SMILE ON

Dr. Mira Albert continues to inspire innovations in children’s dental health with her team at Brush Pediatric Dentistry, which now includes a second location in Downers Grove.

When Dr. Mira Albert (DDS, MBA, MS, FAAPD) founded Brush Pediatric Dentistry in Hinsdale in 2011, she was the mother of two young boys with a vision to make every child’s dental health journey fun and empowering.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 14 years! In that time, we’ve had the collective joy of building something meaningful in our neighborhood—the first whimsical pediatric practice in the Western Suburbs,” says the Hinsdale resident and soon-to-be empty nester. “One of my boys just started high school, and the other is applying to college.”

Today, Dr. Albert’s mission to cultivate a new generation of children who are motivated to take pride in their oral health has come to fruition. She and her team have literally watched their young patients grow up alongside the business.

“From wiggly first visits to confident, post-braces teens—being a part of their dental health journey is a privilege I never take for granted,” she continues. “In keeping with American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommendations, we start early with a first visit by the age of 1. From the time that first tooth erupts, we want children to feel comfortable coming in for cleanings and routine visits.”

In addition to overwhelming support and enthusiasm from the community, Dr. Albert says she was fortunate to have a world class team from the very beginning. It was just a year after Brush Pediatric Dentistry opened that she met and began mentoring Dr. Maggie Rizzo (DMD), who joined the practice as a pediatric dentist in 2019 and last year became a partner at the new location in Downers Grove.

“We’ve always embraced the philosophy of kaizen—that small, consistent improvements lead to big change. Since 2020, that mindset has truly propelled us forward,” she explains. “I’ve empowered my team to help drive innovation, and the results have been incredible.”

Among recent digital innovations is the ability to share electronic health records across both pediatric locations and its connected adult practices, which means that a patient’s dental history can follow them from their first visit at age 1 all the way into adulthood.

“It’s the kind of continuity of care I always dreamed of providing,” Dr. Albert says, adding that Brush has also upgraded its clinical technology. “Digital scanners have nearly eliminated the need for traditional impressions, and the most fun upgrade? TVs mounted on the ceiling above our chairs! A classic movie or favorite show works wonders to distract and comfort patients—whether they’re a nervous toddler or a teen getting a filling.”

Knowing that families are more mindful than ever about the products and materials they use, she says that’s an area that has never compromised at Brush. “We only use the highest quality, safest and most effective dental materials and products on our pediatric/teen patients and our own families. A choice we get to make by being a privately owned practice, operated by doctors who care deeply about the health of their community.”

With six pediatric dentists across two locations and its hospital cases at Lurie’s, Dr. Albert says Brush Pediatric Dentistry is everything she imagined all those years ago—citing a recent interaction with a long-time patient who was about to start college.

“When I gently let her know she could transition to our adult practice she looked at me, surprised, and asked, ‘Well… will you be there?’ I had to laugh. Her dental health is so solid that I knew I could still meet her needs for a few more years, so I told her she could stick around until she was ready to move on,” Dr. Albert explains. “Moments like that remind me that what we’ve built at Brush is about more than just teeth—it’s trust, comfort, and relationships that grow alongside our patients.”

For more information, visit brushforkids.com.