Meet Our Doctors

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental

Dr. Merrihew

Dr. Merrihew received his Bachelor of Arts Degree Cum Laude in Philosophy from the University of Southern California in 1974 and his Doctor of Dental Surgery, also from USC, in 1979, where he was awarded the Certificate of Merit of Excellence in Endodontics from the American Associations of Endodontists.

Committed to delivering state-of-the-art dentistry to his patients in a friendly, caring office, Dr. Merrihew has completed well over 2000 hours in advanced postgraduate dental education, and is a sponsored speaker for Oral CDX, lecturing on oral cancer screening and prevention.

Dr. Merrihew is a graduate of the prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies in Cosmetic Dentistry and has been awarded fellowships and Masterships in the International Congress of Oral Implantology, the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation, and the Academy of General Dentistry, a distinction held by less than 1% of all currently practicing dentists worldwide. He was appointed Qualified Medical Evaluator in Dental Surgery by the Department of Industrial Relations, State of California in 1993, is an Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider, Invisalign Premier Provider, and was voted one of “Riverside’s Best Dentists” by readers of the Press Enterprise in 2013 & 2014.

Dr. Brent

Dr. Alexandria Brent received her Doctoral Degree in Dental Surgery from the University of Washington where her involvement as student council president was recognized by receiving the Jack E. Nichols and WSDA Dan G. Middaugh leadership awards, and where she was selected as a teacher’s assistant in restorative dentistry as a result of her clinical proficiency and gentle patient interactions.

Dr. Brent enjoys working with patients of all ages and finds it rewarding when patients leave with a smile. She strives to provide care of the utmost excellence in all areas of dentistry and as an Oral Conscious Sedation provider and DOCS member, Dr. Brent is dedicated to ensuring that her patients have a comfortable experience. Dr. Brent is also an Invisalign provider and is happy to consult with patients about the esthetic and hygienic benefits.

Outside of Canyon Crest, Dr. Brent is a member of the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, California Dental Association and the Tri-County Dental Society and is actively involved in study clubs here in Riverside. In her free time Dr. Brent is an avid runner and loves watching football.

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental
Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental

Dr. Leoni

Dr. Leoni received his DMD from the highly accredited Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio in 2004 where he graduated first in his clinical class. Upon returning to his hometown in San Diego, Dr. Leoni was quickly recruited to work for a large national dental organization where he received experience second to none. Dr. Leoni’s unparalleled experience translates into diagnosing the most successful treatment and therefore outcome for the patient. Dr. Leoni was in fact the dentist for other dentists in his organization.

Dr. Leoni enjoys spending time with his family; wife Raelynn, and their children Stormie, Kaeli, Brendi and Kyle. Dr. Leoni enjoys camping, barbecuing, surfing and fishing. We are thrilled Dr. Leoni has joined our practice. His expertise is a true asset for our patients and demonstrates our commitment to providing exceptional dental care.

Dr. Leoni is a graduate from the prestigious Misch Implant Institute and is certified in Invisalign. He is a member of the ADA, CDA and SDCDS. In addition, Dr. Leoni has provided dentistry for several charities and has supported the efforts of Charity Water, a non-profit organization on a mission to bring clean and safe drinking water to every person on the planet.

Dr. Nora

Dr. Nora is a general dentist focused on delivering personalized quality care to all her patients. She graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry and completed a one-year residency in an Advanced Education in General Dentistry at Wichita State. During her residency, Dr. Nora gained exposure to cutting-edge technologies and concepts. She built up advanced experience with full mouth rehabilitation cases, implants, and cosmetic dentistry. This training further prepared her to deliver the highest quality of care to her patients.

Dr. Nora has a passion for dentistry because it combines her interests in health and science and her love of art. She values patient education and actively listening to patients’ concerns. Dr. Nora is committed to spending time with each patient to ensure all treatment options are fully understood and together develop a customized, comprehensive treatment plan for each individual.

Dr. Nora worked as a dentist for several years in her hometown of Chicago before moving to California with her family. She stays up to date on the latest developments in dentistry by attending numerous continuing education courses throughout the year. Dr. Nora is Invisalign certified and an active member of the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, California Dental Association, and Tri-County Dental Society.

