Dr. Rania Elbaz
Dr. Rania Elbaz is a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist. She grew up in several different countries and moved to Long Island with her family in High School. She loved the New York area and has not left ever since. She is a proud graduate of Sandford H. Calhoun High School right here in Merrick! Dr. Rania completed her undergraduate education at Barnard College, Columbia University Cum laude, with a major in Biology and minor in Political Science. She then went on to dental school at Columbia’s College of Dental Medicine. She completed her pediatric dental training at UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School while also completing her Masters in Dental Science examining genetic susceptibility genes for caries (cavities) in children.
Dr. Rania loves working with children and helping create a healthy and pleasant environment that children look forward to visiting. She is very excited to be able to give back to the Merrick Community and provide the best possible care for her hometown. She is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and is always attending courses in order to stay current with all the recent developments in the field. Dr. Rania is also a proud member of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce and appreciates the importance of such organizations in Merrick and the surrounding towns that make this community such a wonderful place to live.
She loves traveling and exploring new cultures. She also loves going to the beach, snorkeling, scuba diving, biking and anything involving the outdoors. She enjoys spending time with her husband Zachary and her two beautiful children, Amir and Noora.
Dr. Catherine A. Pagano
Dr. Catherine grew up and lives on the South Shore of Long Island, NY. She graduated from Adelphi University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Anthropology and Forensics. After spending a summer completing research in Greece, she went on to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, graduating with a Doctor of Dental Medicine in 2004. She obtained rigorous training in a general practice residency at Montefiore Medical Center and went on to complete a specialization in Pediatric Dentistry at NYU Langone (formerly LMC), where she served as chief resident. She is board certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. She maintains active membership with the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, New York State Dental Association, and Nassau County Dental Society.
Dr. Catherine has been treating children of all ages on Long Island since 2007. She is known for her gentle approach and ability to relate to children of all ages. Dr. Catherine takes a keen interest in your child’s dental health, dental development as well as their nutrition and eating habits.
Dr. Catherine has been privileged to travel as far as Trinidad and Tobago to treat immunocompromised children requiring extensive dental care. On a local level, she has participated in school health and child identification programs, Give Kids a Smile Day, and visited schools and day care centers to introduce dentistry in a fun way. Most recently, she was able to teach children a unit on oral health as part of their life skills course.
Dr. Catherine and her husband Rich were married in 2008, and have two beautiful daughters, Chiara and Anna. In her free time, Dr. Catherine enjoys traveling or just being home with her family, including their pets. She also loves to bake, cook, read, take classes and enjoys figure skating.
Interesting facts: Dr. Catherine also holds a master’s in business administration and a graduate certificate in Data Analytics. She loves discussing college and career options with her patients and coaching and guiding them in the process. A couple of her patients have gone on to become dentists too!