Dr. Katherine Ahn Wallace, DDS, Dentist (Pediatric)
We verify the medical license of each FindaTopDoc Verified Doctor to ensure that their license is active and they are in good medical standing.

Dr. Katherine Ahn Wallace, DDS

Dentist

11121 Los Alamitos Blvd Suite 201 Los Alamitos CA, 90720

About

Dr. Katherine Ahn Wallace is a dentist who focuses on treating patients with TMJ related craniofacial pain and sleep disorders. She completed dental school and pediatric dental residency at UCLA and is able to treat patients of all ages. She founded Aviara Centers, an airway & whole body wellness center, where she works with an integrative team of providers to address the patients' concerns with a wholistic approach. The team of professionals at Aviara Centes provide health-focused orthodontics & oral surgery, TMJ therapy, sleep apnea therapy, breathing retraining, frenectomy (tongue tie & lip tie releases), orofacial myofunctional therapy, cranio-sacral fascial therapy, and integrative sleep & lifestyle medicine services.

She & her team practices in Los Alamitos, CA, San Clemente, CA, Huntington Beach, CA and Beverly Hills, CA by appointment. Dr. Wallace is also known as Dr Ahn which is her maiden name. Visit www.aviaracenters.com for appointments and more information. 

Education and Training

UCLA School of Dentistry DDS 1993

Provider Details

Female English, Spanish, Korean
Dr. Katherine Ahn Wallace, DDS
Dr. Katherine Ahn Wallace, DDS's Expert Contributions
  • Can braces cause jaw pain?

    Hello! If you have a small jaw, small airway, compressed TMJ, underlying misalignment of the jaw or posture,..,aligning teeth in this unstable environment can trigger pain in the TMJ, jaw, neck or head. An under developed jaw causes teeth crowding and small airway. If you are not getting enough air or oxygen while you are sleeping, you may clench or grind your teeth which causes compression in your TMJ and jaw muscle tension which can trigger pain. I recommend that you see a TMJ / Airway Dentist who can help you determine where the imbalances are, if you have postural (or sacral occipital) misalignment, have sleep apnea, and if you need to expand your jaw to create sufficient space for your teeth and tongue before proceeding with braces. Wishing you all the best. Dr Ahn Wallace READ MORE

Areas of expertise and specialization

TMJ TherapySleep Apnea TherapyOrthodonticsJaw DevelopmentFrenectomyOMT (Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy)CFT (Craniosacral Fascial Therapy)Breathing Retraining

Treatments

  • General Dentistry
  • Preventive care visits
  • Restorative services like fillings, crowns, and bridges
  • Fitting and placement of dentures
  • Pediatric Treatment
  • Root Canal Therapy
  • Biocompatible Dentistry
  • Dental Implants
  • Cosmetic Dentistry

Professional Memberships

  • American Dental Association  
  • California Dental Association  
  • American Academy of Craniofacial Pain  
  • American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine  

Charities and Philanthropic Endeavors

  • Founder of OCCARES (growing compassionate social entrepreneurs)

Treatments

  • Orthodontics, TMJ Therapy, Sleep Apnea Therapy, frenectomy, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, SOT (Sacral Occipital Technique), Craniosacral Fascial Therapy, Integrative Sleep Medicine, Lifestyle and Functional Medicine

Professional Society Memberships

  • AAPMD, AACP, ASDSM

Philanthropic Initiatives

  • Served as the Commissioner of the Children & Families Commission of Orange County for 4 years (now First 5)

Teaching and speaking

  • Aviara Institute

Favorite Place to Vacation

  • Korea, Paris

Hobbies / Sports

  • Cooking healthy vegan food, innovating products that improve the airway & overall health

Dr. Katherine Ahn Wallace, DDS's Practice location

Aviara Centers

11121 Los Alamitos Blvd Suite 201 -
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
Get Direction
New patients: 714-230-2424
https://www.theo2doctor.com/

Aviara Centers

905 Calle Amanecer 265 -
San Clemente, CA 92673
Get Direction
714-230-2424
www.aviaracenters.com

Dr. Katherine Ahn Wallace, DDS's reviews

(0)
Write Review

Media Releases

Get to know Dentist Dr. Katherine Ahn Wallace, who serves patients throughout the State of California.

A dedicated advocate for whole-body wellness and a passionate practitioner in the field of dentistry, Dr. Wallace is the Founder of Aviara Centers, with 4 offices located throughout California. 

