Meet Our Dentists

Dr. Greg lives in Trumbull with his wife Heather and their three children. He grew up in northern New Jersey. He attended The College of Dental Medicine at Nova Southeastern University and completed his pediatric dental residency at Temple University Hospital. Dr. Greg's main goal is to create a positive experience for all of his patients. From the moment the first phone call is placed, to the delivery of care, he wants his patients and their families to have the best experience possible. He treats the child as a whole, placing as much value on their emotional well-being as their dental health. When not in the office, Dr. Greg enjoys gardening, traveling, spending time with his family, and running. He has completed four marathons and over twenty half marathons! He enjoys being an active member of this wonderful community. He served as Cubmaster of his son’s Cub Scout pack, and they proudly won the Pinewood Derby Race three years in a row! Dr. Greg is passionate about giving back to underserved children. He has volunteered at the Connecticut Mission of Mercy and international dental missions to Haiti and Guatemala. He looks forward to many more dental outreach missions in the future!

Dr. Stephanie Serpa was born and raised in Fairfield County, CT. As a native Stag, she graduated magna cum laude from Fairfield University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She then moved to Manhattan and attended New York University College of Dentistry where she earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. Dr. Stephanie then continued at NYU and Bellevue Hospital for her pediatric dental residency training, where she was appointed as chief resident. She is a board certified pediatric dentist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. 

Dr. Stephanie understands the importance of oral health and the impact an early experience at the dentist can make. She strives to provide compassion and the highest quality of care, while giving patients and their families a positive experience. Dr. Stephanie has been practicing in this community for many years, and her favorite part about practice is to watch the patients grow up and develop relationships with patients and their families. 

Dr. Stephanie resides in Fairfield County with her husband and three children, (including a set of twins!). When not in the office, she enjoys trying new recipes, traveling and spending time with her family.

Dr. Joy Richardson received her Bachelor’s of Science in nursing at Oakwood University and she attended Loma Linda University School of Dentistry for dental school and Interfaith Medical Center for Pediatric Residency. She is a board certified pediatric dentist.

Dr. Richardson enjoys working with patients that are anxious. She loves the ability to give a child a gentle and positive dental experience to decrease their fear of the dentist and make them excited to return. She loves to bring “joy” to the faces of children when she sees their smiles and when they see how fun a trip to the dentist can be. She has always been passionate about working with children. She feels if you can make a difference in a child’s life and oral health, then you can prevent lifelong dental disability and pain.

Dr. Richardson feels she brings her background from nursing to holistically treat patients. She said that each family has unique desires and circumstances and she enjoys working with parents to develop the best treatment, in light of their child and their family.

Dr. Richardson pursued a career in dentistry because as a young adult, she was deeply interested in the art of healing. One dentist that was deeply impactful to her was a dentist that was so gentle and kind, that she thought his office felt like an oasis. Pediatric dentistry combined her interest in science, her desire to prevent pain, her passion for healing and her love for children. She says, “it is more than a career, it is my life calling.”

In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, canoeing and having fun with her two boys and husband.

Dr.Mariya Dzhaniyeva is a Board-Eligible Pediatric Dentist in New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut. She is a native of Brooklyn, NY. She received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from New York University. She graduated NYU College of Dentistry with an honors in pediatric dentistry and was inducted into the prestigious Omicron Kappa Upsilon Society. Afterwards, she completed a two year pediatric residency program at Interfaith Hospital in Brooklyn. She is also a member of the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry.

Dr.Mariya is passionate about helping her patients receive the care they need. She is gentle with kids, allowing them to trust her. She creates a comfortable and friendly environment, which makes kids look forward to coming to the dentist.

Dr.Mariya specializes in behavior management, restorative care for cavities, utilization of nitrous oxide, special needs, stainless steel crowns and zirconia crowns for primary teeth, space maintenance, and assessment of orthodontic needs. She places an emphasis on preventative care and believes the most important oral care happens at home. Dr.Mariya makes it a priority to provide care from evidence-based dentistry and is always looking into new technologies and materials.

In her free time, Dr.Mariya loves to cook, travel, hike and snowboard. She is fluent in English and Russian. She plans on staying in the tristate area and providing care for her community

Dr. Shradha grew up in Long Island, New York. She went to Stony Brook University for her undergraduate education and received her dental degree at the Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine. She stayed at Stony Brook an additional two years to specialize in Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Shradha is now a Board-Eligible Pediatric Dentist in the state of Connecticut.

During her 10 years at Stony Brook, Dr. Shradha learned how much she loved giving back to the community. She participated in dental mission trips in Dominican Republic and Chile and found joy in helping the underserved areas. She also went to local homeless shelters around Long Island to provide children with complete dental care, helping to break down the barriers to care for the underserved.

Dr. Shradha enjoys being a pediatric dentist because she can teach oral health practices to kids at an early age, giving them the confidence to be able to visit their dentist and have fun. She loves to make the kids laugh and show them that the dentist is not scary.

In her free time, Dr. Shradha loves to go to the gym and try new restaurants. She loves coffee and is looking forward to exploring new coffee shops in Connecticut.

Dr. Avery Herrera received her undergraduate degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. She received her dental degree from New York University College of Dentistry and post-graduate/dental training at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Herrera has had the opportunity to live in many different parts of the country and has experienced many different perspectives, which helps in her career. With a career in pediatric dentistry, she feels she can establish a positive dental experience from an early age, which can help shape a child’s future perception of a dentist.

