Meet the Team at Pacific Coast Dental Group

Dr. John Acosta

Owner/Dentist

Dr. John Acosta has been in the dental profession since 2001 and loves his job. It shows in his quality of work and his caring attitude toward each patient, treating everyone as an old friend or relative, easily making patients laugh, and ensuring they are well-educated in the treatments required. This is why patients repeatedly come back to see him. Dr. Acosta is dedicated to every patient and accommodates them as much as possible by providing a flexible schedule. He is also Invisalign® certified, providing his patients with the orthodontic care and the beautiful smiles they deserve.

Born in Honolulu, HI, to a father who served in the U.S. Army, Dr. Acosta has lived in many parts of the world, including Guam, Germany, Arizona, and South Korea. However, his family finally decided to settle near Seattle, WA. Living most of his life in Washington state, he graduated high school in a small town called Spanaway and received his bachelor's degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. He is a die-hard Huskies fan and enthusiastically follows most professional sports from the Northwest. He does support Bay Area teams, but not over his Seattle teams.

Dr. Acosta decided to attend school in the country where his parents were born and earned his dental degree from the University of the East in Manila. Spending time in his parent's birthplace was an eye-opening experience, and he received a lot of hands-on experience. A colleague once shared that a dental degree gives you the license to continue learning, and Dr. Acosta has followed that idea ever since. He regularly takes continuing education classes to improve his knowledge. In addition, he goes above and beyond by taking two to three times the required amount to maintain his dental license. This provides his patients with the latest dental technologies, materials, and techniques and allows him to give all his patients a high standard of dental care.

After finishing college, Dr. Acosta decided to make the big move away from Washington and try life in California. So he packed everything he owned into his little two-seater car and drove 16 hours from Seattle to San Francisco. That was twenty years ago, and he's called the coast side his home ever since. Dr. Acosta thinks the Bay Area is by far the best place he's lived, probably because he met his wife, Ann Marie, here at a church social group. They have two sons: Soren Quinn, a sweet, intelligent, and kind 14-year-old, and Tyler "TJ," an energetic 11-year-old who takes after his dad in so many ways, especially in personality.

Dr. Acosta loves being a dentist, and aside from being a sports fanatic, he is also a tech and science geek. You'll be amazed at how much knowledge he holds in that brain of his. As dedicated as Dr. Acosta is to his profession, he loves being with his family when not serving patients. You may often find the Acosta family walking, biking, or hiking the beaches and hills of Pacifica and Montara. Dr. Acosta also enjoys snowboarding and playing basketball, volleyball, and golf. You may even catch him surfing the waves at Linda Mar Beach in El Granada.

DR. ACOSTA IS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE:

• SMCDS – San Mateo County Dental Society, 2018 President ADA – American Dental Association
• CDA – California Dental Association
• DOCS – Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation
• CEREC Doctors Academy
• SPEARS Faculty Club
• AACD – American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
• AAID – American Academy of Implant Dentistry
• AACA – American Academy of Clear Aligners

Dr. Soo Youn Si

Dentist

Dr. Soo Youn Si graduated from the University of Minnesota and served as a National Health Service Corps scholar through the US Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, she helped provide primary health care services for underserved communities. Dr. Si has been working in dentistry since 2016 and joined the Pacific Coast Dental team in 2022 after relocating from southern California.

Dr. Si’s inspiration for dentistry started when she saw how wide the health impacts her father suffered when he lost teeth due to a medical condition. How oral health affects self-esteem and daily functioning fascinates Dr. Si, and she is passionate about serving patients.

From pediatric patients to the elderly, Dr. Si enjoys seeing all patients, helping to solve their pain, and providing care that helps them become more confident in their smiles.

When not in the dental office, Dr. Si enjoys pilates and hiking around the Bay Area. She also has fun baking healthy snacks with her two toddlers every weekend. An interesting, unique fact about Dr. Si is that she celebrates two birthdays, her official ‘western’ calendar, one and another based on the lunar calendar.

Dr. Katherine Kieu

Orthodontist

Dr. Katherine Kieu earned her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from UCLA. She then attended UCSF, receiving her DDS and completing her orthodontic residency at the University of Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, in 2009. She has worked with Pacific Coast Dental since 2020. As a board-certified orthodontist, she aims to help patients achieve healthy and beautiful smiles by straightening their teeth.

What Dr. Kieu enjoys about being an orthodontist is building relationships and friendships with the team while positively impacting her patients' lives. She helps make our Pacifica dental office a place where we treat every person who walks through the door like family.

Dr. Kieu also loves helping people become more confident versions of themselves as their smiles are transformed through orthodontic treatment. She entirely agrees with the expression, "when you're smilin', the whole world smiles with you."