Embarking on a lifelong journey towards wellness early on, she was raised a vegetarian by health-conscious parents who instilled in her the importance of a healthy lifestyle. This upbringing sparked her curiosity and fueled her determination to understand how lifestyle choices can impact systemic diseases, as well as how adopting a healthy lifestyle can prevent and even reverse the disease process.

Dr. Wallace’s pursuit of knowledge led her to pursue a degree in dentistry from the prestigious UCLA School of Dentistry, which she successfully completed in 1993. During her time at UCLA, she also undertook a two-year pediatric dental residency, where she gained invaluable skills in children’s dental wellness, craniofacial development, and early orthodontics.

Driven by her commitment to holistic health, Dr. Wallace continued to expand her expertise in advanced Reconstructive Dentistry, Sleep, TMJ, and Orthodontic Therapies. By delving deeper into these specialized areas, she enhanced her ability to diagnose and address the underlying causes of various orofacial and systemic issues, always focusing on promoting overall wellness and improving her patients’ quality of life.

Beyond her professional pursuits, she also recognized the profound impact that environmental factors can have on mental and systemic disorders. Understanding how stress, loneliness, abuse, and trauma can compromise one’s well-being, she founded OCCares—a non-profit organization dedicated to the vision of Whole Body Wellness. Collaborating with esteemed institutions like UCI and Pepperdine University, OCCares works to educate young individuals on how they can make a positive impact through compassionate leadership.

Through OCCares, Dr. Wallace acts as a mentor to students who are passionate about creating social impact projects. MindfulMealsByKids.org and Recyle-Holics.org are just a couple of the initiatives that have emerged from this mentorship program. Additionally, she spearheads the Aviara Collaborative Care Project, a platform created in partnership with Aviara to further OCCares’ mission of nurturing the next generation of social entrepreneurs.

Recommended Articles

  • How Lung Transplants for Cystic Fibrosis Patients Have Changed

    For those with cystic fibrosis (CF), lung infections are the greatest contributor to death. Lung inflammation, destruction, and chronic infection occurs due to the thick sticky mucus associated with CF.This over-proliferation of mucus occurs due to the mutated gene CFTR which is responsible for the...

  • What Is a Cavity?

    A cavity is a result of tooth decay, which is a damage that occurs due to poor oral health and dental plaque on the tooth’s surface. Cavities usually start really small and when they are left untreated, they gradually become bigger. Anyone who has teeth, including babies, can develop cavities. For...

  • Oral Hygiene and Overall Health

    Maintaining oral hygiene is very important for overall health; it does far more just keeping a bright smile. Good oral hygiene can reduce the risk of serious conditions like heart diseases, and may also preserve memory as people age. Dental health may affect overall health in six different ways,...

  • Mason Motz Becomes A Chatterbox Once His Sleep Apnea Was Fixed

    Mason Motz is a 6-year-old Texas youngster who now sings his favorite songs and talks to everyone who will listen to him. He is always asking his mom about her day and discussing the world with his brother. Every day, he leaves his family astounded, because, for over five years of his life, Mason...

  • Why It's So Important to Take Your Child to the Dentist

    Clarice Law, DMD, MS, assistant professor in the Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics sections at the UCLA School of Dentistry says that it is better to get the child to the dentist as early as possible. She personally likes to have children starting the dental visits by the age of one year. First...

  • Low-Grade Fever and Teething

    Introduction Your baby, who used to be so peaceful, has all of a sudden become fussy, cranky, chews on every single thing, and is drooling. He wants to be held, keeps you half the night awake, and wants to be nursed the whole day. This is the world of teething that the baby has entered in. Other...

Nearby Providers

Nearest Hospitals

CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AT MISSIONl

27700 MEDICAL CENTER RD, 5TH FLOOR MISSION VIEJO CA 92691

Head southwest on Calle Amanecer 3014 ft
Turn left onto Avenida Pico 4483 ft
Keep right 1061 ft
Take the ramp on the right towards I-5 North 1083 ft
Merge left onto San Diego Freeway (I 5) 8.6 mi
Keep left at the fork onto San Diego Freeway (I 5) 1.3 mi
Take the ramp on the right 1781 ft
Turn right onto Crown Valley Parkway 1121 ft
Keep right 665 ft
Turn right onto Medical Center Road 993 ft
Turn left onto Emergency Way 668 ft
You have arrived at your destination, on the right

HOSPITAL HERMANOS MELENDEZ INCl

CARRETERA #2 KM 11 7 BAYAMON PR 960

Head southwest on Calle Amanecer 2961 ft
Turn right onto Avenida Pico 568 ft
Turn left onto Camino Vera Cruz 1.1 mi
Turn right onto Carretera 414 ft
You have arrived at your destination