Dr. Jasmin Zaki
She won a teaching award, treats every child like a puzzle worth solving, and has been known to impersonate elephants in the name of patient comfort.
She makes dentistry feel like the most fun appointment of the week.
Dr. Jasmin Zaki graduated from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and received the Leo M. Davidoff Society Award for Excellence in Teaching — an honor that tells you exactly what kind of practitioner she is. She believes that even the youngest patients can understand their oral health when it's explained with kindness, creativity, and the right amount of silliness. She is correct.
Her approach is built on imagination and genuine trust. Whether she's tailoring instructions to a toddler's favorite cartoon or patiently answering a parent's every question, she makes every visit empowering. She once helped a medically complex, nonverbal child through his first filling — restoring not just his smile but his mother's hope. She describes moments like that as reminders of why she chose this field. "No two kids are the same," she says. "You constantly have to think outside the box."
She grew up in England and across the US — Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin — before finding her home in San Diego. To her, a dental office should feel like a safe, familiar place where kids feel known, celebrated, and genuinely excited to return.
Outside the clinic, Dr. Zaki is a devoted foodie, an amateur artist, a cyclist, a hiker, and a big fan of beach days with ice cream. She also makes miniature string cheese sculptures, which is a skill set we respect unconditionally. If you're lucky, you might catch her impersonating an elephant. She does this on purpose. The kids love it.
A teaching award. An artist's eye. A dentist's hands.
- ✓ American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
- ✓ California Society of Pediatric Dentistry
- ✓ American Dental Association
- ✓ Parish volunteer with college students
They came in nervous. They left asking when they could come back.
"Dr. Zaki is unlike any dentist we've had before. She turned my terrified four-year-old's first appointment into something he talks about to this day. She is imaginative, patient, and genuinely magical."
"My daughter has complex medical needs and Dr. Zaki handled every challenge with creativity and care. She researched her specific needs ahead of time and adapted everything. We were blown away."
"I appreciated that Dr. Zaki spoke directly to my son — not over his head, not around him, but to him. He felt respected. He left feeling confident. We have found our dental home."
New patients welcome. No scary waiting rooms. Promise.
Dr. Zaki sees patients across all five Coastal Kids locations. Book online in 60 seconds or give us a call.