Brian Davey DDS continues to foster ‘community connection’ in dental practice

Through about 17 years and counting serving the local community, Dr. Brian Davey has instilled a “small-town community connection” with his dental practice.

“We’ve been heavily involved in the community from the get-go, and it’s been really great continuing to grow,” said Davey, who was encouraged to pursue dentistry by his uncle, a pediatric dentist. “When we first opened, we were seeing kids who were little toddlers and now they’re graduating from high school and then they’re coming back from college. We’ve always been a big supporter of the local school systems and have participated in lots of community events through the years.”

Part of that focus included a recent Make-A-Wish San Diego visit from a 19-year-old girl battling leukemia who wanted a new smile to replace some of the discoloration, decay and other oral health issues she had been dealing with. It was Davey’s first time working with Make-A-Wish.

“It was a great special experience for this young lady who has been battling leukemia for a significant part of her young life,” said Davey, who received his undergraduate degree from UC Irvine followed by UC San Francisco School of Dentistry.

Dr. Brian Davey

(Courtesy)

He also offers free dentistry worth up to about $30,000 every year to children from the Monarch School, which serves local homeless students. After conducting an initial screening, Davey and his staff follow up with cleanings, x-rays, crowns and other needs they might have.

Davey also said that “there’s a lot of research that connects the health of your mouth to the health of your body.”

“Going to an office that believes in complete health dentistry, we always say it’s more than just a cleaning,” he added. “We’re screening for oral cancer, we’re screening for diabetes, we’re screening for other cardiac risk factors, we’re screening people for snoring and sleep apnea.”

Davey said a lot of people have undiagnosed or untreated sleep apnea, but many patients aren’t always aware of how their dentist can help, or how their oral health ties into their overall health. Research has shown links between gum disease and increased likelihood of suffering a heart attack or stroke, as well as increases in risks for dementia, alzheimer’s, diabetes and cancer.

“A healthy mouth is really more important than just having a good-looking smile,” Davey said. “It’s more important than just teeth or gums. It really can have a big impact on the health of your entire body, as well as the airway.”

The office is also taking steps to protect patients from COVID-19, including bolstered sanitation protocols, an upgraded ventilation system and providing staff with personal protective equipment.

“We have put in pretty extreme measures to help protect our patients,” said Davey, adding that patients should continue to stay on top of their routine dental appointments.

Over the years, Davey’s accomplishments and accolades include being designated as a Fellow for the Academy of Oral Systemic Health and recognized as a top local dentist by a San Diego Union-Tribune reader poll.

Davey’s practice is located at 7805 Highlands Village Place, Suite G105, San Diego, 92129. For more information, visit drdavey.com or call 858-257-1196.

— Business Spotlight features commercial enterprises that support this publication.