Meet Our Doctors
Dr. Barouir Deirmenjian
As a general dentist, Dr. Deirmenjian is devoted to providing quality, rewarding, and compassionate care to every patient that visits him. Serving as the founder and CEO of B. Deirmenjian and Affiliates, he serves patients at many multi-specialty facilities in California, including Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley, Riverside and San Bernardino counties and has just added three new locations in the San Diego area.
With nineteen locations in California, B. Deirmenjian and Affiliates serve patients of all ages, from all backgrounds, and from every walk of life. The team of specialists, general dentists, assistants, and benefit coordinators offer a number of services, including: cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, endodontics, family dentistry, oral surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, and periodontics. They are dedicated to making dental care rewarding, so that individuals have a reason to share their smile.
Before entering private practice, Dr. Deirmenjian served as Dental Director at Guards Dental, where he demonstrated strong leadership skills in operating over 40 locations. Subsequently, he established his own family dental private practices, Smiles West, Desert Dental Group, and Ponderosa Dental Group.
To prepare for his career, he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California at Irvine, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1988. Furthering his studies, he went on to obtain his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in 1999.
Remaining abreast of the latest dental developments, Dr. Deirmenjian is an active member of the American Dental Association and the California Dental Association. He is also a peer-review member at MetLife Insurance and Liberty Dental, sits on the advisory committee of Henry Schein Dental, is a UCLA adjunct professor, and is board-certified by the Dental Board of California.
Revered for his extensive 30+ year leadership background, Dr. Deirmenjian has been voted #100 on the Inc.5000 Series list of the Fastest-Growing Companies in California and #1528 of the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies nationally. He was also named one of LA Business of the Year, Best Office by Insurance Companies, and one of the Emerging Dental Groups to Watch 2020 by Group Dentistry Now.
Dentistry, also known as Dental and Oral Medicine, is a branch of medicine that consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the oral cavity. Dentists diagnose and treat dental issues and help patients develop better oral hygiene regimens. They clean teeth, correct bite issues, perform surgeries and extractions, and perform other duties to ensure that the teeth and mouth are healthy.
An active member of his community, Dr. Deirmenjian truly enjoys helping the less fortunate and volunteering when he can with food drives and community outreach initiatives. Previously, he has participated in pro bono work for human trafficking victims in the Los Angeles area. He was also involved in a health fair head-start program, senior citizens program, and maintained an affiliation with Veteran Affairs.
In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors. He is fluent in English, Armenian, Spanish, and French.
Dr. Thomas Tokuza
Dr. Thomas Tokuza, DDS, attended the University of California, Los Angeles and the Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California. A member of the San Gabriel Valley Dental Society, he enjoys helping patients achieve their dental goals and teaching them how to maintain their oral health.
Outside of the office, he enjoys basketball, drawing, exercise and reading.
Dr. Mohamed Hammam
Dr. Mohamed Hammam attended the Alexandria Dental School at New York University. Practicing dentistry in this community brings him a great deal of satisfaction, and he feels blessed to have the knowledge and the experience to educate his patients and to be an advocate for their oral health.
Outside of the office, Dr. Hammam enjoys yoga, karate and volleyball.
Dr. Jamie Gochez
Bio coming soon.
Dr. Narbeh Gharakhanian
Dr. Narbeh Gharakhanian, DDS, MD, attended the University of Texas Southwestern College of Medicine in Dallas (MD), the University of Southern California School of Dentistry (DDS), the University of California Los Angeles, Microbiology/Molecular Genetics (BS) and completed his residency at the University of Texas Southwestern/Parkland Memorial. He is always interested in learning and is committed to taking the best care of his patients using his training, education, instincts and experience. Dr. Gharakhanian is a member of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology, the California Dental Society of Anesthesiology, the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the California Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
Outside of the office, he enjoys golf, fishing, hiking and sports.
Dr. Michael Vongphoe
Dr. Michael Vongphoe, DDS attended the University of Southern California. As his patient, he will do his best to treat you like family. This includes a transparent and thorough assessment of your dental issues, a clear discussion of your options and most importantly, a quick and pain-free experience. Dr. Vongphoe is a member of the ADA, CDA and the AAE (American Association of Endodontists).
Outside of the office, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.
