Kristyn Keylon, Graduate Worker, County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency

Dr. Brian Davey, a dentist based in North County, San Diego, has long been a proponent of giving back to those in need. He has spent three consecutive years doing month-long, pro-bono dental missions in Sumba, Indonesia, and also contributes locally to San Diego County efforts.

He learned about the K-12 Monarch School in downtown San Diego, which seeks to educate students impacted by homelessness and help them develop hope for a future with the necessary skills and experiences for personal success.

In 2012, Dr. Davey and his team traveled to the Monarch School to offer free dental screenings to the students. In the following year, Dr. Davey discovered more extensive dentistry work was needed than could be provided onsite. To better serve these students, his team transported 20-30 students to their office in 4S Ranch to complete dental exams, cleanings, fillings, and repair broken teeth.

Dr. Davey and his team now visit the Monarch School twice a year to screen 200-250 students and have enlisted help from other dentists, including an endodontist who helps with root canals and a dental surgeon who helps remove wisdom teeth.

Each year, he donates an average of $100,000 in services to students at the school. Over the last eight years, he has donated nearly $430,000. 

“The kids are amazing. These are very resilient kids that have been dealt some pretty tough circumstances. We enjoy working with them and really, it’s not just the dentistry, it’s also letting them know that they matter,” shared Davey.

In addition to helping to coordinate and provide direct services to students, Dr. Davey started a “study club” called the San Diego Association of Systemic Health comprised of about 30-50 medical and dental professionals.  This group works to bridge the connection between dentistry and medicine, because a healthy mouth can prevent many systemic health problems. He acknowledges this bridge can be challenging because it can be difficult to create opportunities for doctors and dentists to interact.

Dr. Brian Davey DDS Inc. was officially recognized as a Live Well San Diego Partner in September 2019. His work to serve local students and build capacity within the dental and medical community to more effectively work together are excellent examples of how Live Well San Diego partners are advancing the vision of healthy, safe, and thriving residents.

To learn more about Dr. Davey, visit his website and follow him on Facebook.