Our team specializes in a trauma informed approach to dental care and the treatment of patients with dental anxiety or a history of infrequent dental visits. We provide dental cleanings, periodontal treatments, fillings, complete and partial dentures, and extractions.
FIGHT Family Dentistry Services Offered
- oral health examinations
- comprehensive treatment planning
- digital x-rays including panoramic x-rays
- dental cleanings and fluoride varnish
- oral health education
- deep cleanings (a.k.a. “scaling and root planing”)
- tooth colored fillings (a.k.a. “composite restorations”)
- denture adjustments, relines, and repairs
- flexible and cast partial dentures
- complete dentures
- “flippers” and Essix retainers, that temporarily replace missing anterior teeth while other dental treatment is being completed
- anterior (canine to canine) endodontics
- simple extractions
- single unit crowns and multi-unit bridges or fixed partial dentures (FPDs)
Our office hours are Monday – Friday from 9am – 5pm. If you think you are having a dental emergency, our walk-in hours are from 1:00pm to 3:00pm Monday-Friday, and we will try our best to see you in a timely fashion.
We use The Wand® Computer Assisted Anesthesia Delivery System for patients who need local anesthesia, with improved patient comfort and decreased patient anxiety.
We provide referrals for:
- premolar/bicuspid and molar endodontics
- soft tissue and hard tissue biopsies
- impacted wisdom teeth removal
- complicated extractions and other oral surgery
We are open to all patients, including those who are HIV + and those without HIV.
We also accept patients with and without dental health insurance. If you don’t have dental health insurance, we can try to help you get signed up. We also have a sliding scale policy based on family income.
Please call our office at 215-525-3046 to make your appointment today!
Philadelphia FIGHT Dental Services is committed to providing the highest quality of clinical care, treating clients with respect and compassion, and working to increase access to dental services through partnerships with other stakeholders in the dental community.
About Our Dentists
Kari R Hexem DMD MPH is our Dental Director and a general dentist. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine with honors in Community Oral Health. She has a BA in Anthropology from Reed College and her MPH is from Oregon Health Sciences University in Epidemiology/Biostatistics. She is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA), the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), the American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM), the National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA), the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD), and the American Dental Education Association (ADEA). She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Community Oral Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.
Tatyana Straus DMD MBE is a general dentist. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine with a dual degree in dentistry and bioethics. She has a BA from the University of Chicago and is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA) and the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD).
Josh Simpson DMD is a general dentist. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine with an Honors in Clinical Dentistry and completed a residency in General Practice at St. Luke’s Health Network. He has a BS in Biology from the University of Wisconsin.
Your donations help us to cover unreimbursed lab fees. Please support our work.
Our Partners and Donors
- Dentaquest Foundation
- Dr. Keith Dunoff D MD
- Henry Schien
- Jefferson University Oral Surgery Department
- Dr. David Nepa DMD
- Brian Pollere, The Dental Repair Specialist LLC
- Dr. Frank Torrisi and 11th Street Family Health Centers
- University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine Division of Community Oral Health
Dr. Cruz is a board certified pediatrician who joins Philadelphia FIGHT as the Medical Director for our Pediatrics and Adolescent Health Center. He completed his undergraduate training in Biology and Psychology from Union College, his medical school training at Albany Medical College, his residency training at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, and his Chief Residency at the Albert Einstein Medical Center