Passing the Torch

Dr. Marta Ward to Retire After Practicing for Over 30 Years in the Palisades, Currently in Transition With Dr. Monica Valencia

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Dr. Marta Ward, who has been practicing dentistry in Pacific Palisades for over 30 years, revealed plans to retire by the end of 2023.

Ward—originally from Gardena—explained that she decided to return to school at the age of 25 after working as a dental assistant. One of the dentists she was working with convinced her to apply herself and become a dentist.

“She was thrilled to be one of only eight women accepted that year in dental school while raising her very young daughter as a single parent,” her office said to the Palisadian-Post.

Ward graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry in 1988 and founded her practice in the Palisades in 1990, which is where she has been working ever since.

Her private dental office is located at 910 Via De La Paz. She had spent time in the Palisades and said she thought: “What better place to have my office than this wonderful community?”

Of what she enjoyed the most during her time practicing in the Palisades, she said it was the connections she formed with her patients.

“Giving back their smiles is priceless,” she said.

Ward is currently in transition with Dr. Monica Valencia, with no set date for her retirement as of yet, but “definitely by the end of the year,” her office said to the Post. Valencia has been working alongside Ward for over nine years.

Born and raised in Cartagena, Colombia, Valencia said her love and passion for dentistry came from seeing her mother work with patients as an oral surgeon in Colombia. She said her mother has been a mentor to her since an early age.

Valencia obtained her first dental degree in Medellin, Colombia. She later received her master’s in dental public health in London, England.

She then attended the University of Southern California where she graduated in 2020 with honors and a spot on the Dean’s list every trimester of her dental program.

Valencia began working with Ward in 2014—while still attending school—and has been practicing alongside her ever since.

“This [gave] her the opportunity to get to know most of our patients and create a bond with them,” according to the statement from the office. “She is planning to stay in the Palisades, and loves this community and the relationships she has created in the last nine years.”

Ward said that she trusts Valencia completely and is confident she will do great.

“Dr. Ward would like to thank all her patients for the precious years and making her work very rewarding,” according to the statement. “She will miss all her patients, they have kept her busy for a long time.”