Dr. JJ Koval

DDS

Dr. JJ Koval is a patient-centered dentist who loves asking the question: "how would I care for this person as I would care for myself?" He is committed to relational connection and the pursuit of clinical excellence on behalf of those he serves. He is passionate about providing personalized dental education and treatment options to his patients so they can make informed decisions as advocates of their own dental health.

Dr. JJ grew up in Camarillo, CA, before moving north to attend Stanford University where he majored in Human Biology and captained the men's soccer team. After graduating, he had a 3-year career in professional soccer playing for the San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer and Sacramento Republic in the United Soccer League.

When Dr. JJ decided to return to his passion for healthcare, he closed the chapter on his soccer career and moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he completed his dental education at Creighton University, finishing Top 10 in his class. In order to invest further in his clinical skillset, Dr. JJ completed a postdoctoral advanced education in general dentistry (AEGD) at the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center in Long Beach, where he served our local veterans. There he provided dental care in a variety of disciplines including general dentistry, dental surgery, surgical implant placement and restoration, prosthodontics, periodontics, removable dentures, and 3D cone beam dental imaging. Before starting New Garden Dental, Dr. JJ has been practicing as an associate dentist in Newport Beach.

Dr. JJ is married to his wonderful wife, Karli, who works as a PA for a functional women’s health practice in Irvine. They have a sweet son, Brooks. He loves being an active part of his local church, spending time with family in California and Texas, and being outside, including hiking, water skiing, soccer, pickle ball, spikeball, and watching just about any sporting event.

Ryan Hacker

Director of Operations

Ryan has consistently been passionate about building meaningful relationships and being of service to others. After graduating with his master's degree, he quickly delved into the nonprofit world, working for both local and global nonprofit organizations, as well as holding various leadership roles in other businesses. His primary background revolves around developing leaders to be better equipped to serve their local communities while also holding organizational development positions to bring greater efficiency and resources to global partner organizations.

Ryan has been married to his wife, Alexandra, since 2019. She also works for a nonprofit, serving children and adults with developmental disabilities through equine therapy. They orient their lives around making a positive impact by developing individuals and organizations to be their best.

Maria Valle

Dental Assistant

As an EFDA, expanded functions dental assistant, for the past decade Maria has enjoyed the precision, science and artistry of placing fillings and cementing permanent crowns. She’s detail-oriented and happily admits to being a bit of a perfectionist. Helping Dr. JJ with his workflow, educating patients about their dental care, and providing a peaceful and comfortable environment for anyone in the chair are her favorite parts of the job. Being bilingual is a plus for effectively communicating with patients.

Born in Mexico, Maria has been married for seven years and enjoys hanging out with her three cats. When not at the practice, you’ll find her going to the movies (any Marvel flick will do) and hitting theme parks.