Our Team
Our Dentists
Dr. E. Chioma Onwuka
Board Certified Pediatric Dentist
Dr. Devin Bowyer
Family Dentist
Dr. Michelle Stafford
Dr. Michelle Stafford founded World of Smiles, Pediatric Dentistry in August 2008. After graduating University of the Pacific: Arthur Dugoni School of Dentistry, Dr. Stafford chose the pediatric dental specialty because she believes that every child deserves to have a positive experience going to the dentist.
She completed an additional two years of training after dental school in an accredited pediatric residency program to become a pediatric dental specialist. Throughout this two year program she cared for children of all ages and especially children with special needs such as: autism, cerebral palsy and cleft lip/palate. This hospital-based residency provided a safe environment to treat the dental needs of children under general anesthesia, conscious sedation and/or nitrous oxide.
Dr. Stafford is also very passionate about tongue and lip ties. After experiencing the effects of of a severe tongue tie with her first baby, she was unhappy with the traditional treatment options, so she sought more education on the issue to be able to offer the laser procedure to release tongue and lip ties in office. Learn more about tongue tie here.
Dr. Stafford enjoys hiking, crafty projects like sewing and scrap-booking and exploring the Portland area with her husband, Nicholas Peterka. They welcomed their first child on June 1st, 2012. Wasting no time, her second son came along on April 21st, 2014. Some of her other hobbies include photography, traveling and learning about different cultures. She has incorporated her love of travel into World of Smiles. The West office interior serves as a gallery for artwork and photography from around the world.
Dr. Michelle Stafford
Dr. Michelle Stafford founded World of Smiles, Pediatric Dentistry in August 2008. After graduating University of the Pacific: Arthur Dugoni School of Dentistry, Dr. Stafford chose the pediatric dental specialty because she believes that every child deserves to have a positive experience going to the dentist.
She completed an additional two years of training after dental school in an accredited pediatric residency program to become a pediatric dental specialist. Throughout this two year program she cared for children of all ages and especially children with special needs such as: autism, cerebral palsy and cleft lip/palate. This hospital-based residency provided a safe environment to treat the dental needs of children under general anesthesia, conscious sedation and/or nitrous oxide.
Dr. Stafford is also very passionate about tongue and lip ties. After experiencing the effects of of a severe tongue tie with her first baby, she was unhappy with the traditional treatment options, so she sought more education on the issue to be able to offer the laser procedure to release tongue and lip ties in office. Learn more about tongue tie here.
Dr. Stafford enjoys hiking, crafty projects like sewing and scrap-booking and exploring the Portland area with her two boys. Some of her other hobbies include photography, traveling and learning about different cultures. She has incorporated her love of travel into World of Smiles. The kids' office interior serves as a gallery for artwork and photography from around the world.
Dr. Michelle Stafford
Dr. E. Chioma Onwuka
Dr. E. Chioma Onwuka recently moved to Portland, Oregon and is thrilled to be part of the World of Smiles treatment team. Dr. Chioma is a board-certified pediatric dentist. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University in 2006 and her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2010. While at UCLA, she held leadership positions in the student chapter of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and received the Excellence in Pediatric Dentistry award by the Southern California Society of Dentistry for Children.
Following her time at UCLA, she completed two additional years of specialty training in pediatric dentistry at the University of Washington. Her pediatric dental training was based full time at two community clinics in Yakima, Washington. In Yakima, there is a great need for pediatric dental care and her program provided a unique training experience as she gained a very high level of clinical exposure treating children and adolescents of all ages. After residency, she spent several years working as an associate dentist in the greater Los Angeles area.
As a pediatric dentist, Dr. Chioma values preventive dentistry as the core of her practice philosophy. For this reason, she strives to build strong relationships with her patients and their families in order to provide adequate oral health education and in turn quality, comprehensive dental care.
Dr. Chioma was born and raised in Southern California, but she is excited to be back in the Pacific Northwest serving the dental needs of the children in the area. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, watching movies, and spending time with her loved ones, including her boyfriend, Chidi.
Dr. Kristen Yu
Dr. Kristen was raised in Elmhurst, NY. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Stony Brook University and pursued her dental education at Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine. It was during rotations working with children that inspired her to continue her post-graduate education in pediatric dentistry. Dr. Kristen’s Specialty Pediatric Dental hospital training was completed at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, where she gained a wide range of experiences providing care for all children including those with special needs. Dr. Kristen believes in evaluating the children’s dental needs from a preventative and comprehensive perspective, ensuring that they receive quality care while still maintaining positive dental experiences.
Dr. Kristen recently moved from NY and is excited to explore the city of Portland with her fiancé, Ben. In her free time, she enjoys reading, catching up on new television shows, and trying to learn how to cook.
Dr. Michelle Stafford
Dr. Devin Bowyer
Dr. Devin Bowyer joined World of Smiles Teen Office in July of 2018. He graduated from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry in California, where he met his wife, Katie. During his time there, he enjoyed working with people of all ages. He especially enjoyed working with teenagers because of their enthusiasm for life and similarity in hobbies. Dr. Bowyer appreciates that dentistry fosters strong patient-doctor relationships built on trust and respect. It is very important to Dr. Bowyer that patients are comfortable in the office and take an active part in their oral health care.
Dr. Bowyer enjoys everything that has to do with water. He is an avid swimmer, body surfer, scuba diver, and whitewater kayaker. He loves traveling the world with his wife, family, and friends. One of his favorite places to travel was Palau because of the beautiful oceans and friendly people. He looks forward to living in Oregon and being able to explore the forests, rivers, and other natural wonders.