Our Team
Each member of our professional team is extensively trained and experienced in their role and successfully contributes to your treatment according to his or her strengths, so that every aspect of your treatment is attended to with care.
Our orthodontic technicians provide education and answers to your treatment related questions, along with gentle, caring clinical treatment. Most of them have experienced life with braces and they understand how it feels!
Our friendly, knowledgeable administrative staff is skilled at scheduling, filing insurance claims and helping you with financial arrangements. Your administrative needs are always handled efficiently and professionally.
Our treatment coordinator is a skilled orthodontic expert who works well with new patients during their first visit. She will explain the treatment your doctor has recommended, answer questions about procedures and appointments, coordinate appointments with your dental or oral surgeon as needed and explain financial arrangements and insurance benefits.
The entire team regularly attends continuing education classes in order to stay abreast of the newest developments in technology, orthodontic treatment, computers and other practice tools.
Staff Directory
Kim Mette, R.D.A.
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Kim has been in the field of dentistry for 17 years and joined the “team” of Chang Orthodontics in 2002. She is a Registered Dental Assistant and enjoys working with people. She enjoys a good conversation and a laugh. She is very much involved with the community, church, fund raisers, sporting events and enjoys spending time with her son and daughter.
Miriam Gaeta
X-ray Technician
Miriam has been in the Dental field for 5 years with most of that time working in Pediatric Dentistry. She joined the “team” of Chang Orthodontics in 2006 and is a Radiology Technician for SMC Digital X-ray Lab. She spends her free time with her daughter.
Linda Moreno
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Financial / Scheduling Coordinator
Linda joined the “team” of Chang Orthodontics in 2005 after spending thirteen years at everyone’s favorite department store, Nordstrom. While there she gained valuable experience in retail, sales, financial, collections, customer retention and provided the best customer service. She is proud to bring that standard of excellence with her here as she continues to provide the best experience possible to our patients. She is blessed with a beautiful family, her husband; son and daughter are her world, as well as her beloved beagle. She is an avid Dodger fan and rarely ever misses a game.
Erin Rybak, R.D.A.
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Scheduling Coordinator
Erin started her dental career in 1991 after completing two years at the local community college. She was offered a position to join the team of her general dentist’s office and simustaneously worked and completed her dental assisting program at Cerritos College. She is a registered dental assistant and has worked in General Dentistry, Endodontics, and most recently Orthodontics. She joined the Chang Orthodontics “team” in 2004 where she has been able to see lives change one smile at a time. In her free time she enjoys cooking, gardening, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
Rosie Montoya
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Scheduling Coordinator
Rosie has been part of the Chang Orthodontics “team” since 2000, she enjoys her position as a Scheduling Coordinator and is also our in-House Tech. Her expertise with technology is a great asset to our practice. She enjoys coming to work everyday and is surrounded by the most caring and wonderful team. She enjoys her spare time with her three children and husband.
Darcie Seerdsma
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Adult Treatment Coordinator
Darcie is our Adult Coordinator and has been in our “team” since 2001.
Diane Doherty
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Lab Technician
Diane joined Chang Orthodontics “team” since the opening of the new office in 2005. She comes with 28 years of Orthodontic Lab experience. She has worked with some of the top area Orthodontists since 1979 both in office and operating her own lab for 20 years. She has been the Lab Tech for Chang Orthodontics for 10 years. Diane is married with 3 grown children, she enjoys crafts, cooking, baking, listening to her son’s music and watching her daughter’s college soccer games.
Jean Quirk, R.D.A., C.D.A.
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Radiology Technician
Jean has been in the dental field for 30 years and has worked in Orthodontics most of that time. She is a Radiology Technician for SMC Digital Imaging, our x-ray lab, conveniently located on the first floor of our building, she was an addition to the Chang Orthodontic “team” since the opening of the new office. She is also a part-time Dental Assisting Instructor at Cerritos College, teaching radiology and dental science. She is currently working towards getting her Bachelors Degree in Occupational Studies, at CSULB. Jean is married and has two adult children.
Eddie Morando, R.D.A.
Eddie is a Registered Dental Assistant and has been with our “team” us since 2006 he has been in the field of Dentistry for 10 years.
Telma Gaeta, R.D.A.
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Telma is a Registered Dental Assistant and became part of our “team” in 2005. She has been in the field of Dentistry since 2000 working mainly in Pediatric Dentistry.
Sherri Gunnels
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Sterilization Technician
Sherri is our Sterilization Technician and has been part of our “team” since 2001.
Trisha Ayala
Sterilization Technician
Trisha has been part of our “team” since 2006 and is our Sterilization Technician; she also assists the clinic staff in any way possible. She has also benefited from our practice and she like many of our patients has a picture perfect smile. Go Dodgers #55.
Letty Alonso, R.D.A.
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Financial / Treatment Coordinator
Letty has been with the Chang Orthodontic practice since its early beginnings in 1987. She is a Registered Dental Assistant and our Financial and Treatment Coordinator. It has been wonderful for her to see the practice grow side by side our patient’s and families. She loves coming to work to a magnificent state of the art facility where we create beautiful smiles everyday. Our entire team is committed to excellence in a professional and friendly atmosphere. She shares Dr. Chang’s passion to do things well and treat patients as we would want our own families treated. She is proud to be part of a great “team”. She is happily married and mother of two beautiful daughters whom she is very proud of.
Heidi Spothelfer
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Treatment Coordinator
As a Treatment Coordinator, Heidi takes pride in educating and guiding our patients through the beginning of their orthodontic experience. Since coming on board in 2002, she is continually excited to see the amazing transformations that our “team” creates in each and every smile. Her philosophy of treating people how she would like to be treated has become a standard that she upholds not only instilled by Dr.Chang but also from her 10+ years of experience with Nordstroms. Being a big “kid” herself she enjoys interacting with patients and hearing about their hobbies and goals. She lives nearby in the community and always enjoys seeing our patients and families out and about. In her spare time she enjoys pending time with her friends and family. You might even catch a glimpse of her sometime out on her Harley!
Nadine Frias, R.D.A.
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Nadine has been in the field of dentistry for over 30 years and has been part of Chang Orthodontic “team’ for over 11 years were she enjoys helping change lives one smile at a time. She brings many years of experience to our office.
Sandra Gonzalez
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Scheduling / Event Coordinator
Sandra joined Dr. Chang’s fairly new practice in 1990 and then left to work in the field of Ophthalmology for 12 years, she recently re-joined our “team” in 2006 and enjoys her position as a Scheduling and Event coordinator and since then has seen how the Chang Orthodontics “team” changes lives one smile at a time. She enjoys spending her free time with her husband and four beautiful children.
Lupe Sahagun, R.D.A.
Lab Technician
Lupe has been a Registered Dental Assistant since 1986 and graduated from the University of Southern California’s Orthodontist Assistant Specialist Program in 1987. She joined Dr. Chang’s fairly new practice in 1987 and worked for 5 years. She left the office to run her own business working with people with Development Disabilities and at the same time raise her family. Lupe has re-joined the “team” of Chang Orthodontics in 2006 working part-time in our lab. We are glad she is back. Lupe has a terrific husband and is mother of five beautiful children.
