Meet Dr. Roya

Dr. Roya Pilcher has been a pediatric dental specialist since 2005. She opened Smile Valley Pediatric Dentistry in Spring Valley, Washington, DC in 2009.

Her treatment philosophy is inspired by advice from her father, a physician. On the day she graduated from dental school, he told her, “Treat every patient like they are a member of our family.” Based on this idea, Dr. Roya developed the Sequential Approach to Familiarize and Engage (SAFE) technique for pediatric dentistry, which encourages your child to become an active participant in their treatment and promotes a positive attitude around their dental care.

Dr. Roya grew up in Philadelphia and completed her undergraduate degree at Wellesley College. After earning her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Maryland, Dr. Roya went on to complete her residency in pediatric dentistry at New York University.

In addition to working with the growing patients and their families at our bright, fun practice, Dr. Roya is also an active member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the Greater Washington Academy of Women Dentists. She is past president of the D.C. Association of Pediatric Dentists and Dean’s Faculty at University of Maryland.

As a three-time Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) mom, Dr. Pilcher is the founder of The Ava Potter Pilcher Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting positive psycho-social outcomes for families who have an infant in the NICU. Dr. Roya is an avid outdoorswoman and lives with her family and their many animals in a 19th century farmhouse in Maryland. When she isn’t taking care of her brood or in her garden, you can find her horseback riding, skiing, hiking or canoeing!