Meet Our Doctors
Rick Alter DDS, MS
Dr. Alter, the youngest of four children and son of an orthodontist, was born and raised in southern California. He graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1996. He then entered dental school at the University of Southern California where he received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2000. At the Medical College of Virginia, he attained his speciality degree in orthodontics and received a Master of Science degree in biomechanics. As a teen, Dr. Alter studied the Martial Art of Tae Kwon Do and earned a second degree Black Belt. At UC Santa Barbara, he was honored as Scholar Athlete for his accomplishments in scholastics and springboard diving. He is an avid surfer and has traveled worldly in search of the perfect wave. Dr. Alter and his wife, Claudia, enjoy spending time with their sons, Julian and Dylan, who keep them happily busy!
Michael Meru DDS, MS
Dr. Mike Meru was born and raised in Newbury Park, where he spent the first 19 years of his life. After graduating from NPHS and completing his bachelor of arts from Brigham Young University, Dr. Meru attended dental school at USC. After Dental School he completed a 3 year orthodontic residency, graduating in May of 2012 with an Orthodontic Certificate and Masters Degree in Craniofacial Biology.
After graduation, Dr. Meru completed the American Board of Orthodontists exam and became Board Certified, which less than half of orthodontists complete.
Dr. Meru's passions include snowboarding, surfing, and adventuring with his two daughters and wife of 18 years.
The People Who Make It Happen
OUR Team
We consider ourselves fortunate to have the greatest staff comprised of individuals who love what they do and play an integral role in each patients smile journey.
Carla
Cindy
Eileen
Laura
Maria
Melissa
Patty
OUR Legacy
Many of our staff have been with us for more than 20 years. If not for them, we would not be who we are today.
Sandra
Shima
Susan
WE ARE
Grateful
As you commence your smile journey with us, you'll come to find that we rely on these incredible individuals for so many aspects of our practice. We are grateful to call them our staff and our family.
Veronica
Yoli
