Dr. Zhao grew up in San Diego, California. He completed his undergraduate education in just three years through the University of the Pacific’s Accelerated Dental Program before moving to New York to attend the NYU College of Dentistry.

While at NYU, Dr. Zhao was invited multiple times to participate in the school’s highly selective Global Outreach Program, where he provided dental care to underserved communities in Kathmandu, Nepal, Machias, Maine, and Plattsburgh, New York. After earning his dental degree, he completed a General Practice Residency at Jacobi Medical Center in affiliation with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, gaining advanced experience treating patients with acute facial trauma and complex medical conditions.

Dr. Zhao practiced for several years as a general dentist, developing broad experience in restorative, cosmetic, implant, and pediatric dentistry. He later returned to NYU to pursue a postdoctoral certificate in Endodontics, where he ranked at the top of his class in total number of treatments completed.