Dr. Kevin S. Lee
Dr. Kevin S. Lee, DDS, MS, attended Stanford University and earned a BA in human biology. He soon after went to the UCLA School of Dentistry. He then completed his residency at the UCLA section of orthodontics (orthodontics certificate), earned his Master’s at the UCLA School of Dentistry (MS in Oral Biology) and his American Board of Orthodontics Certification. During his dental education, Dr. Lee became fascinated by human craniofacial development and decided to pursue orthodontics, which is the clinical specialty closely related to growth and development of the head. He is a member of the American Board of Orthodontics, the American Association of Orthodontists, the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists, the International Association for Dental Research, the American Association for Dental Research and the American Dental Association.
Outside of the office, Dr. Lee enjoys playing and watching soccer (he is an avid FC Barcelona fan), soaking up the California sunshine, traveling and driving sports cars (he is a Porsche fanatic).
Dr. Nareg Alexandrian
Bio coming soon.
Dr. Arshan Haghi
Dr. Arshan Haghi was born in Iran and raised in Dubai. He graduated with great distinction from McGill University with a bachelor’s degree in anatomy and cell biology in 2007. Dr. Haghi also graduated summa cum laude from Boston University Dental School in 2011 and Boston University Ortho residency in 2014.Â
Dr. Haghi joined our team in July of 2022 and practices at our Lake Forest office. His favorite thing about working in the dental industry is transforming patients’ smiles and giving them more confidence.
Dr. Haghi’s affiliations & organizations he belongs to includes Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, the American Association of Orthodontics and the California Association of Orthodontics.
Outside of work, Dr. Haghi enjoys traveling, staying fit and active, spending time outdoors, and spending time with family.
Dr. Azizollah Maghen
Dr. Azizollah Maghen attended the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco’s Medical School where he completed his maxillofacial surgery residency (Golden Key and Order of Omega). As his patient, you can expect comprehensive care, and to be treated with compassion and without abandonment. Each patient even receives his mobile number after each visit. Dr. Maghen is a member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the California Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the CDSA.
Outside of the office, he loves volunteering to lecture at the UCLA School of Dentistry. His favorite TV show is Suits, and his favorite vacation spot is anywhere that is 80 degrees. He is happily married with two children and a dog.
Dr. Benjamin Levi
Dr. Benjamin Levi is a member of the Orange County Dental Society and the California Dental Association. He enjoys meeting new people and helping them out of their dental pain.
Outside of the office, Dr. Levi enjoys scuba diving.
Dr. Fariba Matinfar
Dr. Fariba Matinfar, DDS, MS, earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery, Master of Science and periodontal specialty degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles. She loves to help patients have a beautiful, healthy smile and maintain their oral health. Dr. Matinfar is a member of the American Academy of Periodontology, the American Dental Association and the California Dental Association.
Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking and going to the beach. She looks forward to traveling the world in the future and currently fosters puppies with her family!
Dr. Jorge Flores
Bio coming soon.
Dr. Kamran Yazdi
Dr. Kamran Yazdi graduated from the University of Southern California School of Dentistry. Smiles West has provided him with great specialists to work with. He is confident that working with them together, he can provide excellent service!
Dr. Kevin Tran
Dr. Kevin Tran earned integrated physiology and biology and BS degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles and his DDS degree from the New York University College of Dentistry. He strives to provide quality dental care to his patients and help them achieve a healthy and beautiful smile. He enjoys building relationships with his patients and educating them on their dental needs. Dr. Tran is a member of Alpha Omega and is a UCLA adjunct professor.
In his spare time, Dr. Tran enjoys playing golf, going to concerts, watching movies or his favorite sports team, the Lakers, and relaxing at the beach.
Dr. Mizuki Tadokoro
Dr. Mizuki Tadokoro, DDS, attended the University of California, Irvine and the New York University College of Dentistry. She believes that seeing improvement in a patient’s smile and their confidence after treatment is fulfilling and satisfying. It brings her joy to be able to relieve pain and restore patients’ mouths so they can enjoy eating and other things in life. She feels very connected to the community when helping her patients in our office and wants to help those that seek comfort. Dr. Tadokoro is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry.
Outside of the office, she enjoys hiking, camping, throwing ceramics on the wheel, watching movies and listening to music.
