At Sweetwater Pediatric Dentistry, we provide excellent comprehensive and preventive care in a fun, welcoming, and loving environment. Our highly-skilled team of pediatric pros take a lighthearted, educational approach, allowing every child to harness a lifetime of awesome oral hygiene and an optimistic outlook on smile care. So don’t rush the brush, and come give your little one the best dental experience in National City today!
Born in the Philippines but raised in San Jose, California, Dr. Rene earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery with honors from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco. Being in the top 20% of his class, he was awarded with a membership to the Tau Kappa Omega Honor Society for his outstanding academic achievements. With his endless love for learning, he also completed his Advanced Education in General Dentistry at the University of the Pacific.
While working for private and public dental clinics, Dr. Rene discovered the joy of treating children. His passion for improving the lives of kids led him to St. Barnabas Hospital in New York, where he completed his pediatric dental residency. Today, he couldn’t feel more grateful to deliver the highest standard of care for National City kids as a board-certified pediatric dentist.
Dr. Rene understands the fears that little ones can face when it comes to visiting the dentist – because he’s been in their shoes before too. That’s why the heartbeat behind his practice is to create a safe, welcoming space for every child to have a positive relationship with their dentist. For him, there’s nothing more rewarding than connecting with the kids in his care and seeing them step into their appointments with resilient enthusiasm.
Outside the office, you can catch Dr. Rene sharpening his golf skills on the green and making quality memories with his family and friends!
A Southern California native, Dr. Pat earned his Bachelor of Science in biology at San Diego State University. There, he discovered his love for dentistry and left his local roots to attend dental school in New York. He went on to become a Doctor of Dental Surgery and completed his Advanced Education in General Dentistry at the Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn. During this time, his passion for pouring into the lives of young patients only grew. He ran wholeheartedly toward a fulfilling path in pediatric dentistry by completing his residency at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.
Flash forward, and Dr. Pat is thrilled to be back in his hometown to serve National City’s growing grins! His favorite part about his work? Transforming his patients’ lives by providing ethical, fun-filled care built on trust. Whether he’s here at Sweetwater or volunteering on a dental mission trip, Dr. Pat strives to change the world, one child and one smile at a time.
When he’s not strengthening tiny teeth, it’s not uncommon to find Dr. Pat sharing a good laugh with his family and friends! He also enjoys cooking flavorful meals, cheering on his favorite sports teams, and traveling.
A Southern California native, Dr. Pat earned his Bachelor of Science in biology at San Diego State University. There, he discovered his love for dentistry and left his local roots to attend dental school in New York. He went on to become a Doctor of Dental Surgery and completed his Advanced Education in General Dentistry at the Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn. During this time, his passion for pouring into the lives of young patients only grew. He ran wholeheartedly toward a fulfilling path in pediatric dentistry by completing his residency at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.
Flash forward, and Dr. Pat is thrilled to be back in his hometown to serve National City’s growing grins! His favorite part about his work? Transforming his patients’ lives by providing ethical, fun-filled care built on trust. Whether he’s here at Sweetwater or volunteering on a dental mission trip, Dr. Pat strives to change the world, one child and one smile at a time.
When he’s not strengthening tiny teeth, it’s not uncommon to find Dr. Pat sharing a good laugh with his family and friends! He also enjoys cooking flavorful meals, cheering on his favorite sports teams, and traveling.
A Southern California native, Dr. Pat earned his Bachelor of Science in biology at San Diego State University. There, he discovered his love for dentistry and left his local roots to attend dental school in New York. He went on to become a Doctor of Dental Surgery and completed his Advanced Education in General Dentistry at the Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn. During this time, his passion for pouring into the lives of young patients only grew. He ran wholeheartedly toward a fulfilling path in pediatric dentistry by completing his residency at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.
Flash forward, and Dr. Pat is thrilled to be back in his hometown to serve National City’s growing grins! His favorite part about his work? Transforming his patients’ lives by providing ethical, fun-filled care built on trust. Whether he’s here at Sweetwater or volunteering on a dental mission trip, Dr. Pat strives to change the world, one child and one smile at a time.
When he’s not strengthening tiny teeth, it’s not uncommon to find Dr. Pat sharing a good laugh with his family and friends! He also enjoys cooking flavorful meals, cheering on his favorite sports teams, and traveling.
Supporting a smooth, anxiety-free experience for your child is a top priority here at Sweetwater Pediatric Dentistry. That’s why we’re proud to have the most gentle and qualified sedation experts in our ranks. Whether your little one is feeling nervous about their treatment or they’re struggling with extra-sensitive teeth, Dr. Regina Dowdy and Dr. Marco Savattieri will be right by their side to calm their worries and ensure a painless appointment every step of the way.
