Our staff is compassionate, well trained, and experienced – many have been with WPDG for over ten years! Besides for their meticulous clinical skills, we are confident that our staff is the best in LA and the South Bay at making your children feel comfortable, educated and empowered.
Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry
Bernard Gross was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He immigrated to the USA and completed high school in West Los Angeles at University High School. His undergraduate studies were at UCLA where he received a BS degree with a major in biology. Dr. Gross then attended the Medical College of Virginia where he received his DDS degree. After dental school, he furthered his training by completing a two-year residency in pediatric dentistry at The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and USC School of Dentistry. He was appointed chief resident in his final year of residency.
Dr. Gross is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Not all pediatric dentists are board-certified. Diplomate certification requires completion of training in an accredited residency program, evidence of post-training experience, and successful completion of written and oral examinations on the entire scope of the specialty by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.
Dr. Gross is a clinical instructor. He has been involved with the clinical instruction of undergraduate dental students as well as pediatric dental residents. Dr. Gross also has been a clinical attending at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, where his duties were the clinical instruction of the pediatric dental residents in the operating room setting. He has served on the executive committee for the American Society of Dentistry for Children, Southern California chapter. He also has served on the staff of Santa Monica – UCLA Hospital, where he volunteered his time to treat patients from the Les – Kelly clinic.
In 2000 Dr. Gross was appointed to the Executive Board of the California Society of Pediatric Dentists. After serving this 2 year term Dr. Gross was appointed to be the Chairperson of the California Society Pediatric Dentists Peer Review Committee for the State of California in 2002. This is a position that he still holds.
Dr. Gross is on the Board of Directors and Board of Governors of United Cerebral Palsy Association of Los Angeles/Ventura Counties. Dr. Gross has been in private practice in Santa Monica since 1992. He is married and has a son attending college as a division 1 student athlete.
Dr Gross is a member in good standing in the following professional organizations:
Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry
A native Angeleno, Michael L. Kleinman, DDS is thrilled to be living in Los Angeles with his wife and four children after spending many years in the East Coast to complete his academic studies. He attended dental school at The University of Maryland Dental School and upon graduation was inducted into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon honorary dental fraternity, whose members are selected from among the academic top 10% of the class for exemplary service. He also completed his Pediatric Dental Residency at The University of Maryland Dental School and served as Chief Resident. He is currently on the clinical faculty at UCLA Department of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Kleinman underwent additional training and examinations to became a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.
Dr. Kleinman is very excited about Pediatric Dentistry and the new developments constantly evolving in the field. His philosophy is simple: Avoid restorative treatment as much as possible through strong preventive practices, and if treatment is needed, use the best techniques and methods based on the most current scientific evidence. He has undergone extensive training in all methods of management techniques and loves to care for all types of children. Dr. Kleinman is a member in good standing in the following professional organizations:
Outside the office:
Dr. Kleinman and his wife Talya are kept very busy at home by Yael, Ephraim, Layla, and Tamar! They enjoy spending family time together riding bikes, going to the beach, and playing around the house. Dr. Kleinman is involved in his children’s schools and other community organizations.
Pediatric Dentist for Kids & Teens
Dr. Melissa Grant is a pediatric dentist, raised in sunny Manhattan Beach, CA. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at UC San Diego. There, she also worked as a behavioral therapist for children with autism and special needs, specializing in behavior guidance strategies and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). She received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery at the UCLA School of Dentistry, where she graduated summa cum laude and received the Pierre Fauchard Award as the top student in her graduating class. She then continued at UCLA to complete her residency training in pediatric dentistry in affiliation with the Ronald Reagan Medical Center. She is actively involved in the dental field, serving on committees for local and state professional organizations, including the California Society of Pediatric Dentistry and the Southern California Society of Dentistry for Children.
Dr. Grant always strives to provide a comfortable and fun experience for patients during their visits. She is passionate about education and prevention and hopes to inspire families to embrace healthy habits beyond the dental office. She believes every child is unique and deserves an individually tailored approach to health care. There is no “one-size-fits-all” technique.
In her spare time, Dr. Grant loves cooking for family and friends, attending local concerts, and adventuring through National Parks. She and her husband are high school sweethearts from the local Mira Costa High School and are new parents to their son, Liam. Dr. Grant treats every patient as though they were part of her own family, and loves to make people smile! Orthodontist
Dr. Gary Saltz was born and raised in Los Angeles, graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Cal State Long Beach.
Dr. Saltz received his D.D.S. degree from Northwestern University Dental School in Chicago. He completed his Orthodontic Residency at the University of Southern California Dental School, Department of Orthodontics.
Following Orthodontic residency, he was appointed Associate Clinical Professor in Orthodontics at USC. He joined the White Memorial Hospital Temporomandibular Joint Clinic and began working with Rancho Los Amigos Hospital Cleft Lip and Palate Team on pediatric cleft palate treatment.
Dr. Saltz is married and has an adult son living in Washington DC and a daughter in College. In his time off he enjoys biking, swimming, and reading.
Dr. Saltz is a member in good standing in the following professional organizations:
General & Cosmetic Dentist
Dr. Eddie graduated from the prestigious University of Maryland Dental School with a clerkship in oral surgery. He continued his dental training by completing a two-year residency in Advanced General Dentistry. After relocating to Southern California he took over a practice on the Westside. He joined the faculty at UCLA, teaching in the department of Advanced Education in General Dentistry, instructing the residents. In addition to teaching at UCLA he maintained his faculty teaching position at his alma mater in Maryland. His passion for continuous learning and staying up to date with the most modern techniques has translated into his teaching continuously since the completion of his residency.
Dr. Eddie is highly skilled and proficient in many advanced aspects of general, cosmetic and adult dentistry. The mantra of his practice ideology is to be as conservative and holistic as is possible in order to help patients live a more wholesome and organic life. He brings a warm and caring demeanor to his patient care. We find it a perfect fit to how we at Westside Pediatric Dental Group have been practicing for over 25 years!
His treatment areas of expertise include:
Board Certified Orthodontist
Dr. Kahan is a Board Certified and experienced orthodontist who was born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, CA.Dr. Kahan received her dental training at the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and completed her three year specialty certificate in orthodontics at Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center in New York. She is a working mommy and a board certified orthodontist, a certification achieved only by 5% of all dentists in the U.S.
Dr. Kahan approaches orthodontics with passion, integrity and respect for her patients. She has become recognized in her field and has been described as one of the best and most personable orthodontists in Los Angeles. She was recently voted as a Top Dentist 2018 in Los Angeles.
Dr. Kahan takes pride in providing the most current and state of the art practices to her patients in a newly remodeled facility custom-developed and designed with her orthodontic patients and parents in mind.
Dr. Kahan is very committed to giving back to the Los Angeles community. She donates her time regularly to speak in leading San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles schools, in front of mommy groups and routinely sponsors local organizations in the community. At Westside Pediatric Dental Group we want you to feel welcome and comfortable. Feel free to schedule an appointment with any of our doctors, to get the dental care you need.
