Get to know one of our pediatric dentists, Dr. Cocjin! She is originally from the Philippines and obtained her first dental license from the state of California in 1991. Then in 1996, Dr. Cocjin decided to go back to school to earn her certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from the University of Southern California School of Dentistry. Learn more about Dr. Cocjin below!
- When did you first know you wanted to be a pediatric dentist?
- I did not know Pediatric Dentist was my destiny until I was a General Dentist in California.
- What do you love most about your job?
- Helping children and parents navigate their experiences in the dental office and coming out victorious. The best part of my day is when my patient gives me a hug and a smile at the end of their appointment.
- How long have you lived in the area or what made you choose Leavenworth?
- I have lived in Kansas for 20 years and chose to work with Dr Kiser because I believe in his philosophy of blessing children.
- What is your family’s favorite community event to attend?
- Our favorite community event is being in charge of the Angel Tree at our church. We collect wish list from children in the community, make tags for their wishes and put them up on the tree. our parishioners then have a chance to pick up these tags, go shopping for them, and then return them so we can help make those wishes come true for those who are less fortunate.
- Do you have a favorite restaurant in Kansas City? What do you like to eat there?
- There are so many restaurants in Kansas City but I love sushi.
- What is something you are proud of?
- My two children. My son, Jason, is a senior medical student at St Louis University. My daughter, Erin, is a senior Animal Science major (pre-veterinary medicine) student at Kansas State University.
- What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekend?
- Stay home and hang out with family and our dog, Sam.
- If you had a day to spend in Kansas City with no financial limits – what would your day look like?
- Meet up with friends and do whatever it is we feel like doing and end the day with a wonderful relaxing dinner.
- What was your favorite age as a child and why?
- I grew up in the Philippines as a child. I don’t know if I have a favorite age but I enjoyed my childhood very much spending weekends with cousins playing and having fun.
- What do you remember about going to the pediatric dentist when you were younger?
- Growing up in the Philippines, I do not have any memory of going to a pediatric dentist. We went to our family dentist for our dental care and my experiences were always good.