Brilliant Smiles, Brilliant Futures

Brilliant Smiles,
Brilliant Futures

DR. SUFFIYAH WEBB, DDS

Pediatric Dentist, Brilliant Smiles Pediatric Dentistry

Children who get their teeth cleaned at Brilliant Smiles on a Friday get a special treat—New Jersey House Music. That’s because Dr. Suffiyah Webb and her staff make an extra effort to make the practice a welcoming place and adding great music to their Fridays is just one of the many ways they do that.

Raised in Newark, Dr. Webb knew early in her career that she wanted to be a pediatric dentist, and she knew she wanted to come home to practice. She opened Brilliant Smiles right before COVID, and in its aftermath, she realized that children were not getting the dental care they needed. In her capacity as a teacher and professor at Newark Beth Israel, she saw that many of her patients had dental problems from forgoing dental care during the pandemic. Her patient waitlist was over a year long.

“Parents didn’t really understand how important dental care is in the early years. As a mom, I realized that school was the place to reach these kids.” She had previously worked in a school-based dental program and knew it was the answer.

“I am a dentist by trade, but also a community member who is pouring into our youth in Newark.”

Now, in addition to its private practice, Brilliant Smiles serves children in 90 preschools and Head Start Programs in northern New Jersey. “We do exams, cleanings, fluoride treatment, sealants,“ explains Suffiyah. “Children go home with an oral healthcare report card. My philosophy is all about educating families on how to have a lifelong healthy smile.” 

She quickly realized how many children did not have insurance. Because she also has a master’s degree in public health, she understood that if the children didn’t have insurance, they were not getting their well-care visits or other health care. So Brilliant Smiles has become a trusted resource for patients to learn where or how they can get coverage for dental or regular medical care and how to get help if they are experiencing hunger or homelessness. 

Going from dental provider to trusted resource felt like a natural progression. “The families here know us, they see us and feel connected to us, so they trust us.” 

Her practice also doubles as an art gallery, filled with work from her own collection: Bisa Butler, Genesis Tramaine, Harmonia Rosales and Scott Harbison. “I want to spark imagination in children.”

As someone who meets dozens of Newark kids every week, she has glowing words to say about them. “Kids of Newark are a treasure. They are so creative. They are so powerful and so clever. As long as they have community members and healthcare and people that are really pouring into them, they can be really successful.”

Some newark favorites:

Lemon Ice at Nastos, the Oxtail Burger at The Yard, and Tonnie’s Minis Cupcakes
“Sometimes we bribe our reluctant patients with a cupcake.”