About Us
Our Family Serving Your Family
Welcome to our office! We are a family-friendly dental practice and there is nothing more beautiful than a healthy smile. We are dedicated to filling all of your dental needs!
Melissa L. Pecoraro, DMD
Periodontist/Owner
Dr. Melissa L. Pecoraro was born and raised in New Jersey. She joined her father, Dr. Frank Pecoraro as a periodontist in 2004. Dr. Pecoraro always aspired to follow in her father’s footsteps and has now taken her father’s place after his retirement where she continues the traditions of the highest standard of service and professionalism with a personal touch.
As a child, she eagerly visited his offices and watched him work. Prior to attending Dental School, she assisted her father in his practice for over 6 years. In college, she began an earnest pursuit of a career in dentistry, majoring in Biology at Lafayette College, Easton, PA followed by earning a Masters Degree in Biology from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ. She then continued on to Dental School, graduating from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) with a Doctorate of Medical Dentistry (DMD) in 2001. She further advanced her training with UMDNJ’s Residency Program in Periodontics and Implantology, graduating in 2004, where she served as Chief Resident. Throughout her studies, Dr. Pecoraro held executive offices. Most recently, she assumed a teaching position as a Clinical Professor at her alma mater. She is currently serving as the Alumni Representative for her Dental School class.
Dr. Pecoraro has been named one of “New Jersey Monthly Magazine’s Top Dentists” for the past 15 years. She was also named a “Consumer Research Council of America’s Top Dentist”. Dr. Pecoraro gave a lecture on periodontal disease at an annual New York University symposium. Her lecture was attended by periodontal residents from four schools. She is also the primary author of a published research paper whose topic is the comparison between digital and conventional radiographs in detecting periodontal bone loss. Dr. Pecoraro was asked to be a guest speaker on a local cable television station, to educate the public about periodontal disease.
Undertaking charitable causes is another endeavor that is especially close to Dr. Pecoraro’s heart. She devotes a great deal of time to several projects. Her pro bono work includes free dental care to abused women at the WISE Woman’s Shelter, and, via UMDNJ providing oral screening for participants at the Special Olympics. Dr. Pecoraro aims to spread the word about the importance of oral health through her practice and charity work.
She is an active member of the New Jersey Dental Society, Union County Dental Society, the American Association of Periodontists, and the American Dental Society. Dr. Pecoraro is also up to date on the latest continuing education courses and sponsors classes and programs for her peers. Dr. Pecoraro makes it her priority to stay up to date on the latest advancements within her field. It is a fact that good healthy gums can prevent a multitude of problems down the line, so she encourages regular checkups.
Kimberly Pecoraro
Kimberly spent her college years working summers in New York City at the television talk show Sally Jessy Raphael and at the corporate offices of Marvel Entertainment working under Stan Lee’s Publishing Creative Team. After graduating with a bachelor's in Biology from Lafayette College, Easton, PA on a whim Kimberly took an entry-level position at a New York City-based boutique skin care company called Peter Thomas Roth. Day one she knew she found her true passion. Within 18 months, she rose to the post of Executive Vice President and spent the next 8 years running the company’s human resources department, as well as the domestic and international sales & marketing divisions, traveling the world and bringing the company’s product line to domestic stores like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Sephora and internationally to Europe, Australia, and Asia. Additionally, she helped the company develop a secondary skincare line, June Jacobs Spa Collection while assisting with the opening of the company’s own manufacturing and development laboratory, June Jacobs Laboratories. Having built the Peter Thomas Roth team from 3 employees to well over 100, she was on autopilot and made the decision to seek out her next professional challenge.
In 2006 she found it – creating a niche men’s grooming line called a│MEN│ity. As CEO of the company, she spearheaded all aspects of the business; product development, international and domestic sales, marketing, public relations, operations, and budgeting. Kimberly set her sights on building a brand that has become a major contender within the men’s market. Under her leadership, Kimberly has forged a name for her company as well as for herself. In a tough economy, she launched a│MEN│ity domestically in Nordstrom (2007), followed by the Shave Beverly Hills, the Venetian Las Vegas, Grooming Lounge stores, Fred Segal, and Skinstore.com, among countless others. Her goals were not limited to the United States, as Kimberly worked internationally to launch a│MEN│ity in England’s premier beauty outlet SpaceNK. She also brought the line to the other side of the world in 2008 and today, the│MEN│ity brand can be found in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and Malaysia.
When not consulting within the beauty industry, Kimberly assists with the management of the Pecoraro Periodontics practice. She is thrilled to be working with her best friend and sister, Dr. Melissa Pecoraro, and to be a part of the Pecoraro Periodontics team.
