Newark native and pediatric dentist Dr. Suffiyah Webb always knew when the time was right, she’d open a practice in Downtown Newark.
“I always wanted to come back to Newark and I always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” Webb says. “Why not go back home and do it?”
Webb was born in Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. She was raised in Newark’s South Ward in Seth Boyden Terrace and attended Dayton Elementary School and Chad Science Academy before heading off to Montclair State University on the pre-medicine track.
As a college student participating in a medical trip to Guatemala, Webb was paired with a dentist. It was there that she realized that dentistry was her calling. She went on to graduate from Howard University School of Dentistry in 2009 and came home to Newark to complete her general practice residency at Newark Beth Israel. A certification in pediatric dentistry and a master’s of public health from the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey followed in 2013. In her early career, Webb served as a dentist in Newark Public Schools and traveled throughout New Jersey providing pediatric dentistry services.
Today Webb runs Brilliant Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, a practice focused on the unique needs and wellness of children. Located in the Teacher’s Village development in Downtown Newark, the practice is easily accessible to all of the city’s residents.
“Downtown Newark, like most downtowns, is the hub of the city,” says Webb. “Every bus line is coming down here, people come downtown to shop, they come downtown to eat, they come downtown for school, and they come down here for health.”
In operation since 2020, the practice offers traditional pediatric dental services with flair. The office is always vibrating with tunes—from Afrobeats to club music. Webb’s personal art collection is present on the walls of the practice and it’s not uncommon for an aromatherapy candle to be burning. The purpose: deliver a relaxing space to Newark children.
“I really enjoy the environment that I’ve been able to cultivate,” she said. “I’m a children’s dentist. No one is excited about coming to the dentist. We do our best to provide a great environment where they can get treatment. It is a space I’m proud of.”
Webb’s work as a dentist is not limited to her practice. Following the pandemic, she discovered that children’s dental health had deteriorated and the need for sedation was greater than ever before. Remembering her experiences as a school dentist, Webb began reaching out to Head Start programs to provide dental services. Her first school-based program was The Leaguers.
“Dental disease impacts children disproportionately affecting poor children and minorities but it is preventable,” she says. “My practice model is prevention-based. I advocate for us to take care of things that are silently brewing, not when they are obvious.”
Webb now offers dental services to various municipalities at 97 sites throughout New Jersey with her team of dentists and hygienists. Both insured and uninsured children can receive cleanings and fluoride treatments.
With a busy practice and outreach services throughout Newark, Webb is busy yet committed to her city.
“I’m a trained dentist but I’m also a child advocate,” Webb says. “I’m a community member trained to help in my way.”
