Dr. Alba Dugarte is originally from Venezuela and is a dual-trained prosthodontist. She earned her DDS degree from Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela, in 2003. In 2007, she completed her MSD and Specialty in Prosthodontics at Universidad Central de Venezuela, where she worked as a part-time faculty member and in private practice for four years.

In 2011, she moved to the United States to pursue her Postdoctoral Certificate in Prosthodontics at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. In 2014, she relocated to Houston, Texas, where she has been working in private practice ever since. In January 2017, she joined the School of Dentistry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics, where she has been teaching for eight years.

In 2023, Dr. Dugarte opened her own practice, The Smile Center at Pearland, offering general dentistry as well as cosmetic and implant services. She continues to combine private practice with academic work and enjoys spending her free time with her family. She is happily married and has two daughters, Natalia and Victoria, who keep her busy outside the dental field. She also enjoys traveling and being with her loved ones.