Dr. Nasrin Khorram
Dr. Nasrin Khorram, DDS, earned her undergraduate degree at SMC and UCLA and her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Southern California School of Dentistry. She believes that in any health care profession, the patients’ well-being comes first. She loves art and science and believes that dentistry is a combination of both. Dr. Khorram likes to interact with people, and dentistry gives her the opportunity to do so.
Outside of the office, she loves reading, cooking, hiking and sewing.
Dr. Rojin Erfan
Dr. Rojin Erfan, DDS, was raised outside of Washington, D.C. She graduated from University of Maryland, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery with honors. Dr. Erfan’s commitment to excellence in dentistry drove her to successfully complete a General Practice Residency at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital, which is a hospital-based program in an underserved area of the South Bronx of New York. It was during her GPR that she realized her passion for endodontics. She then pursued her dream of becoming an endodontist at New York University School of Dentistry, where she served as the sole chief resident of the largest endodontics program in the world. In addition to being the largest program, the endodontics residency at NYU boasts the most prestigious and well-known faculty. Dr. Erfan was trained with cutting-edge technology by world famous endodontists. In addition, she has completed outreach in Kathmandu, Nepal and Mahias, Maine.
Dr. Yong Lai
Dr. Yong Lai was born and raised in the southern region of California and received his dental degree from the University of Southern California. Upon earning his doctorate in dental surgery (DDS), he completed his orthodontic residency at Roseman University. Dr. Lai is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA) and California Dental Association (CDA).
Joining our practice in 2019, Dr. Lai has enjoyed the ability to improve patients’ smiles and bring them better health and aesthetics through orthodontic treatment. Outside the office, Dr. Lai enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Kereem Husain
Dr. Kereem Husain is a distinctive dental professional who provides compassionate excellence in specialized pediatric dental care. While studying biology at UCLA, Dr. Husain joined community programs that benefited the needy and homeless. While studying abroad in Egypt for a year, he participated in efforts to teach English and help the disadvantaged. Becoming deeply passionate about helping others, Dr. Husain made the decision to become a dentist.
After receiving his degree at UCLA, Dr. Husain earned his Doctorate in Dental Surgery from USC. He went on to attend Yale University, specializing in pediatric dentistry where he worked with children from infancy to teenage years, as well as children with special needs. Dr. Husain received intensive training in prevention, behavior management techniques, and treating child patients under sedation. He graduated in 2015 from Yale with a specialty in the field of pediatric dentistry.
While at USC, Dr. Husain’s diligence and skill put him on the Dean’s List each year. In addition to his studies, he was involved in various humanitarian efforts. As president of USC’s Humanitarian Club, he led dental teams that served in Mexico, Honduras, Haiti, and the Middle East. He decided to specialize in pediatric dentistry because he wanted to help get children’s teeth off to a great start by preventing decay and supporting dental health early in life. Dental appointments can be tough for kids, but Dr. Husain makes it as easy and comfortable as possible and always leaves his patients with a celebratory high five.
Even as a busy professional, Dr. Husain continues to serve the community and he never stops learning. He earned his certificate as a Diplomate of Pediatric Dentistry and is involved with many organizations and their local chapters, including AAPD, ABPD, CDA, and ADA. Dr. Husain is bilingual in English and Arabic and is also learning Spanish.
When he’s not improving dental health for kids, Dr. Husain enjoys travel, family time, and relaxing at the beach. On weekends, you might find him snorkeling, jet skiing, playing basketball, watching the latest Marvel movie, or being the cool uncle to his nephews and nieces.
Dr. Michael Issakharian
Bio coming soon.
Dr. Nushin Shir
Bio coming soon.
Dr. Jose Rivera
Dr. Jose Rivera was born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico. In 1982, he graduated from the University of Veracruz and in 1995 graduated from the University of California in Los Angeles—earning his dental degree. Upon joining our practice in 2021, Dr. Rivera has enjoyed his role as a dental care professional; his work allows him to improve the health and wellbeing of patients while building meaningful connections. As a result, he works to ensure everyone he treats is happy, comfortable, and healthy.
Outside of the office, Dr. Rivera enjoys going on walks. Whether it is out in nature, in the park, or around the block, getting out and walking is a refreshing way to prepare for his next day at work.