If you are trying to schedule your infant for a tongue tie consultation, please call our office so we can accommodate you ASAP.

About West U Pediatric Dentistry

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Hi there! Welcome to West U Pediatric Dentistry!

West U Pediatric Dentistry is a boutique practice set up to provide quality care in a calm, nurturing environment. Our goal is to build lifelong relationships with patients and their families. You can expect only the best, individualized care from the West U Pediatric Dentistry team.

Meet The Dentists

Piya Trehan Gandhi, DDS

BOARD CERTIFIED PEDIATRIC DENTIST, AIRWAY AND TONGUE TIE RELEASE SPECIALIST

Dr. Piya Gandhi has been practicing dentistry since 2009. She completed her pediatric specialty training at the University of Texas in Houston. She is the mother of two young girls, Cyrah and Ayana.  Her husband, Neil, is an emergency medicine physician at Houston Methodist Hospital.

Claudette Kenny, DDS

BOARD ELIGIBLE PEDIATRIC DENTIST

Dr. Kenny is a kind, warm-hearted, jovial, and dedicated pediatric dentist who enjoys providing fun dental care to her patients. She understands how scary a visit to the dentist can be to little ones. Her goal is to change every negative perspective of dentistry to a positive one so every kid will love going to see the dentist.

Kathleen VanVorst Incavo, DMD

PEDIATRIC DENTIST

With her gentle and compassionate manner, Dr. Kate has been practicing pediatric dentistry since 2013. Sensitive to the individual needs of patients, she provides a calm and comforting environment for children and their families to help make their dental experience a positive and enjoyable one.

Meet Our Specialty Providers

Tiffany Poole, DC

PEDIATRIC/INFANT CHIROPRACTOR

Dr. Tiffany Poole is a born and raised Texas native. She’s always had a passion for science and health. Even now, she is constantly learning and soaking up every bit of knowledge to better serve her chiropractic community. Dr. Tiffany’s curiosity about the human body led her to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Neurobiology from the University of Texas at Austin. She continued her education at Texas Chiropractic College, where she received a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree.

Catherine Kangas, RDH

MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPIST

Catherine graduated in 2006 from Texas A&M College of Dentistry with a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene. Over the last several years, she has been a part of dentistry in multiple different capacities: chairside as a dental hygienist, dental laser technology specialist, and now as an Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist.

Jean Hawney, M.A., CCC-SLP, CBIS, CLC

SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST

Jean Hawney is a pediatric bilingual speech language pathologist with over 11 years of experience working with infants, children and adults with swallowing and communication impairments. Jean graduated with her master’s degree from CUNY Queens College in Jamaica, N.Y. and has her advanced degree in Bilingual Speech Language Pathology from
Columbia University. Prior to completing her master’s degree, Jean was a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru and worked with families to promote health and environmental initiatives. She is fluent in Spanish.

Courtney Scaggs M.S. CCC-SLP

SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST

Courtney graduated from Radford University with a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Prior to that, she attended Virginia Tech where she earned a Bachelor’s of Art in English-Language, Literature, and Culture. Since moving to Houston in 2017, Courtney has worked as a contract speech therapist providing services from early intervention through adults, through both in-person and virtual visits.

Leah Whitley, IBCLC

INTERNATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED LACTATION CONSULTANT

Leah Whitley is the creator and owner of SOS Lactation, LLC. She is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant who has acted in many capacities including: Writing breastfeeding curriculum, facilitating support groups, supporting a milk bank, private consultations, as well as teaching private and group classes. Leah discovered her passion for breastfeeding after the birth of her eldest daughter. 

The Story Behind Our Logo

Our cute little mascot is inspired by an Egyptian Plover bird, also known as the “crocodile bird.” This species lives along the Nile River in Africa, where there is also a large population of crocodiles. The Egyptian Plover is a carnivore and gets part of its nutrition by cleaning and eating the left over debris on crocodiles’ teeth! The crocodiles also benefit from this relationship because it leaves their teeth nice and clean!

