost on me.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Our growth strategy at Little Star Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics has always been the same. We do our best, day in and day out, to provide the most compassionate and comprehensive care possible. We hope that with that experience, families are able to spread the word about our office and share with their friends, family, and neighbors. We’ve always relied on word of mouth and internal referrals to help us grow. We strive to create an environment where the office, the experience, and the quality of the care that patients receive are exceptional.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.littlestardentistry.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlestardentistry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlestardentistry
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/little-star-pediatric-dentistry-san-diego?osq=Little+Star+Pediatric+Dentistry

Image Credits
All photos taken by Nathan Padilla Photography