Meet our Team

founder, D.D.S.

Christopher E. Wacker, D.D.S

Dr. Chris Wacker has owned Loma Linda Children’s Dental Group since 1997. His philosophy is to provide extraordinary oral healthcare to children in a trusting and educational environment, which focuses on prevention and treatment of tooth decay.

Born in Michigan, Dr. Wacker moved to California when he was a teenager. He graduated from Loma Linda Academy and completed his dental pre-requisites at Cal State San Bernardino and Pacific Union College. He then graduated from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry with his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. Dr. Wacker followed his passion for treating children by completing a two year Pediatric Dental Residency at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry.

Dr. Wacker is a strong believer in continuing education, and primarily focuses on caries (tooth decay) prevention in his practice. He finds it most rewarding to educate patients and their families on how to prevent tooth decay so the entire family can enjoy a lifetime of oral health.

Besides Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Wacker is also passionate about his family – wife Leanna, and daughters Danica and Makena, off-road racing, cooking, and living life to its fullest!

D.D.S.

Steven Kirby, D.D.S.

Dr. Steven Kirby is a pediatric dentist. He grew up in rural northern California in the town of McKinleyville. At the age of 19, he went on a two-year service mission for his church in Santiago, Chile where he learned a new language and culture. He is fluent in Spanish and continues to be in contact with friends that he met while in Chile. Upon his return to the United States, Dr. Kirby moved to the sunny end of California and received his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of California Riverside. Dr. Kirby was then accepted to the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC where he served as co-student director for one of the dental outreach programs. In that capacity he organized and participated in over 50 clinics that took place California, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Colombia. Following completion of his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from USC, Dr. Kirby completed a two-year hospital-based pediatric dental residency at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon.

Dr. Kirby is very passionate about teaching parents the importance of good oral hygiene practices for their children from the time their child’s first tooth erupts. He also stresses the importance of finding a dental home where the pediatric patient is seen on a bi-annual basis. This practice will help reinforce the oral hygiene instructions that are given and will allow for the early detection of caries. Dr. Kirby has a very calm and cool demeanor that helps relax both his pediatric patients and their parents. He feels that making visits to the dentist a fun and enjoyable experience for his pediatric patients is one of his most important jobs. This willingness to come in for regular checkups and receive any treatment needed will foster a good life long relationship with the dentist. Dr. Kirby loves spending time and vacationing with his beautiful wife, who is a Prosthodontist. They met at dental outreach program during dental school and have been together ever since. They are very pleased to have a new member of their family in their baby girl, Kaia. Dr. Kirby is an avid motorsports fan and enjoys watching and playing basketball, baseball, football, and motocross. He also enjoys working on classic cars.

D.D.S.

Jixa Patel, D.D.S.

Dr. Jixa Patel is a General Dentist. She grew up in New Braunfels, Texas (Bonus stickers if you know where that is) and moved to Loma Linda in 2017. She has been a dental assistant since she was 16 years old and went on her first mission trip to Yuscaran, Honduras when she was 18. That is where she fell in love and grew a passion for Dentistry.

She completed her undergraduate graduate studies in Texas and started to work for an orthodontic company called ClearCorrect. She worked there for several years as their treatment planning manager, overseeing case handling and doctor communications. Seeking more out of dentistry, Dr. Jixa pursued further education in the bridge program at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry.

Dr. Jixa is a strong believer in preventative dentistry and pursuing her passion for better patient care. Seeing that she’s seen many aspects of dentistry as a dental assistant, dental laboratory technician, and dental hygienist, she provides a wealth of knowledge to patients to encourage good oral hygiene practices. She hopes you will join her in establishing a good dental home for the kiddos and for the parents at LLCDG.

Outside of Dentistry Dr. Jixa has a sweet little family with her Husband, dog and baby boy Artham. A newborn doesn’t leave her much time for hobbies, but she enjoys cooking, traveling, and organizing. “If it doesn’t have a label, it doesn’t have a place” she says.

office manager

Melissa Davis

Mel has been working in dentistry for forty years as a RDA, an Insurance Specialist and Office Manager. Mel has worked in all the different specialties of dentistry but prefers Children’s Dentistry because the patients are so full of energy and giggles! Mel loves to spend time with her four grandchildren and three grown children exploring new places. Mel’s favorite thing to do is golf, and maybe one day she will hit par!

front office

Amy Nevins

Amy has been in dentistry for fifteen years all that time at LLCDG. Amy likes working with children because of their honesty and the fact that they just warm her heart! Her family, husband Rory and son Cooper, spend time camping, off-roading, and barbequing. Amy likes to camp near water so she can go paddle boarding! Amy loves to garden and is quite the green thumb!