In her spare time, Dr. Kieu enjoys reading, traveling, and trying new restaurants. She is also an aspiring children's book author. Another interesting detail about Dr. Kieu is that on her first and only fishing trip, she caught a leopard shark, which after a quick photo, she released back into the ocean.

Ann Marie Acosta

Office Manager

Ann Marie Acosta earned her Bachelor of Science in Managerial Economics from the University of California Davis. She was gaining her credentials as her husband, Dr. John Acosta, received his dental training. This timing made Ann the most qualified to keep the office side running smoothly so he could focus on the practice’s clinical side. Ann and John have a great partnership, maintaining a professional and pleasant atmosphere free from drama.

Ann’s leading role is managing the business, coordinating with patients, and supporting the team by addressing computer issues and financial and marketing concerns. Anywhere our team needs help, Ann is always ready to jump in, putting her 12 years of experience in dentistry to work for every patient every day.

What Ann loves about her job is the Pacific Coast Dental team. She finds them the hardest working, most patient, supportive, and the kindest people she’s ever had the pleasure of knowing. The team lacks any air of entitlement. Instead, everyone is willing to help where needed. We love showing patients just how great their visit can be. We aim to help our patients realize that the dental office is not a scary place. Our patients are open and approachable and appreciate the hard work that goes into every appointment.

Knowing that we are helping patients with their overall health and keeping their teeth, in the long run, makes all our hard work worthwhile. We especially enjoy teaching young kids to love the dental office. The best stories are when parents share how their little one begs to come to the dental appointment with them. When patients regularly tell us they enjoy seeing us (they hate the shots but love us), we know we are doing something right.

Ann loves to read, write, dance, and play music on the piano or ukulele when not serving patients. She also enjoys time with her children and traveling. Ann also used to be a youth missionary and is comfortable giving inspirational talks in front of large crowds and directing creative productions and performances like dances, skits, and team-building exercises.

Desiree Acosta-Agabon

Lead Dental Assistant

Desiree Acosta-Agabon has worked in dentistry since 2010 and has been with Pacific Coast Dental for a decade. With a bachelor’s degree in nursing, patient care is her main focus, making her dental assistant role a perfect fit. With so many years here, her patients have come to feel like family, and she values that they entrust their dental care to our team.

As the lead dental assistant, Desiree helps manage how each day flows while assisting our dentists and ensuring our patients receive the best care possible. She also focuses on dental education. With extensive knowledge, Desiree loves sharing oral health tips to help patients achieve the best smile possible. She finds it rewarding when people are dedicated to their oral health through our guidance.

Desiree appreciates the outdoors when not serving patients. She is an avid hiker and also enjoys traveling. Among her favorite things are trying out new food and dining experiences.

Christian Aquino

Dental Assistant

Christian Aquino is a proud alumnus of Cal Poly Pomona, where he earned a bachelor’s in biology and graduated summa cum laude. He holds a radiation safety license and an infection control certification, which helps him as a dental assistant. His role includes preparing patients for procedures, assisting our dentists in those procedures, making dental impressions, and dental instrument sterilization. Whenever you have a question or need some assistance, Christian is ready to help.

His favorite parts about working at Pacific Coast Dental are seeing how happy patients are with their new smiles and how positively the team treats those patients. Christian loves the new things he learns about dentistry each day. He values meeting friendly patients, working together with a team that treats him like family, and contributing to the Pacifica community.

When away from our dental office, Christian is avid about fitness, and you can find him at the gym lifting weights. He also has been playing the drums since the age of nine.

Francis Beltran

Front Desk Coordinator

Francis Beltran has worked in dentistry since 2011, and in 2014 she began working with Pacific Coast Dental. She works with patients for scheduling, financing, insurance coordination, and presenting patients with treatment options. She also backs up the team by sterilizing instruments and treatment rooms.

Francis enjoys working with a team that puts the patient first, and she loves how many patients have been with us for years and find their dental visits rewarding. What she likes about our team is the mutual respect and helpfulness that fills the office and that the friendships are genuine such that the team wants to hang out outside work hours.

In addition, Francis thinks our Pacifica dental office is unique because we take our time to explain all treatment options, and we don’t pressure our patients but work to educate and inform them. This personal connection is what made Francis leave the hotel industry for a job with Pacific Coast Dental.

Besides hanging out with the teams during her free time, Francis enjoys books, traveling, and handicrafts, especially Diamond Dotz.

Sahar Niki Hamzavi-Abedi, RDH

Registered Dental Hygienist

In 2022, Sahar Niki Hamzavi-Abedi received her education from the Diablo Valley College (DVC) accredited dental hygiene program in Pleasant Hill. She credits her success to the faculty at DVC, who helped push her further than she realized she could go. As a registered dental hygienist, Sahar is responsible for dental history review, oral cancer screenings, taking x-rays, professional cleanings, and patient education.

