From the Navy to your neighborhood

Dr. Mark Macaoay

Navy-trained. New York-residency-hardened. Back in San Diego, building smiles for the city he grew up in.

ABPD Diplomate Navy Alumni UOP Dugoni DDS Mission Vet
Faculty & Teaching Attending
Dr. Mark Macaoay, Board Certified Pediatric Dentist at Coastal Kids Dentistry & Orthodontics.
Their story

He went to dental school on a Navy scholarship. He came back to teach it.

Dr. Mark Macaoay was born and raised in San Diego, studied Biology and Neuroscience at UC San Diego, then earned his Doctor of Dental Science degree from the University of the Pacific's Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco — with a Navy Health Professions Scholarship, which is exactly as hard to get as it sounds. He graduated with honors.

After dental school he completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry at Naval Medical Center San Diego, served his Navy commitment, then returned to UOP as a clinical professor and co-director of the International Dental Studies program. While teaching, he fell hard for pediatric dentistry — so he went back to training, completing his pediatric residency at St. Barnabas Hospital in New York City, a Level I trauma center. He has also been featured in publications of the American Dental Association and the California Dental Association.

He volunteers at UCSD's Pre-Dental Society student-run clinic and has participated in international humanitarian dental missions in Fiji, Jamaica, and Jerusalem. The man stays busy.

When he's not creating healthy smiles in San Diego, Dr. Mark is training for a triathlon, reading, hiking, or traveling with his family. He makes most people look like they're doing too little with their weekends.

The part that makes parents feel good

The resume is impressive. The bedside manner is even better.

Where it started
UC San Diego
BS Biology & Neuroscience
Dental school
UOP Dugoni, San Francisco
Doctor of Dental Science — Honors + Navy Scholarship
Military training
Naval Medical Center San Diego
Advanced Education in General Dentistry
Pediatric specialty
St. Barnabas Hospital, NYC
Pediatric Dental Residency — Level I Trauma Center
Then he taught it
UOP Dugoni — Clinical Professor
Co-Director, International Dental Studies Program
Her people
  • ABPD Diplomate
  • American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
  • California Dental Association
  • UCSD Pre-Dental Volunteer Clinic
Straight from the parents

Families drove across town. Some drove across the country.

★★★★★

"Dr. Mark is incredible with my son. He explains everything step by step, my kid actually leaves excited about going to the dentist. That should be impossible. It isn't."

Verified Patient
★★★★★

"We've been patients for 6 years. Dr. Macaoay is calm, thorough, and never makes us feel rushed. He genuinely cares about my kids' long-term health, not just the visit."

Verified Patient
★★★★★

"My daughter was terrified of dentists. Dr. Mark turned that around completely in two visits. She now brags to her friends about her dentist. I did not expect that."

Verified Patient
Your kid will thank you

New patients welcome. No scary waiting rooms. Promise.

Dr. Mark sees patients across all five Coastal Kids locations. Book online in 60 seconds or give us a call.

Faculty & Teaching Attending (858) 755-8282

← Meet the full team

Mother helping young child put toothpaste on toothbrush at bathroom sink with running water.