Children & youth
Dental decay is the most prevalent childhood non-contagious disease in the world, impacting children’s short- and long-term health.
Established in July 2010 to address chronic and complex dental issues prevalent in low-income children, our pediatric dental center provides access to a permanent Dental Home. A strong partnership with the Murphy School District increases access to comprehensive and preventive care for children attending Title I schools. Youth from other dental centers and nonprofits, including one.n.ten, are also referred here.
3140 W. Buckeye Road · Phoenix, AZ 85009%20(1).png)
Why this care matters
It’s hard to understand why 75% of Brighter Way’s young pediatric patients have never seen a dentist and 45% don’t even have access to preventive sealants. Many suffer with severe dental disease with unique and complex oral health restorative needs not usually assessed in children.
A Maricopa County report estimates 308,000 children are living in poverty, with 52% of those children without health insurance.
The Brighter Way model of care
The core competence of The Bob & Renee Parsons Center for Pediatric Dentistry is evidenced through the permanent, full-service Dental Home model. The Center is well-known for braces in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Center provides complex, specialized care for children and youth, including emergency oral health services. Sedation options for children are critical in restoring oral health in complex cases requiring multiple procedures and for children with developmental disabilities.
Specialized services
Orthodontics is a specialty that addresses irregularities and a multitude of oral health conditions. The center not only straightens teeth but corrects bite and provides complex surgical orthodontic treatments. Many youth are at risk for unfavorable health, academic, and social outcomes. Orthodontic services help create positive self-esteem and confidence that inspires hope in these youth, changing their lives in a dramatic way.
Addressing unique challenges, this center is one of the few nonprofit children's dental centers offering conscious sedation and general anesthesia monitored by an anesthesiologist. In addition to allowing for multiple procedures to be completed during a single visit, sedation relieves unnecessary pain and suffering for children and reduces the dental apprehension so many children experience.
Poor nutritional habits in low-income children often start at a young age, resulting in excessive, untreated dental caries. The center ensures each child receives age-appropriate dental sealants or fluoride varnishes during their regular visit. Treatment is followed by preventive hygiene and nutritional education with a Smile Bag to ensure each child has their own toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss.
Dr. Thuy Ngo is one of only a few doctors in the Valley specializing in services to children with developmental disabilities. Dr. Ngo's immense and respected skills allow us to provide oral health services including full mouth reconstruction with the full range of sedation services critical for success when we help relieve anxiety for this highly vulnerable population and complete full treatment in one visit.
A place to feel safe
From age-appropriate prevention to highly specialized restoration, every visit is designed to help children and families feel supported for the long term.
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