Pediatric Dentistry · Carlsbad Village

Pediatric dentistry in Carlsbad, made gentle.

CarlsbaDDS Pediatric Smiles is Carlsbad’s Whole Child Wellness and Prevention First dental home: board-certified specialists who care for the entire child, some of the gentlest technology in dentistry, and visits as calm as a morning on the coast!

5.0 · 1,400+ Google reviews Voted #1 in North County · 2025
2008Caring for Carlsbad since
5.0 Google rating · 1,400+ reviews
#1Best of North County · 2025
100%Would recommend · 265+ Facebook reviews

A tour with Dr. Linh Tsai · 1 minute 15 seconds

A Look Inside

Step inside before your first visit.

Dr. Linh Tsai walks you through the practice the way your family will meet it: the front door on Carlsbad Village Drive, the waiting room and its train table, the octopus gumball machine the kids head for, the treatment rooms, and the sterilization area behind them.

It runs a little over a minute. Watch it now, and there is that much less that feels new on the morning of the appointment.

Dr. Najwa Howard, who returns to the practice September 8, 2026

Welcome back, Dr. Najwa Howard!

We are excited to welcome Dr. Najwa Howard back to CarlsbaDDS Pediatric Smiles following her maternity leave. Dr. Howard returns to seeing patients on Tuesday, September 8. Be sure to congratulate her, and ask about the newest member of her family: baby Selah.

Meet Dr. Howard
Whole Child Wellness: Our Difference

Dentistry that looks at the whole child.

A child’s mouth tells the story of their whole body: how they breathe, sleep, eat, and grow. That’s why every visit follows our Whole Child Wellness mission: we care for the entire child, far beyond the teeth, and because the best cavity is the one that never happens, prevention always comes first.

01

Nutrition

Spotting the snack habits that quietly cause cavities, and coaching smarter swaps without the lecture.

02

Airway & Sleep

Screening for airway concerns that affect sleep, focus, and healthy growth, often before anyone else notices.

03

Growth & Bite

Guiding jaws, bites, and smiles as they develop, so small things never become big things.

04

Emotional Wellbeing

Meeting nerves with patience. Comfort always comes before treatment: every child, every visit.

Dr. Judy Brown, Dr. Linh Tsai and Dr. Najwa Howard, the three pediatric dentists of CarlsbaDDS Pediatric Smiles
Meet Your Doctors

Board-certified pediatric specialists. Moms who get it.

Dr. Linh Tsai founded CarlsbaDDS in 2008 with a simple belief: children deserve dentistry designed around prevention, not repair. USC-trained and board certified, she has spent two decades pioneering some of the gentlest tools in the field, from the no-shot, no-drill Solea laser to cavity-arresting treatments trusted by dentists across North County.

Alongside her, Dr. Judy Brown (Penn-trained, board certified, and a mom of four) brings the kind of warmth that turns first-visit nerves into high-fives.

And this September, Dr. Najwa Howard, a California native with dental training from UCLA and pediatric specialty training from USC, returns from her maternity leave to care for our families once more.

Board Certified USC, Penn & UCLA Trained Laser Dentistry Since 2015
What We Do

Care for every stage of a growing smile.

Kid-sized services in three calm categories, from cavity-free checkups to laser dentistry without the drill.

Dental emergency? We see children the same day. Call us first, and breathe easy.
(760) 730-3456
The waiting room at CarlsbaDDS Pediatric Smiles, with its painted wave mural and fish-print bench
The Office

A little corner of Carlsbad, made for kids.

Tucked in the heart of Carlsbad Village, our office trades the clinical for the coastal: ocean murals, warm light, and treatment rooms designed to put small visitors at ease the moment they walk in.

Come see where the calm happens.

They go above and beyond in so many ways that I have never experienced anywhere else… The results they are able to achieve while keeping the kids always happy are astounding!
A CarlsbaDDS parent · Google review
5.0 Google · 1,400+ Reviews
100% Facebook · 265+ Reviews
4.8 Yelp · 195+ Reviews
Your First Visit

New here? Welcome.

Your child’s first visit is unhurried by design: a gentle exam, an honest conversation, and a clear plan you’ll understand before you leave. We accept all PPO plans (in network with Delta Dental Premier only, out of network with the rest), our team submits your claims for you, and we’ll explain your benefits in plain English before treatment starts.

  • 1285 Carlsbad Village Drive
    Carlsbad, CA 92008
  • (760) 730-3456
  • [email protected]
  • Mon–Thu: 9am–5pm
    Fri: 9am–3pm
    Plus one Saturday a month, 8am–2pmby appointment only
Quick Answers

The questions families ask first.

Yes, we welcome new families. Call or text (760) 730-3456, or send a request through our appointment page, and we’ll find a time that works. Before the visit, your new-patient forms arrive by text so you can finish them online at home.

We accept all PPO plans: in network with Delta Dental Premier only, out of network with the rest. Our team submits your claims for you and walks you through your benefits before treatment starts, so there are no surprises.

Yes. Every child is cared for by one of our three pediatric dentists, Dr. Tsai, Dr. Judy Brown, or Dr. Najwa Howard, in a practice built around children since 2008. Prevention comes first, and the whole child, from nutrition to airway to emotional wellbeing, is part of the exam.

Yes. Parents are welcome chairside at every visit, and we explain each step in words your child can understand before we do it. Nothing happens behind a closed door.

Call or text (760) 730-3456 right away, and feel free to text a few photos of the injured area so we can see what happened. We see children the same day for urgent tooth trouble.

Want the deeper answers? Dr. Tsai answers the 20 questions parents ask most in our Comprehensive FAQ.