Canyon Crest Dental
Canyon Crest Dental

Dr. Andy

Dr. Andy is a general dentist focused on making patients feel comfortable while in the dental chair. He graduated from the University of California, Irvine, followed by the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry where he achieved individual honors in pediatrics, periodontics, and practice management. He also gained valuable experience working for years in the city of Chicago before returning home to the Inland Empire. Dr. Andy is Invisalign certified and continuously looking for ways to improve his quality of care.

Dr. Andy combines an empathetic approach to dentistry with a passion for the most current recommendations of the dental community to deliver quality, honest and focused care. He stays up to date on dentistry by attending continuing education courses to further his knowledge of the field. Dr. Andy enjoys a personalized and comprehensive treatment style so that his patients feel as if they are part of the process and makes sure his patients receive the proper education before making any treatment decisions.
Dr. Andy is most proud of his dental experience working with many different patient populations throughout his career. He has worked with many patients from a wide range socio-economic and cultural backgrounds in Chicago and the surrounding areas, and even in rural Colorado. He speaks a little bit of Mandarin and is working on his Spanish, both languages he constantly tries to improve. These experiences have really allowed him to connect with a wide-range of patients and develop his personalized and gentle style to suit any patient that he sees. In his free time, Dr. Andy enjoys spending time with his wife and twin boys. He is also an avid ice hockey player, golfer, sports fan, and snowboarder.

Our Specialists

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental

Dr. Jo

Dr. Philip Jo received his D.D.S. degree from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (LLUSD) in 2001. During the first year of dental school, he was selected for a 3-year U.S. Army Health Profession Scholarship Program (HPSP). Dr. Jo received multiple awards and honors in dental school including the coveted M. Webster Prince Award and admission into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society.

After graduation, he completed a 1-year U.S. Army Advanced General Dentistry (AGD) Residency with the U.S. Army Dental Activity, Hawaii and voluntarily deployed to Joint Task Force-Bravo, Soto Cano Airbase, Honduras for six months. Dr. Jo spent the remaining two years of active duty as a staff dentist and supervisor at Schofield Barracks Dental Clinic, Hawaii.

In 2004, he returned to LLUSD to complete a 27-month Advanced Dental Education Program in Endodontics and received a Certificate in Endodontics in 2006. His treatment philosophies are based on published scientific research and practice modalities in endodontics which enhances the patient’s quality of care.

Currently, Dr. Jo is serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve for the 7305th Medical Training Support Battalion located in Sacramento, CA. “It is truly an honor and privilege to properly train the brave men and women of our Armed Forces prior to deployment.” In this spare time, Dr. Jo loves to travel and spend time with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys golf, trap/skeet shooting, and dabbles in mixing music.

Dr. Shabtaie

Dr. Ramin Shabtaie graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry. Subsequently, he completed and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency training at UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Shabtaie is on staff at the UCLA Medical Center, and has formerly been on staff at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. He is a lecturer for the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UCLA. He was a clinical instructor at Cedars Sinai Medical Center Department of Dentistry/Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Dr. Shabtaie is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support. He is able to treat patients in the hospital, outpatient facilities, surgery centers and in his private office. Dr. Shabtaie is also a state examiner for general anesthesia, providing and monitoring standard of care in office anesthesia and sedation.

Dr. Shabtaie uses only the best in dental implants from the most reputable dental implant manufacturers. This, coupled with his extensive years of highly specialized training and years of clinical experience has earned him the reputation of ” Top Doc Oral Surgeon” Having performed over 10,000 surgical procedures to date- some on well known celebrities, including complex dental implant surgeries as well as reconstructive procedures, Dr Shabtaie is one of the top Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. With patients coming to see him both locally and from long distances, and other dentists and specialists seeking advice from him, Dr. Shabtaie is known among his peers to be a knowledgeable and experienced surgeon. Among his patients, he is well known for being caring and gentle. He prides himself in being a perfectionist, and very detail oriented.

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental
Dr. Sharobiem

Dr. Sharobiem

Dr. Robert Sharobiem graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2009 with his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree after earning his Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine. As a Board-Certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. Sharobiem makes a point to continue his education every year and has received advanced training in oral surgery at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, New York.

