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Women of Distinction
Dr. Natalia Zora Kachi

Creating Beautiful Smiles

By Judith A. Habert

Photos by Dawn Nicoli/Nicoli Productions

r. Natalia Zora Kachi was figured it must be a great pro- $500K worth of student debt, so
Dborn in Michigan but can fession, if after all these years he there is pressure to get out there
easily claim to be a native San still looked forward to coming and work. There are graduating
Diegan. Her family moved here to work every day. He invited classes full of new dentists in a
when she was just two years old. me to shadow him. And that's similar situation.
After high school, she attend- when I really fell in love with “My goal at the time was to In reality, patients come
ed San Diego State University dentistry.” find a practice at which I could to see their dentist more often
for her undergraduate degree After her four years of den- provide excellent care, and one than they see their primary care
and only left once to gain an tal school, Dr. Zora made the that would allow me to stay as physician.
exceptional dental education at decision that she did not want ethical as they taught me to be Dr. Zora believes that it is
USC in Los Angeles. Realizing to specialize, she wanted to go while providing service and critical to investigate their over-
no place was better than her into general dentistry. “I felt personal care to my patients. all health. It's worth spending
hometown of San Diego, she that if you specialize, then you I was so lucky to have found that time to discuss these things
moved back here as soon as she don’t build long term relation- Dr. Braunstein, a pillar in the with them for their overall
completed her training. ships with patients. You might dental community.” wellbeing.
Dr. Zora had wonderful see them once for an extraction I asked Dr. Zora what she Dr. Zora not only treats
parents who stressed the im- or an implant, but as a general loved about being a dentist. her patients, but she helps to
portance of education to their dentist you will have regular “Every day I have the oppor- educate them as well. “For
four children. “I was raised patients, and you remain in tunity to help patients live example, periodontal disease is
by parents who immigrated their lives, and hopefully in the healthier lives or take away so prevalent, and what patients
from Iraq and did not have the lives of their children for years.” their pain. I know it's cliche to don't know is that gum disease
opportunity to attend college After dental school I went say that we change lives every affects not only their teeth and
because they had to work hard from being a first-generation day, but seeing the instant gums but can also affect their
to support their family. They college student to a volunteer gratitude patients have leaving bones. Gum disease has been
stressed the importance of clinical assistant professor at my dental chair really brings linked to conditions like heart
education to us at a very young USC right out of school, when me joy, I know this aspect of disease, stroke, and diabetes.”
age. We watched them work they asked me to come teach being a dentist will never get These are some of the rea-
tirelessly. They're still working the crown and bridge course. old.” sons that Dr. Zora instills the
tirelessly to this day, so the Dr. Zora enjoyed teaching Having spent some time need for routine visits and good
values of hard work and dedica- and was commuting from San talking with Dr. Zora, it is so consistent oral hygiene routines
tion remained with us.” Diego to Los Angeles to take obvious that she is doing exact- at home. An important fact to
Dr. Zora knew she loved advantage of this opportunity. ly what she was meant to do. It remember is that seeing your
biology and wanted to work in “I have a passion for helping is not always an easy job, but dentist for routine visits can be
the medical field, but it was a others reach their goals, espe- she takes the good with the bad a very smart financial decision
job working in a dental office, cially since I was a first-gener- and truly believes her genuine as well. “I always like to remind
while obtaining her undergrad- ation college student. I kind of joy comes from helping others. my patients that dentistry is
uate degree that led her into a had to figure out how to navi- “It doesn't come easy. You not expensive. It's the neglect
career in dentistry. “I always gate college by myself because have your hard days. It takes that gets expensive. And so, it's
had a natural passion for sci- neither of my parents went to countless hours of continued better to catch and treat disease
ence and medicine, but it wasn't college. I enjoyed giving back education to be able to provide early so you don’t have to pay
until I worked with this dentist and helping others that way. So, the best and most up-to-date the price later.”
who gave me such total respect my time teaching was a great treatments for my patients. But Dr. Zora believes it is
for dentistry, that I realized that experience.” what I love is that dentistry is important to spend the time
this was the career path I would Dr. Zora felt it was time to a combination of things. It's a to educate your patients. “It's
take. He was in his eighties at start practicing, but it wasn’t as combination of science, medi- not just your mouth, it's an
the time, had retired from den- easy as she had hoped. As a new cine, and art, and it's important entryway to your entire body.
tistry for ten years, and realized graduate, it isn’t easy to find a to me to treat the patient as a The most difficult thing is to
he still loved being a dentist practice that’s right for you. You complete individual and not make sure that your patients
and reopened his practice. I come out of school with about just the mouth.” continue with their at-home

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