Dr. Marco Savittieri is a board-certified dentist anesthesiologist specialist providing general anesthesia, intravenous sedation and pain management services for patients of all ages requiring restorative dentistry or maxillofacial surgery in a private office setting. His goal is to provide safe, compassionate, hospital-quality care, tailored to the patient’s specific needs and medical history, while fostering a peaceful and calm environment.
After graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology, Dr. Savittieri worked in San Diego’s cutting-edge pharmaceutical industry. He desired to be more directly involved with the patients he was helping, ultimately pursuing a career as a health care provider. While obtaining his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at USC, Dr. Savittieri was recognized for his passion in anesthesiology and received the J. Walter Reeves Memorial Award and the DR. STAT/IV TEAM Laryngoscope Award while graduating atop his class with recognition by Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honors Society.
Dr. Savittieri completed his post-doctoral residency in Dental Anesthesiology at UCLA. He provided more than a thousand anesthetics for general surgeries in America’s top-rated hospitals such as Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Santa Monica-UCLA Hospital. Throughout his specialty training, he gained unrivaled experience as a mobile-anesthesia provider, delivering several hundred anesthetics in an ambulatory, dental office settings. As chief resident, his proficiency expanded to include out-patient orthognathic surgeries and “all-on-four” implant procedures requiring multifaceted anesthesia techniques and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Upon completion of his residency, Dr. Savittieri practiced as a mobile anesthesia provider for multiple enterprises – Comfort Dental Anesthesia, The Los Angeles Center of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Desert State Dental Anesthesia. Most of his practice is dedicated to pediatric and special needs patients. He is also devoted to servicing dental-phobic adult and geriatric patients, with complex medical conditions, requiring extensive dental rehabilitation.
Dr. Savittieri currently lives and practices in San Diego. He is a diplomate for the American Dental Board of Anesthesiology and the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists. He holds current Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support certification. Dr. Savittieri loves his job, which perfectly combines his passion for science and enthusiasm for quality patient care. Dr. Savittieri is a dedicated family man. In his free time, Dr. Savittieri enjoys all that sunny California has to offer surfing, hiking, and sandy beach days with his wife and kids.
A San Diego native, Dr. Gina Dowdy is happy to be back in hometown providing anesthesia services in her community. During her time at USC she developed a passion to care for pediatric and special needs populations, which was further promoted during her residency.
Dr. Gina attended The Ohio State University for her dental anesthesiology residency. Here, she was able to serve patients of all ages and health complexities. Her favorite rotations were spent working at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Ohio State Wexner Medical Center’s medical and surgical intensive care units. During her residency she was fortunate to speak at anesthesia conferences, participate in research, and publish articles.
Humanitarian work is a large part of Dr. Gina’s training. She has travelled globally, volunteering either as a general dentist or a dental anesthesiologist. She has served in Ghana, Mexico, Peru, Fiji, and the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic was an especially rewarding experience as she was able to utilize her anesthesia training and adapt it to the equipment and supplies that were available, differing from her traditional hospital operating rooms.
In her free time, you may catch Dr. Gina down in Ocean Beach playing softball or with her dogs at dog beach soaking in the San Diego sun.
Our practice is made up of thoughtful and talented team members who love to bring lots of laughter and learning to every appointment! We care about connecting with every patient on a relational level, growing beside your family with warm, personalized care. From our front desk friends to our knowledgeable smile squad, we’ll always go above and beyond for you and your little one!
When you and your kiddo step into Sweetwater Pediatric Dentistry, you’ll be greeted by the friendliest team of professionals and a peaceful, sunny atmosphere where your family feels right at home. During your child’s first appointment, we’ll take the time to get to know them, give them a tour of our office, and protect their pearly whites with a fresh cleaning and comprehensive exam!
After their preventive treatment, one of our kind doctors will connect with you and your child to explain their findings in a way that’s informative, encouraging, and easy to understand. At the end of the day, our goal is to leave your child happier and healthier than when they walked in with a glowing grin!
Everything about our office is lovingly made with you and your little one’s needs top of mind! We’ve curated our space with modern amenities, soothing comforts, and world-class technology to give your family the most efficient and enjoyable experience possible.
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Every day, we seek to enrich the lives of San Diego kids by way of strong, lasting smiles. To help make that happen beyond the doors of our office, we’re honored to team up with Give Kids a Smile. Founded by the American Dental Association, this special nonprofit organization is dedicated to ensuring quality oral health care for all children in need. Together, our dentists and team are honored to nurture National City’s underserved kids with free patient education, preventive treatment, and restorative care for a future of flourishing smiles.