Dr. Sharobiem is a member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) and a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS). He was also awarded the 2013 AAOMS Humanitarian Award and the Vitals Patients Choice Award.

With over 10 years of experience providing quality care to his patients, Dr. Sharobiem considers his primary goal in oral surgery to provide personal care to each and every patient while alleviating any pre-operative anxiety and minimizing post-operative discomfort. It’s very important to Dr. Sharobiem that each patient has a positive experience.

Dr. Sharobiem has an amazing niece and nephew whom he loves spending time with. When he’s not at the office, he enjoys reading, doing crossword puzzles, traveling, hiking, basketball, bowling, trying new foods, and volunteering at church as well as overseas medical missions.

Canyon Crest Dental

Dr. Staadecker

Coury Staadecker DDS, MS is a board certified periodontist who earned his dental degree from The Ohio State University, and his Periodontics Certificate from the Naval Postgraduate Dental School in Bethesda, MD. While pursuing his Periodontics certificate, he also earned a Masters of Science degree from George Washington University. Dr. Staadecker is a Board-Certified Periodontist with over 20 years of experience, a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and an Accredited Fellow of the American Society of Dental Anesthesiology.

When Dr. Staadecker had maintained his private practice in beautiful Newport Beach, CA he continued his involvement with academia as a local leader of the prestigious Spear Study Club, an interdisciplinary dental learning continuum, “University Without Walls.” Previous to that, he was a clinical instructor and Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington, Department of Graduate Periodontics. He enjoyed his tenure as the Senior Clinical Editor-in-Chief of the Seattle Study Club Journal, reaching over 8000 dentists worldwide.

Outside of the office, Dr. Staadecker enjoys spending time with his family, swimming, pickleball and pursuing new culinary delights.

Our Staff

Meet our teams of experienced professionals. They each share the belief that our care should be comprehensive and courteous – responding fully to your individual needs and preferences.

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental

Andrea

Office Manager

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental

Paola

Administrative Assistant Manager

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental

Jennifer

Patient Treatment Coordinator

Our Dentist Canyon Crest Dental

Cheyenne

Patient Treatment Coordinator

Canyon Crest Dental

Lacey

Patient Treatment Coordinator

Jessie

Treatment Coordinator

Canyon Crest Dental

Sheila

Insurance Benefit Coordinator

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental

Jackie

Hygiene Manager

Canyon Crest Dental

Carolyn

Hygiene Assistant Manager

Canyon Crest Dental

Candy

Hygiene Scheduling Coordinator

Canyon Crest Dental

Ashley

Hygiene Scheduling Coordinator

Canyon Crest Dental

Laila

Hygienist

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental

Kristy

Hygienist

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental

Belinda

Hygienist

Canyon Crest Dental

Angie

Hygienist

Jamie headshot

Jamie

Hygienist

Canyon Crest Dental

Sumaya

Hygienist

Canyon Crest Dental

Jerusalem

Hygienist

Canyon Crest Dental

Leticia

Hygienist

Canyon Crest Dental

Bianca

Hygiene Assistant

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental

Alicia

Hygiene Assistant

Canyon Crest Dental

Kaylee

Hygiene Assistant

Vanessa

Hygiene Assistant

Canyon Crest Dental

Cristina

Hygiene Assistant

Canyon Crest Dental

Liz

Hygiene Assistant

Canyon Crest Dental

Carla

Hygiene Assistant

Canyon Crest Dental

Martha

Clinical Manager

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental

Irma

Expanded Function Provider

Canyon Crest Dental

Eva

Expanded Function Provider

Dentist of Canyon Crest Dental

Monica

Expanded Function Provider

Jessica

Clinical Assistant Manager

Canyon Crest Dental

Esmerelda

Registered Dental Assistant

Canyon Crest Dental

Giselle

Registered Dental Assistant

Canyon Crest Dental

Ariana

Registered Dental Assistant

Canyon Crest Dental

Viviana

Registered Dental Assistant

Canyon Crest Dental

Leighanne

Registered Dental Assistant

Laura

Registered Dental Assistant

Canyon Crest Dental

Theresa

Sterilization Tech

Bernadette

Specialty Coordinator

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