Meet our team
Dr Mala Desai, our practice principal has been a specialist paediatric dentist for over 20 years. She leads an excellent team of equally experienced clinicians in Dr Angel Babu, Jenny Reeves and Karina Nathoo.
Our staff are especially chosen for their passion to work with children.
Dr. Mala Desai – Principal Paediatric Dentist
BDSc, Grad Dip Clin Dent, MDSc (Melb)
Dr. Mala Desai, affectionately known as “Dr. Mala,” comes from a family of educators and has had a passion for working with children for as long as she can remember. She has a natural ability to connect with young patients, making her a beloved figure in their lives. In fact, many of Dr. Mala’s patients have been seeing her since they were toddlers and continue to visit her as they complete high school and move on to new chapters in their lives. She takes great pride in having been a part of their formative years, ensuring they received state-of-the-art dental care throughout their growth.
With over 20 years of experience as a specialist paediatric dentist, Dr. Mala began her journey by earning a Bachelor’s degree in Dental Science from the University of Melbourne. She furthered her expertise by obtaining a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry, followed by a Master’s degree in Paediatric Dentistry.
In addition to her private practice, Dr. Mala is actively involved in the special needs clinic at the Royal Children’s Hospital and holds a staff position at the Royal Dental Hospital. She is also committed to shaping the next generation of dental professionals, teaching postgraduate paediatric dental and oral health therapy students at the University of Melbourne.
Dr. Mala has a passion for continuous learning and frequently presents at local and international paediatric dental conferences. Over the years, she has pioneered several cutting-edge treatments offered at her practice, continually advancing the field of paediatric dentistry.
Dr. Mala is a member of various fraternities and committees including the:
- Australia and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry (ANZSPD)
- Australasian Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (AAPD)
- Australian Dental Association (ADA)
- American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (AAPD)
- International Association of Paediatric Dentistry (IAPD)
Beyond her professional life, Dr. Mala and her husband are parents to three sons who share a love for food and an enthusiasm for travel!
Dr Angel Babu – Paediatric Dentist
DClinDent (PAED) (Otago)
Dr. Angel Babu graduated from the prestigious University of Otago in New Zealand with a Doctor in Clinical Dentistry (Paediatric Dentistry). Following this she worked as a senior dental registrar at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia and in New Zealand as a paediatric dentist for 3 years. She is a registered Paediatric Dentist in Australia and in New Zealand.
Dr. Angel, as a paediatric dentist, believes in motivating children/adolescents in the prevention of dental problems and educating the family about a healthy smile for life. Her philosophy in treating children is based on respecting and caring for children using age appropriate techniques and earnest attention.
She is passionate and interested in providing oral health care for children of all age groups (0-18 years). Her special interests are in behaviour management, dental trauma, dental problems related to sleep issues, dental management in children with high caries risk, hypomineralisation (chalky teeth) and all medically compromised/special needs children. She offers dental treatment to a wide range of patients including those with complex medical and dental histories under general anaesthesia, oral sedation and nitrous oxide (laughing gas).
Angel is a member of Australian Dental Association (ADA), Australia and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry (ANZSPD) and Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency (AHPRA)
Besides paediatric dentistry, Dr. Angel enjoys spending time with her family and friends, travelling, hiking and cooking in her spare time.
Jenny Reeves – Oral Health Therapist
DipAppSci
Jenny has been a clinician for more than 20 years! Her vast experience and ability to make every child’s dental visit a comfortable one is Jenny’s natural strength.
Jenny thoroughly enjoys her role as a Dental Therapist as she loves working with children and adolescents. She finds treating children particularly rewarding given their dental needs are constantly changing with every growth spurt.
Jenny attends numerous courses each year ranging from topics such as behaviour management in children with special needs to latest techniques, procedures and materials. In turn, Jenny is able to offer best practice care for all her patients.
Jenny is a member of Australian Dental Association (ADA), Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry
(ANZSPD) and Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency (AHPRA)
A busy mum of two, and a chef ordinaire, Jenny has a simple philosophy – spoil others with treats whilst restricting herself to only the healthiest of foods with an unmatched exercise routine!
Karina Raniga – Oral Health Therapist
BOH
Karina was a patient of the practice as a youngster. She was so inspired by the manner in which we looked after our patients, she was determined to become a clinician and join our team.
Karina graduated as an Oral Health Therapist and has a passion for working with children. She is mentored by our practice principal Dr Mala and has experience in managing the simplest to the most complicated dental treatments.
Karina keeps her clinical skills to best practice standards by attending numerous specialist courses and congresses each year. In turn, Karina’s patients are able to receive cutting edge dental care.
Karina is a member of Australian Dental Association (ADA), Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry (ANZSPD) and Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency (AHPRA)
Karina is a young mum and is always smiling ear-to-ear.
Our dedicated team members are passionate about working with children. They all connect naturally with children and are genuinely interested in seeing them grow into confident young people. The majority of our team have been seeing our patients for years and feel privileged to be part of their growth, development and many milestones.
After all, we are all kids at heart too! We love celebrating your child’s birthday and every school holiday, we love dressing up in our set themes and encourage all our patients to come dressed up for their appointments.