1986 · UC Davis
Bachelor of Science in Physiology from the University of California, Davis.
About
Dr. Kelly Giannetti
A daughter of teachers who became a doctor of teeth. Harvard-trained, UCSF-trained, board-certified, and practicing in Sacramento since 1998.
- 1995: Harvard DMD and Master of Public Health
- 1998: UCSF MS in Oral Biology and Orthodontics Specialty Certificate
- 2007: Began practicing with Dr. Thais Booms
- ABO: Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics
Roots in California's Central Valley
Dr. Giannetti grew up in California's Central Valley as the daughter of two teachers. The early influence stuck; education has shaped how she practices orthodontics ever since. Patients who come in for a consultation tend to leave understanding more about their own bite, growth, and treatment options than they did walking in. That is not an accident. It is how she was raised.
She graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Physiology before moving to Boston for dental school at Harvard.
The Harvard years and why public health matters
In 1995, Dr. Giannetti graduated from Harvard School of Dental Medicine with a Doctor of Dental Medicine. At the same time, she earned a Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The dual degree shaped her perspective. Public health teaches you to think about systems, populations, and prevention. Orthodontics is often presented as cosmetic work, but Dr. Giannetti treats it as long-term oral health work: bite function, airway, jaw growth, and prevention of more complex issues later.
Specialty training and credentials
After Harvard, Dr. Giannetti returned to California for orthodontic specialty training at UCSF, then continued into board certification and teaching.
1995 · Harvard
Doctor of Dental Medicine and Master of Public Health from Harvard University.
1998 · UCSF
Master of Science in Oral Biology and orthodontics specialty certificate from the University of California, San Francisco.
ABO Diplomate
Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, the highest credential available in the orthodontic specialty.
Why “Diplomate” matters
Most orthodontists complete their specialty residency and call it a career. A smaller group goes through the full American Board of Orthodontics certification process, submitting case studies, sitting for clinical and written examinations, and meeting standards that go beyond the residency baseline. Dr. Giannetti is one of those Diplomates.
So is her partner Dr. Booms. Two ABO Diplomates in one practice is uncommon. Most offices have one, or none.
Teacher first, doctor second
The Central Valley teaching family stayed in the picture. Dr. Giannetti has created two courses to train orthodontic assistants to pass the board exam for orthodontic assisting, teaches for the UCSF Orthodontic Department, and holds volunteer leadership positions with the American Association of Orthodontists and the Sacramento District Dental Society. She trains other dental professionals, lectures on emerging technology, and continues to learn from colleagues across the country.
Patients benefit from this. The technology and clinical approach used at Giannetti & Booms reflect what is actually current in the field, not what worked five years ago and not what is simply trending online.
How she thinks about treatment
“Treatment is not just about making teeth look straight. It is about how the bite works, how the jaw grows, how the airway functions, and how all of that holds up over a lifetime. Patients deserve to understand the why.”
- Dr. Kelly Giannetti
Family and the practice logo
Dr. Giannetti met her husband Stephen at UC Davis in 1986. He is a fine art painter, and his paintings inspired the practice logo, which is on display in the Sacramento office.
They have two daughters. Dr. Maya graduated from UCLA dental school and UCSF Orthodontics, following in her mother's footsteps to continue the family-owned business for years to come. Isabella is a communications consultant.
Why she partners with Dr. Booms
Dr. Giannetti and Dr. Thais Booms have practiced together since 2007. Two ABO Diplomates trained on opposite coasts, Harvard and UCSF for Dr. Giannetti and the University of Michigan for Dr. Booms, bring different clinical lineages to the same office. They consult on complex cases together regularly, which means most patients get the perspective of two specialists, not one.
That partnership is the reason the practice exists in its current form. It is also why second-opinion cases find their way to them; there is a clinical depth that is hard to match in a solo practice.
Your visit is complimentary.
3D digital scan, 3D CBCT scan, doctor exam, and itemized written treatment plan at our Sacramento or Davis office. No referral needed. No obligation.