Convenient Access from District Heights
From the city municipal center, Melwood Family Dentistry is about 11 minutes by car. We are a family practice on Marlboro Pike in Upper Marlboro, and Dr. Bhargav Patel welcomes neighbors searching for a dentist in District Heights, MD who can care for parents, kids and grandparents in the same office.
The drive from 2000 Marbury Drive runs close to 5 miles. Follow Marbury Drive to Boones Lane, turn right, then turn left onto Marlboro Pike for a half mile. Turn right on Forestville Road and left onto Pennsylvania Avenue (MD 4), heading east past the Suitland Parkway interchange. MD 4 then flows straight into Marlboro Pike, and you will reach our office at 9680 Marlboro Pike, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, just beyond Joint Base Andrews.
Rush hour on MD 4 can add a few minutes. Save our location in Google Maps so the route is ready next time. The same drive serves our patients in Forestville, which you cross on the way, and Westphalia on the far side of the Beltway.
Dental Care Rooted in a Close-Knit City
District Heights has been its own municipality since 1936, when the Maryland General Assembly recognized the town. Before that it was farmland, and by 1926 the new development already had a water tower, a grocery store and a free Model T bus that carried residents to Pennsylvania Avenue in Southeast Washington. Today the city covers less than a square mile of Prince George's County, bordered by Walker Mill, Capitol Heights, Forestville and Morningside.
Many of the Cape Cod houses that give District Heights its look were built in the 1940s for federal workers and veterans coming home from World War II. Garden apartments followed after 1946. The same municipal campus on Marbury Drive now holds city offices, the senior center and the Barack Obama Recreation & Cultural Center, where the city runs its recreation programs. That history means plenty of residents have lived on the same street for a long time, and many of them have kept the same dentist for just as long.
If your longtime dentist has retired or you simply want an office closer to home, we make the change simple. Dr. Patel starts with a thorough exam and fresh digital x-rays, which use up to 90% less radiation than film, so nothing gets missed. For new patients without insurance, our $99 cleaning, exam and x-ray special is open to those with no periodontal disease.
What District Heights Residents Should Know About Their Dental Care
A good number of District Heights residents are past retirement age, and the senior center on Marbury Drive is a fixture of city life. Mature smiles often carry large old fillings, crowns from decades ago and teeth that have shifted after an extraction. Those restorations do not last forever, and checking them on a regular schedule is the easiest way to avoid a broken tooth at the dinner table.
At the same time, many households here have school-age children. Kids benefit from sealants on their back molars, regular cleanings and fluoride, while parents juggling work and school pickups need appointments that fit. We open at 8 AM on Fridays and stay until 6 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
For grandparents, parents and kids alike, the goal is the same: find problems while they are small. Our intraoral cameras show you the tooth on a screen, so you can see a cracked filling or a dark spot for yourself before deciding on treatment. Seeing it makes the choice much easier.
Dry mouth deserves a word, too. Some medications can reduce saliva, and saliva is the mouth's natural defense against decay. Seniors and anyone with a dry mouth can benefit from professional fluoride, a quick brush-on varnish or gel that makes enamel more resistant to acid. The varnish goes on right after your cleaning and needs no extra appointment.
Choosing a Dentist in District Heights, MD: Services for Every Age
Here is how our main services line up with what District Heights households tend to need.
Rebuilding Worn Teeth
Our Restorative Dentistry includes composite fillings, bridges and dentures. When a tooth is too weak for a filling, Dental Crowns in porcelain, zirconia or metal cover and protect it.
Keeping Teeth Healthy
Preventative Dentistry covers cleanings, exams, digital x-rays, oral cancer screenings, fluoride and sealants for children and adults with deep grooves.
Replacing Missing Teeth
Dental Implants anchor a crown, bridge or denture to a titanium post. CBCT 3D imaging helps plan each implant, and some patients may need a bone graft first.
Treating Tooth Infections
An aching, infected tooth can often be saved with Root Canal Therapy, which clears the infection from inside the tooth instead of pulling it.
Brightening Your Smile
Our Cosmetic Dentistry options include whitening, bonding, porcelain veneers and full smile makeovers for a family photo or a milestone birthday.
Meet the Dentist
Dr. Patel earned his doctor of dental medicine degree at Temple University's Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry. Before that he completed a Bachelor of Dental Surgery and a hospital internship at the College of Dentistry in India.
He belongs to the American Dental Association and the Maryland State Dental Association, and patients describe his approach as gentle and clear.
Coverage and Financing
We work with most major dental PPO plans and send claims for you. On the day of treatment you pay the estimated amount your plan does not cover, then receive a bill for any balance after the claim clears.
CareCredit and Cherry spread out the cost of crowns, implants or veneers. Uninsured patients have access to discounts and payment options too.
Questions about a benefit limit or a waiting period on a new plan are common, and our team is happy to look into your coverage before treatment begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Melwood Family Dentistry from District Heights, and how do I get there?
Melwood Family Dentistry lies close to 5 miles from the District Heights municipal center, usually an 11-minute drive. Take Marbury Drive and Boones Lane to Marlboro Pike, then Forestville Road to Pennsylvania Avenue (MD 4) east, which leads onto Marlboro Pike. Anyone choosing a dentist in District Heights, MD will find most of the trip is on MD 4.
Which crown material works best for a back tooth versus a front tooth?
For back teeth that take heavy chewing force, zirconia or a metal alloy is usually the sturdier pick. For front teeth, porcelain or ceramic crowns are favored for their lifelike color and texture. Porcelain fused to metal blends strength with a natural look. Dr. Patel recommends a material after checking your bite and how visible the tooth is.
Which documents do new patients need to bring?
Bring three things: your dental insurance card if you have one, a photo ID, and a list of your medications and health conditions. Plan to arrive 30 minutes early to complete paperwork. The visit includes a thorough exam and digital x-rays, and depending on your gums, the cleaning may happen at that visit or at a follow-up appointment.
Are sealants only for children?
No. Sealants are often recommended for kids because their new molars have deep grooves that trap food, but adults can benefit too. Any back tooth with deep pits and no decay may be a good candidate. The coating is thin, painted onto the chewing surface, and helps keep plaque out of spots a toothbrush has trouble reaching.
Should I get a partial denture or a full denture?
That depends on how many healthy teeth you still have. A partial denture fills gaps and attaches to your remaining natural teeth with discreet clasps or a framework, which helps preserve them. When no natural teeth remain in an arch, a full denture takes over the whole upper or lower set. Both are custom-made from digital impressions and checked with a trial fitting first.
Schedule Your Visit from District Heights
A dentist in District Heights, MD neighbors can reach with a short drive is just a phone call away at 301-635-5201. Thursday hours run 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, and we see patients on the first and third Saturday of each month. Explore other nearby communities on our Areas We Serve page or return to the Upper Marlboro dentist homepage. City news and services are posted on the City of District Heights website.