She gets to serve as many as eight patients daily, and she loves how each one’s unique personality, occupation, and family enrich her day. She values the hour she spends with a patient, making them feel like they’re the only person in her world at that moment. Whether educating them on dental care or having them open up about life’s hardships, Sahar feels honored to tend to both physical and mental health needs through dentistry.

Sahar also loves the unique team at Pacific Coast Dental and that they genuinely care about everyone, regardless of who, when, where, or how. She knows her team will always push her to be the best while always ready with open arms with warm and loving support. Because to Sahar, the job is about more than cleaning teeth. She views the practice of dental hygiene as a truly holistic approach to healthcare that dives into mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional self-care. These values can be attributed to her father, who emphasized that serving others is a genuine pathway to fulfillment. Sahar understands that covering all dimensions of health requires a commitment to knowledge, and she is dedicated to constant learning in her field of dental hygiene.

Sahar loves Pacifica beach sunsets, which she often appreciates in solitude. You can find her on the sand, reading books and soaking up the sunshine. Recently she participated in a dental services trip to Cambodia with Global Dental Relief, an opportunity that reinforced her belonging in the field of dentistry.

Cindy Mendoza

Dental Assistant

In 2018, Cindy went with her father to our office as a translator. Dr. Acosta recognized her potential as a dental assistant and offered her training. From there, she felt encouraged to take other courses on crowns, implants, iTERO scanners, and even orthodontics. She values that the Pacific Coast Dental team helps her continue her education so she can help them implement new services at our Pacifica dental office.

What Cindy loves about her job is helping people improve their oral hygiene so that they can love their smiles again. She understands patients with childhood traumas and can help them feel safe during treatments. She loves our dental team and thinks they’re the best coworkers anyone could ask for. She likes how everyone is willing to help with anything. To her, the team is like a big family, always supporting one another.

When outside the office, Cindy loves reading, drawing, and cooking for her partner and two lovely children. She also enjoys visiting new places and spending time at the beach just listening to the waves. Of course, spa days are always a plus. Cindy also plays the guitar and has trained as a boxer.

Connie Ng, RDH

Registered Dental Hygienist

Connie Ng is a three-decade veteran in dentistry and has been in dental hygiene since 2000. Having received her training at San Joaquin Valley College, she is dedicated to several aspects of oral health care. She helps promote patients’ periodontal health by performing deep cleanings and professional tooth cleanings. Connie also creates customized recommendations to help patients improve their home care routines and achieve their goal of a healthy mouth.

Connie’s favorite part about working with patients at Pacific Coast Dental is getting to know them and building long-lasting relationships that result in healthier smiles. Connie chose the field of dental hygiene because she wanted to make a difference. It broke her heart when her grandmother could not eat her favorite foods in her golden years due to periodontal disease and poor oral health. Though Connie can no longer help her grandmother, she can help patients through education, home, and routine care. Her goal is for each of her patients to be able to eat all their favorite foods for the rest of their lives!

When not caring for patients in Pacifica, Connie loves traveling, to Hawaii especially, to enjoy dining, shopping, rest, and rejuvenation. She also likes cooking and finding new recipes. Connie also enjoys watching Korean dramas.

Yvonne Souza

Registered Dental Assistant/Front Office

Yvonne Souza started with dentistry in 1988 with two years of on-the-job training. She then earned her registered dental assistant certification by passing the state board exam, and for the past three decades, she’s maintained that qualification. She joined Pacific Coast Dental Group at the beginning of 2022.

Yvonne also looks after the front office, taking care of insurance billing, accounts receivables, scheduling, and patient confirmation. She also helps with treatment presentations to help patients accomplish their goals through a comprehensive plan.

One thing Yvonne loves is working with a great team where everyone is committed to their patients. In addition, she enjoys making people feel comfortable and welcome during their visit.

When not in the office, Yvonne enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors, dirt riding, horseback riding, and hiking.

Shaniece King

Dental Assistant

Shaniece attended JVS for her dental assistant education. She works chairside, assisting the dentist with all procedures and ensuring patients have a comfortable and positive experience.

“I love being able to help people with their oral health, making it better, and answering questions. I love working in this office. We share the same values inside and outside the office; they are really kind people.”

As a self-proclaimed homebody, you will find Shaniece watching anime or playing her Switch. Sometimes, however, her friends get her out shopping or going out to restaurants. 

One fun fact about Shaniece is that she loves pink and blue. You will most often find her wearing one or both colors.