Meet Dr. Suvidha Polu: Helping Families Build Healthy Smiles 

For Dr. Suvidha Polu, providing dental care at Neighborhood Health is about much more than treating cavities. It is about helping families understand how to prevent dental problems, making care easier to access, and meeting patients where they are. 

Dr. Polu joined Neighborhood Health in January and provides dental care at both Richmond Highway and Arlington Pediatric Center (APC). At APC, dental care is closely connected with pediatric medical care, making it easier for families to address multiple healthcare needs in one place. 

That connection can be especially valuable for busy families. Children coming for a medical visit may also be connected with dental services, including opportunities to coordinate well-child and dental checkups. 

For many of the children Dr. Polu sees, prevention and education are particularly important. 

Some new patients arrive with cavities or early signs of tooth decay, especially younger children. Dr. Polu said she frequently spends time helping parents understand the importance of caring for baby teeth and talking through practical ways to build healthier habits at home. 

Rather than simply telling families what they should do, she tries to find solutions that fit their lives. That can mean demonstrating different ways to brush the teeth of a young child who does not want to cooperate, discussing bedtime routines or setting realistic goals that families can work toward over time. 

The approach is intentionally supportive. 

For some families, a child’s appointment at Neighborhood Health may be their first experience with a dentist. Dr. Polu said she believes it is important to meet patients where they are and never make families feel judged because they were unable to receive dental care earlier. 

And she sees evidence that education and consistent care can make a difference. 

Among children who have been regularly receiving medical and dental care through Neighborhood Health, Dr. Polu said she often does not see cavities recurring. She has also seen parents bring younger siblings to the dentist much earlier after learning from the experience of an older child. 

That focus on access and prevention is part of what drew Dr. Polu to community health. 

Before joining Neighborhood Health, she spent three years at another Federally Qualified Health Center after previously working in private practice. She found that public health dentistry offered something she had been looking for: the opportunity to focus on providing the care patients truly need. 

“I love just doing what needs to be done,” she said. “You feel like you’re doing good.” 

At Neighborhood Health, dental care is also part of a larger approach to health. Dental clinicians can communicate with medical clinicians when an underlying health condition or medication may be affecting a patient’s oral health, helping patients receive more coordinated care. 

For Dr. Polu, it all comes back to building relationships, providing practical education and helping patients establish healthy habits that can last. 

Neighborhood Health provides high-quality, affordable medical, dental, behavioral health and other essential healthcare services to children and adults across Northern Virginia, regardless of a patient’s insurance status, background or ability to pay.