Piya Trehan Gandhi, DDS

BOARD CERTIFIED PEDIATRIC DENTIST, AIRWAY AND TONGUE TIE RELEASE SPECIALIST

Dr. Piya Gandhi has been practicing dentistry since 2009. She completed her pediatric specialty training at the University of Texas in Houston. She is the mother of two young girls, Cyrah and Ayana.  Her husband, Neil, is an emergency medicine physician at Houston Methodist Hospital.

Dr. Gandhi strongly believes that the foundation of pediatric dentistry is built on strong relationships with her patients and their families. The best way to build these relationships is to start early. Therefore she strongly supports the AAPD recommendation of seeing a pediatric dentist by age 1. The age 1 visit allows for parents to ask questions, children to get used to meeting Dr. Gandhi, and getting the entire family on a path to preventing oral disease.

Dr. Gandhi has done extensive training beyond her residency in airway development and the diagnosis and treatment of tethered oral tissues. She screens all her patients for airway disorders and oral restrictions which could impact growth, development, and healthy sleep.  

 She believes in a comprehensive team approach to treatment and has worked to develop a network of practitioners in the greater Houston area as well as in her practices.  Her in house team currently consists of a speech language pathologist, myofunctional therapist, pediatric chiropractor, and international board-certified lactation consultant. This allows the office to provide both convenient and comprehensive care.

Dr. Gandhi is passionate about sharing her knowledge with other practitioners.  When she is not seeing patients clinically, she is usually meeting with local practitioners to further collaborations or lecturing nationally to increase the training and awareness about airway disorders and tongue ties.

Piya says that prior to having children she really didn’t understand the parent’s perspective of healthcare.  Dr. Gandhi fully understands how scary it is to put your child’s well-being into someone else’s hands. Therefore, she encourages parents to be present during appointments and encourages them to ask questions.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her family, working out, and cooking!

Professional Affiliations:
Texas Children’s Hospital
American Board of Pediatric Dentistry
International Association of Tongue Tie Professionals
Affiliate of the Breathe Institute
TOTS Trained
Faculty of the American Laser Study Club

Claudette Kenny, DDS

BOARD ELIGIBLE PEDIATRIC DENTIST

Dr. Kenny is a kind, warm-hearted, jovial, and dedicated pediatric dentist who enjoys providing fun dental care to her patients. She understands how scary a visit to the dentist can be to little ones. Her goal is to change every negative perspective of dentistry to a positive one so every kid will love going to see the dentist.

Dr. Kenny has wanted to be a doctor since she was a little girl. She completed her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. She went on to complete her dental education at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry where she completed a General Practice Residency. She worked in San Antonio, TX as a general dentist working mostly with children.

Her passion for her pediatric patients propelled her to specialize in pediatric dentistry at the NYU Langone Hospitals Phoenix Arizona program where she completed her pediatric residency. She worked as a pediatric dentist in Arizona until her recent move back to Texas.

When Dr. Kenny isn’t providing excellent dental care to her patients she enjoys traveling, cooking, trying new restaurants, and exploring with her amazing fiancé, family, and friends. She is very approachable and is looking forward to serving all our wonderful families!

Professional Affiliations:
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
Texas Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
Houston Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

Kathleen VanVorst Incavo, DMD

PEDIATRIC DENTIST

With her gentle and compassionate manner, Dr. Kate has been practicing pediatric dentistry since 2013. Sensitive to the individual needs of patients, she provides a calm and comforting environment for children and their families to help make their dental experience a positive and enjoyable one.

Following graduation from dental school, Dr. Kate completed the General Practice Residency and Pediatric Dentistry Residency Programs at Staten Island University Hospital. After practicing in Manhattan for several years, she traded the snow for palm trees and made the move to Texas.

Dr. Kate practices an active and healthy lifestyle and enjoys the outdoors, playing tennis, visiting museums, and traveling. Following in her strong belief to help others and volunteer, she has joined healthcare missions in Colombia, Guatemala, Cambodia, and Nepal and is always excited to plan for another.

Dr. Kate is happy to call Houston home and loves being part of its community!

Professional Affiliations:
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
Texas Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
Houston Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

Tiffany Poole, DC

PEDIATRIC/INFANT CHIROPRACTOR

Dr. Tiffany Poole is a born and raised Texas native. She’s always had a passion for science and health. Even now, she is constantly learning and soaking up every bit of knowledge to better serve her chiropractic community. Dr. Tiffany’s curiosity about the human body led her to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Neurobiology from the University of Texas at Austin. She continued her education at Texas Chiropractic College, where she received a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree.

