Dr. Abrahim Caroci “It all started while in dental school. I volunteered at the Special Olympics Special Smiles and never stopped. Special Olympics events allow current and future clinicians to meet athletes on ‘their own turf’ as a person first, and not as a patient, and that makes a real impact.”
Dr. Abrahim Caroci is a pediatric dentist committed to offering children and families high quality service and care for long lasting healthy smiles.
He graduated from Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health at A.T. Still University and also received a certificate in Public Health. He moved to Rochester in 2013 and completed a General Practice Residency (GPR) and Pediatric Dentistry Residency at the Strong Memorial Hospital/University of Rochester Eastman Institute for Oral Health.
Dr. Caroci’s training included hospital dentistry, management of trauma, infections, sedation, dental treatment under general anesthesia and special needs patients. He also completed a one year fellowship in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program. This collaborative interdisciplinary training focused on improving the health of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and special health care needs.
Dr. Caroci is a 2018 recipient of the Golisano Health Leadership Award for New York — the highest regional honor for Special Olympics health partners. He is also a board member of the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry, which focuses on integrating the medical and dental fields to serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Learn more
Dr. Caroci was born in Brazil from an Italian father and Brazilian mother and fell in love with pediatric dentistry while working alongside a volunteer dentist during a dental mission in the Amazon. At the time, he was completing a Masters degree working with malaria vectors and mosquitoes in the field of epidemiology and biomedical sciences.
He continued his research and worked towards a Ph.D., spending four years as a Research Scholar at the University of Arizona and the University of California, Irvine. After this time, he decided to finally follow his true passion and changed career paths to pediatric dentistry.
He also found a passion in serving those with special needs both locally and internationally. Dr. Caroci began working with Special Olympics Special Smiles in Arizona and then went on to be a part of a research delegation in two Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and Los Angeles.
After moving to Rochester, he became the Special Olympics Special Smiles Clinical Director to help coordinate projects, locally and statewide in New York.
Dr. Caroci is married to a lovely girl from the Midwest and with four children of his own, he knows that each child is different and that care needs to be individualized. He is committed to providing this high quality individualized care and developing lasting trustful relationships with his patients and families.
In his spare time, Dr. Caroci likes taking road trips with his family, volunteering with Special Olympics, hiking, cooking Brazilian food for friends and playing soccer. Show less
Dr. Katie Strong is a board certified pediatric dentist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.
A native of Rochester, Dr. Strong is a graduate of Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women and attended the University of Rochester for her undergraduate studies. During college she developed an interest in dentistry and public health, and after four years of training at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine she graduated as valedictorian of her dental class.
Dr. Strong found her true calling in advocating for and treating pediatric patients, which led her to complete an additional two years of specialized training during her pediatric dental residency at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC.
During residency Dr. Strong received extensive training in pediatric restorative and preventive dentistry, basic and pharmacologic behavior management, trauma management, interceptive orthodontics, and treatment of patients with special healthcare needs. Learn more
She was awarded the Richard C. Pugh Award by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry after scoring in the top 3% of pediatric dentists on the 2020 pediatric dental board certification qualifying exam.
Dr. Strong is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Laser Study Club, International Affiliation of Tongue-Tie Professionals, Rochester Infant Feeding Collaborative, American Dental Association, New York State Dental Association, and the 7th District Dental Society.
She currently serves as a director on the board of the Monroe County Dental Society. She also serves as a clinical instructor on the faculty of the Department of Community Dentistry at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and spends several days per month providing dental treatment for children on the SMILEmobiles throughout the city of Rochester.
Dr. Strong is happy to have the opportunity to care for the pediatric population in the community she grew up in and enjoys working with the incredible team at Twelve Corners Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry. Show less
Dr. Shaima Malik is a board certified orthodontist from the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics. She is a member of the American Association of Orthodontics, American Dental Association, New York State Dental Association, Seventh District Dental Society, American Dental Education Association and an affiliate of the North Atlantic component of the Angle Society.
Originally born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dr. Malik obtained her Bachelors in Dental Surgery from National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan.
In 2006, she moved to Rochester, NY where she completed a Fellowship in Orofacial Pain Program, followed by a two-year Post-Graduate degree in Advanced Education in General Dentistry from Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester.
Dr. Malik went on to complete a one-year General Practice Residency Program before completing her Post-Graduate training in Orthodontics in 2014 from the Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester, after which she pursued a Master’s degree in Health Professions Education from Margaret Warner School of Education.
Dr. Malik is a Clinical Associate Professor and Clinical Director at the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester. Learn more
She has been actively involved in academia and research and enjoys teaching and sharing her knowledge and experiences with orthodontic residents in the postgraduate program.
Dr. Malik is also an adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at European University College and Mohammad Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
She has received further certifications and advanced training in Orthodontics, including Wilckodontics Certification in Accelerated Osteogenic Orthodontics and the Clear Aligner Faculty Educator Workshop. She is also a certified Invisalign provider and educator.
Dr. Malik loves to travel with her husband Dr. Mustafa Qazi and daughters, Anaya and Danya. Her hobbies include reading, hiking and cooking. Show less
Dr. Virginia Yanez is a board-certified pediatric dentist who was born and raised in Spain, where she earned her dental degree. Her interest in American culture and academics led her to move to the United States in 2013.
In Rochester, she completed a three-year program at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health (EIOH), including a one-year Community Dentistry fellowship and a two-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency.
Dr. Yanez continued her education to receive a specialty certificate in Pediatric Dentistry at EIOH, complete a fellowship in Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND), and participate in a Nasoalveolar Molding (NAM) workshop at New York University Langone Medical Center. Learn more
Dr. Yanez is passionate about helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and enjoys fabricating NAM appliances for infants with cleft lip and palate.
Her goal is to make every child’s visit to the dentist a memorable, comfortable, and fun experience.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, and traveling. Show less