Donna Graziano, RDH
Dental Hygienist
Donna is a Registered Dental Hygienist. She received her Associate in Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University and her Bachelor in Science from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. She found her dental “home” with Dr. Frank Pecoraro in 1991 working full-time until she and her husband, Guy, welcomed their two sons. She has been with the practice part-time since then and is thrilled to see the practice enter a second generation with Dr. Melissa. Periodontics is NOT the glamour work of dentistry. Patients come to us sometimes in an advanced state of disease. I enjoy educating them about the disease and how to care for their mouths. It is gratifying to see the results of the treatment we provide and how much better patients look and feel. They are often very nervous about treatment, but the education I provide helps them understand what we do and how we can work together to bring them to a state of good oral health. When not working, Donna enjoys yoga, cooking, reading, her classic Oldsmobile, and volunteering with church and the boys’ schools.
Marion Monteverdi Roberts, RDH
Dental Hygienist
Born and raised in Irvington, New Jersey, Marion has wonderful memories of her years spent with family and friends at St. Leo’s Grammar School and Archbishop Walsh High School in Irvington. After graduation, she attended Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Dental Hygiene in Teaneck. After receiving her Dental Hygiene degree, she became associated with a general dentist in Irvington and remained in his practice until his retirement. She felt very fortunate and pleased when Dr. Melissa Pecoraro asked her to join the Pecoraro Periodontics practice. In her leisure hours, she spends her time with family – nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. For the past 15 years, after rediscovering her German/Italian roots, she has been studying and reading German. It is a challenge but she’s enjoying it. She hopes one day to learn Italian.
Rebekah Baran, RDH
Dental Hygienist
Rebekah Baran was born and raised in New Jersey. She is a Registered Dental Hygienist with over 21 years dental experience. She started in this field when she was 17 years old as a Dental Assistant. Following in hermom’s footsteps who worked as a Dental Assistant and then Office Manager at an Endodontist’s practice. Rebekah went to college at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) where she graduated with her Dental Hygiene license and Local Anesthesia License. She continued onto her Bachelor Degree of Health Science at Rutgers University. She has been practicing as a Dental Hygienist for past 13 years and loves what she does.
Rebekah is also a wife and mom to three amazing kids. Rebekah says, “I am a mom first then a hygienist. My kids are my world and I am lucky enough to work for amazing people who allow me to do both. On top of being a hygienist and a mom I am also an entrepreneur. I sell Tooth Fairy Pillows and Tooth Keepsake boxes on Amazon under my brand Ina & Julie. The brand was created after my late mom Ina and my late mother-inlaw Julie to bring awareness to Crohn’s Disease and Brain Tumors”.
Lauren Bukowski, RDH
Dental Hygienist
Lauren always aspired to be a dental hygienist. She had such great experiences at my pediatric office as a child. Her dentist, orthodontist, and most of all her hygienists were the reason she had such an interest in the field. Lauren worked at a law firm for 9 years but knew that was not the career path she wanted to take. She ended up going to hygiene school in 2017 in Queens, NY and lived there for 2 years with her now husband. Lauren received her Associates degree in Dental Hygiene and went on to get her Bachelor’s degree online. She joined Pecoraro Perio in 2019 and couldn’t feel more grateful and lucky to work for such a great Doctor and a great team. Lauren says, “Iabsolutely love being a hygienist and working in theperiodontal aspect of the field. It is so interesting, exciting, and fulfilling to see the progress that our patient’s make and the appreciation that is given. Making patients comfortable and at ease is also something we strive to achieve. I am originally from Green Brook, NJ and now reside in Piscataway, NJ with my husband and our adorable cat. We both have big families that we are very close with. I spend a lot of my time watching live music, playing darts, trying new recipes, and lounging at my parent’s pool every chance I get during the summer. There are also so many places I still want to travel to and cross off my bucket list.”
Robyn Simpson
Dental Assistant and XRay Technician
Robyn Simpson is a Dental Assistant with a number of years experience in the Dental Industry. She has worked with various specialists in the field of Oral Surgery and Periodontics. Robyn says, “Her main goal is to help your doctor help you reconstruct and stay healthy”.
Michelle Howlett
Patient Relations Coordinator & Scheduling Manager
Michelle is a lifelong Cranford resident and taught special education in the Cranford Public Schools for 8 years. She is a graduate of Seton Hall University where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education.
She left the profession to be a stay at home mom raising her two daughters who are now both in college. Michelle’s connection to the Pecoraro family is deep. Dr Pecoraro and Michelle have been close friends since they attended high school together at Mount Saint Mary Academy. When Michelle is not at work she enjoys her Peloton, reading and cooking for her family.
Brianna Weber
Insurance and Treatment Plan Manager
Photo & Biography coming soon!
Theresa Maddalena
Front Office Assistant
I have lived in Union County, NJ my entire Life. I grew up in Linden, have lived in Clark, Rahway, and Hillsborough and presently live in a new complex in Cranford for the past 3 years. My greatest and most enjoyable hobby is traveling. Prior to working with the Pecoraro Periodontics team, I worked in the pharmaceutical industry (Merck) for over 24 years.
