Our team of friendly, experienced pediatric dental specialists is dedicated to providing gentle, compassionate care for children of all ages.
We create a fun, welcoming environment where young patients feel safe and supported—because healthy smiles start with positive dental experiences!
Dr. Pokala grew up in London and attended dental school at University College London. On moving to the US, she attended Columbia University School of Dental Medicine in New York and graduated with a DDS. She completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Dentistry for the Medically Compromised and Developmentally Disabled at Albert Einstein College of Dental Medicine and a residency in Pediatric Dentistry at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.
She went on to be a part of the team that developed and started a Pediatric Dental residency program at Rady Children’s Hospital in 2003. Dr. Pokala has lived in San Diego over 25 years and maintains a private practice close to Rady Children’s Hospital. Her family loves to travel and experience new cultures and foods. She is an avid gardener and loves to cook.
See Dr. Pokala’s television interview about preschoolers and tooth decay.
[aired on KPBS in San Diego]
Dr. Chawla grew up in India before moving to California. He completed his undergraduate studies in Neuroscience at UCLA. After volunteering in various fields, he realized that dentistry provided a little bit of everything he enjoyed – helping people, working with his hands, being involved in the health field and spending time with his family.
He continued his education at the prestigious University of Southern California School of Dentistry, where he obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree. Upon completion, Dr. Chawla was recognized for his involvement in student leadership and community service. He was happy to return to UCLA, where he completed a General Practice Residency with an emphasis in Hospital Dentistry.
Dr. Chawla completed his post-graduate residency training in Pediatric Dentistry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. Since then, he has become a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD) and has served on the boards of the College of Diplomates of the ABPD and Children’s Dental Health Association (CDHA) of San Diego. He is also a member of the medical staff at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego.
Dr. Chawla and his wife are happy to be raising their two boys in sunny San Diego! They love to spend time as a family and enjoy the outdoors. He and his wife love to travel, experience new cultures and indulge in various cuisines. His personal hobbies include oil painting, photography, sports and movies.
Dr. Arielle Ganas was raised in Long Island, New York. After her mom immigrated as a nurse from the Philippines, she was inspired to pursue a career in healthcare. She shadowed several medical specialties, but as soon as she stepped into a pediatric dental office she automatically felt at home. She loved working with families and truly enjoyed working with children, especially those who feared sitting in the dental chair. She noticed that patience and compassion were the keys to a genuine and trusting doctor-patient relationship.
On the quest to become a pediatric dentist, she completed her undergraduate studies at the University at Buffalo. She fell in love with Buffalo’s wings so much that she decided to trot through the snow a little longer for dental school.
While graduating with honors at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, she also focused heavily on community outreach. She participated in a pediatric mission trip to the Dominican Republic where she concentrated on caries prevention and education. Additionally, she volunteered in Senegal, West Africa where she learned about safe and effective behavioral management techniques for children.
Thereafter, Dr. Arielle completed her General Practice Residency and her Pediatric Dental Residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. During her training, she excelled and served as Chief Pediatric Dental Resident. She focused on hospital dentistry which included full mouth rehabilitation under sedation or general anesthesia. Her experience trained her to treat well children and those who are medically compromised or developmentally challenged. After completing a rigorous residency program, she moved to San Diego in need of brighter weather.
When Dr. Arielle is not singing Frozen’s “Do you want to build a snowman” in the office, she is embracing her new beautiful city, San Diego. She enjoys eating at all the most authentic restaurants, traveling to remote and exotic places, and spending quality time with her loved ones.
Dr. Amanda Effat completed her dental training at the University of Southern California where she received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery. She then received her specialty training in pediatric dentistry at Rady Children’s Hospital through The NYU Langone Pediatric Dental Residency program in San Diego, where she served as chief resident.
Dr. Effat enjoys being involved in an advocacy role for the improvement of oral health of children and hopes to continue doing so in the future. She is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), California Dental Association (CDA) and California Society of Pediatric Dentistry (CSPD).
Fun facts: Dr. Effat was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and has lived in Cairo, Egypt! During her spare time, she loves to spend time with her family, and travel. She is always on the lookout for new places to explore.