Dr. Tiffany went on to complete specialty postgraduate training in pediatrics by the Academy Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics (CACCP) by the International Chiropractic Pediatrics Association (ICPA). She is Webster Technique Certified and holds additional certificate training in acupuncture.

Dr. Tiffany currently has a pregnancy and pediatric practice in Katy, Tx and resides in Cypress with her incredible husband and 3 goofy kids. In her spare time, she loves to spend time at home with her family, cook up new recipes, travel, and read.

Professional Affiliations:
International Chiropractic Pediatric Association

Catherine Kangas, RDH

MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPIST

Catherine graduated in 2006 from Texas A&M College of Dentistry with a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene. Over the last several years, she has been a part of dentistry in multiple different capacities: chairside as a dental hygienist, dental laser technology specialist, and now as an Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist.

Her personal story is ultimately what drew her to pursue myofunctional therapy and she hasn’t looked back since. After discovering an undiagnosed tongue tie and other myofunctional disorders affecting her son’s sleep quality and overall health, she knew this is what she was meant to do. Her goal is to help people gain access to the care they need, spread awareness on airway health, and be a valuable resource to the community of Houston. She is the proud owner of Integrative Myo where she does her very best to provide quality customized care for each of her patients.

Catherine received her training through the MyoMentor program in partnership with The Breathe Institute. She is also a member of the AAPMD (American Academy of Physiological Medicine & Dentistry) and the health:latch circle provider community. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys exploring the city.

Professional Affiliations:
American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry

Jean Hawney, M.A., CCC-SLP, CBIS, CLC

SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST​

Jean Hawney is a pediatric bilingual speech language pathologist with over 11 years of experience working with infants, children and adults with swallowing and communication impairments. Jean graduated with her master’s degree from CUNY Queens College in Jamaica, N.Y. and has her advanced degree in Bilingual Speech Language Pathology from Columbia University. Prior to completing her master’s degree, Jean was a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru and worked with families to promote health and environmental initiatives. She is fluent in Spanish.

As a speech language pathologist, Jean has worked in a variety of settings across the lifespan. She primarily focuses on supporting parents of breastfed and bottle fed infants, as well as infants and toddlers who have difficulty transitioning to solids and/or those with dysphagia. Jean also works closely with medically fragile infants and children who have tracheostomy tubes and weaning off feeding tubes.

Jean splits her time between private patients, working at a pediatric hospital in Houston and spending time with her husband and two children.

Jean holds the following certifications:

Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS)
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Level 1
Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)

Jean has completed trainings with a focus on:

Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTS)
Breastfeeding
SOS Approach to feeding
SOFFI Method â„¢
Passy Muir Valve
Tracheostomy and Ventilator dependent patients
Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies

Courtney Scaggs M.S. CCC-SLP

SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST

Courtney graduated from Radford University with a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Prior to that, she attended Virginia Tech where she earned a Bachelor’s of Art in English-Language, Literature, and Culture. Since moving to Houston in 2017, Courtney has worked as a contract speech therapist providing services from early intervention through adults, through both in-person and virtual visits.

She enjoys working with speech sound disorders and language disorders. Courtney is currently training in orofacial myology and enjoys treating a variety of disorders in this area.

Courtney enjoys working in the private practice sector because she can connect with her clients and families in a way that encourages fluid carryover in order to ensure maximum progress and ultimately, success.

Professional Affiliations:
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
The International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM)

Leah Whitley, IBCLC

INTERNATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED LACTATION CONSULTANT

Leah Whitley is the creator and owner of SOS Lactation, LLC. She is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant who has acted in many capacities including: Writing breastfeeding curriculum, facilitating support groups, supporting a milk bank, private consultations, as well as teaching private and group classes. Leah discovered her passion for breastfeeding after the birth of her eldest daughter. 

With nearly a decade of experience, Leah has taught classes and facilitated consultations with thousands of new Houston parents and babies at several hospitals and clinics in Houston. Ultimately, her goal is to facilitate happy, healthy babies while simultaneously providing the tools and support new moms need to be successful and reach their breastfeeding goals.