Dr. Herrera decided to pursue a career in dentistry because in third grade, her older sister needed dental work and the provider did not allow parents in the operative rooms but was okay with her going back to comfort her. From that moment, she fell in love with dentistry and decided she wanted to become a dentist.

Outside of work, Dr. Herrera enjoys playing golf, tennis, traveling and trying new restaurants.

Dr. Joy Richardson received her Bachelor’s of Science in nursing at Oakwood University and she attended Loma Linda University School of Dentistry for dental school and Interfaith Medical Center for Pediatric Residency. She is a board certified pediatric dentist.

Dr. Richardson enjoys working with patients that are anxious. She loves the ability to give a child a gentle and positive dental experience to decrease their fear of the dentist and make them excited to return. She loves to bring “joy” to the faces of children when she sees their smiles and when they see how fun a trip to the dentist can be. She has always been passionate about working with children. She feels if you can make a difference in a child’s life and oral health, then you can prevent lifelong dental disability and pain.

Dr. Richardson feels she brings her background from nursing to holistically treat patients. She said that each family has unique desires and circumstances and she enjoys working with parents to develop the best treatment, in light of their child and their family.

Dr. Richardson pursued a career in dentistry because as a young adult, she was deeply interested in the art of healing. One dentist that was deeply impactful to her was a dentist that was so gentle and kind, that she thought his office felt like an oasis. Pediatric dentistry combined her interest in science, her desire to prevent pain, her passion for healing and her love for children. She says, “it is more than a career, it is my life calling.”

In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, canoeing and having fun with her two boys and husband.

Dr. Greg lives in Trumbull with his wife Heather and their three children. He grew up in northern New Jersey. He attended The College of Dental Medicine at Nova Southeastern University and completed his pediatric dental residency at Temple University Hospital. Dr. Greg's main goal is to create a positive experience for all of his patients. From the moment the first phone call is placed, to the delivery of care, he wants his patients and their families to have the best experience possible. He treats the child as a whole, placing as much value on their emotional well-being as their dental health. When not in the office, Dr. Greg enjoys gardening, traveling, spending time with his family, and running. He has completed four marathons and over twenty half marathons! He enjoys being an active member of this wonderful community. He served as Cubmaster of his son’s Cub Scout pack, and they proudly won the Pinewood Derby Race three years in a row! Dr. Greg is passionate about giving back to underserved children. He has volunteered at the Connecticut Mission of Mercy and international dental missions to Haiti and Guatemala. He looks forward to many more dental outreach missions in the future!

Dr. Paulina Kanakos grew up in Staten Island, NY, just outside New York City. She received her DMD from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 2017 and her certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from the University of Connecticut in 2019. Dr. Paulina takes pride in ensuring her young patients are comfortable throughout their dental appointments. Her two most valuable traits are her compassion and patience for each and every patient. Dr. Paulina’s goal is to have each patient leave the office feeling proud and excited to return. Outside the office, Dr. Paulina loves exploring New York City with her husband, Frank, traveling, and trying new recipes to cook.

Dr Gibbs is double Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology. He works in private practice and is an Associate Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program at Yale-New Haven Hospital and Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven, CT. His educational credits include dental school at Temple (Kornberg) University, Graduate Practice Residency at the University of Southern California, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Internship at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residency at Howard University Hospital. Dr. Gibbs is disciplined in all branches of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery with a concentration in Pathology, Orthognathic and Trauma surgery as well as wisdom teeth extractions, biopsies, dental implants, and sedation for anxious patients. He is an active member of the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons and Connecticut Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons.  

Brijesh Chandwani is board certified in Orofacial Pain and he focuses on management of complex facial pain disorders in New York and Connecticut. Dr. Chandwani currently holds an academic position as Adjunct Associate Professor in the department of Diagnostic Sciences at Tufts University, Boston and at the St. Barnabas Hospital, Bronx. Dr. Chandwani underwent his dental training (DMD) at Tufts University in Boston, where he also did his post graduate fellowship training in Temporomandibular Disorders and Sleep apnea. He completed his Acupuncture training from Harvard Medical School, Boston. He has authored a number of publications and has presented at National conferences on Headaches and Bruxism. He incorporates mainly physical medicine approaches to managing these problems including acupuncture, trigger point needling, and stretching in addition to Oral appliances, Botox injections and nerve blocks.

Dr. Joy Richardson received her Bachelor’s of Science in nursing at Oakwood University and she attended Loma Linda University School of Dentistry for dental school and Interfaith Medical Center for Pediatric Residency. She is a board certified pediatric dentist.

Dr. Richardson enjoys working with patients that are anxious. She loves the ability to give a child a gentle and positive dental experience to decrease their fear of the dentist and make them excited to return. She loves to bring “joy” to the faces of children when she sees their smiles and when they see how fun a trip to the dentist can be. She has always been passionate about working with children. She feels if you can make a difference in a child’s life and oral health, then you can prevent lifelong dental disability and pain.

Dr. Richardson feels she brings her background from nursing to holistically treat patients. She said that each family has unique desires and circumstances and she enjoys working with parents to develop the best treatment, in light of their child and their family.

Dr. Richardson pursued a career in dentistry because as a young adult, she was deeply interested in the art of healing. One dentist that was deeply impactful to her was a dentist that was so gentle and kind, that she thought his office felt like an oasis. Pediatric dentistry combined her interest in science, her desire to prevent pain, her passion for healing and her love for children. She says, “it is more than a career, it is my life calling.”

In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, canoeing and having fun with her two boys and husband.