Our team
A Poway family dentist practice that treats patients of all ages, and treats every patient like family.
Our Doctors
Meet Dr. Riad & Dr. Zaku
Two doctors, two remarkable journeys, one shared passion for changing lives through dentistry.
Dr. Rafik Riad
Dentist
Dr. Rafik Riad was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt. He decided to become a dentist at 14. He earned his first doctorate from Ain Shams University in Cairo in 2005, at age 22.
Dr. Hiba Zaku
Dentist
Dr. Hiba Zaku was born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq. Dr. Zaku immigrated to the US in 2007, and San Diego has been home ever since. Dr. Zaku attended University of California, San Diego for a degree in Biochemistry and discovered a passion and love for dentistry during that time.
Professional memberships
Our dentists are members of the American Dental Association, the California Dental Association and the San Diego County Dental Society.
The Dream Team
The people behind your smile
Coordinators, hygienists, and assistants who love what they do, and it shows in every visit.
Yesenia
Office Manager
Yesenia is the office manager. I have been involved in the dental field for 20 years. I have extensive knowledge of the office, including dental insurance knowledge, treatment coordinating/financials, dental billing, and patient account resolution. I love working with our wonderful patients and making them feel like part of the family. I always strive to work hard to give an excellent customer service experience and ensure that you are comfortable and happy. In my free time, I like hiking, watching movies, and spending time with my daughter.
Cristina
Financial Manager
Cristina is the financial manager and treatment coordinator of the team. I have been working at Oak Tree since 2018. I grew up in Escondido, CA. What made me get into dentistry is that I wanted to be part of a team that helps people and get into a field where there is so much room for growth.
I like to spend it with my daughter and husband. We usually take her out when we are off from work to the park, the beach, the zoo, and all the fun places that kids would enjoy. I try to spend as much time as possible with her. Life passes in a blink of an eye.
Judy
Patient Coordinator
Judith, known to everyone as Judy, is the patient coordinator. I’m proud to be working with the “Dream Team.” It is great to be a part of this unique office and work with such talented and caring people. I love helping others, and there is always a joy to see our patients satisfied after their visit to the office.
During weekends, I enjoy being with my family. My loving husband and I like to go on hikes or bike rides. We like to watch movies and spend quality time with our kitty cat if we are not outdoors.
Laura
RDAEF2
My family and I have been a part of Oak Tree Dental for over 10 years now. My husband and I have two beautiful daughters that love to practice Jiu-Jitsu and visit me at work for their routine cleaning. My career started in 2007 as an assistant, where I found my passion for dentistry with our family dentist. I then moved to Oak Tree Dental in 2012 as a scheduling coordinator and absolutely fell in love with our patients and the community that surrounded the office. After 18 months of working in the front office, I realized how much I missed assisting. In 2021 I completed my RDAEF2 course receiving my license that same year. Now I get to deliver crowns and complete crown preps and fillings. I am diligent in providing excellent patient care and quality restorations while utilizing state-of-the-art technology. I have enjoyed seeing several of our kid patients become teenagers and have developed several friendships with others. The smiles I get from my patients and having such wonderful and fun coworkers keep me coming back to work every day.
Randi
Dental Hygienist
Randi has been a dental hygienist since 2009 and has enjoyed every minute of it! I graduated from SDSU as a Public Health Major and continued my education, graduating from Southwestern College, where I was on the Dean’s list and was President of my class in Dental Hygiene. I want to give every patient an enjoyable experience while helping to improve and maintain one’s oral health. I strive to be an excellent clinician and truly love getting to know all my patients personally. I’m a resident of Poway and enjoy spending time with my family and friends.
Yousif Nissan
Dental Assistant
Yousif Nissan has been a dental assistant for 4 years. Through those years, I have developed a huge passion for dentistry and its service to people. Every day I go to work, I know I will be changing someone’s life and working from the bottom of my heart to make our patients happy.
As my passion for dentistry grows, I have become a student at San Diego State University. I am pursuing a Bachelor’s degree to get into dental school and achieve my dream of becoming a dentist. I’m glad for the opportunity to serve you with this amazing team.