Sunrise Pediatric Dentistry

About Sunrise Pediatric Dentistry

Sunrise Pediatric Dentistry is a dental office for infants, children and teens at 2233 Alma Street in Palo Alto. The practice describes itself as a neighborhood pediatric dentist and a "dental home" for families. Its website carries a 2026 copyright and an online booking link.

The office sits across Alma Street from Jerry Bowden Park. The practice points out that the mural-lined pedestrian tunnel across the street leads to the California Avenue Caltrain station and the shops of California Avenue. It also says fresh air flows through every room of the office.

The practice says it sees families from Palo Alto, Mountain View, Menlo Park, Los Altos, Atherton, Sunnyvale, San Jose, Redwood City, San Carlos and Belmont.

Dr. Sheila Nguyen

Dr. Sheila Nguyen, DDS, MS, leads the practice. Her bio says she is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. She is licensed in California and Hawaii. The bio says she has more than a decade of pediatric experience and has practiced mainly in Palo Alto since 2017.

She grew up locally and attended Saint Francis High School in Mountain View. She earned a BS in Human Biology at UC San Diego and her DDS at UC San Francisco, where she was inducted into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon dental honor society. After a general dentistry residency at Lutheran Medical Center in Hawaii, she returned to UCSF for her pediatric dentistry residency and a master's degree, serving as chief resident. She also holds an oral conscious sedation certificate from the Dental Board of California and Pediatric Advanced Life Support certification.

Services

The practice lists these services:

• Preventive dentistry: cleanings, check-ups and early detection
• Restorative dentistry: fillings, crowns and baby root canals
• Sedation dentistry, including oral conscious sedation and nitrous oxide
• Special needs pediatric dentistry
• Low-radiation digital x-rays
• Gentle extractions when needed

The practice says Dr. Nguyen focuses on building lifelong habits against "sugar bugs." It adds that she avoids treatment that is not necessary and works with families on the most conservative option. Which treatment is right is a conversation for you and the dentist. This listing gives no dental advice. For a serious injury to the face or mouth, call 911.

Insurance and payment

The financial page is clear about how billing works. Dr. Nguyen is not contracted with any dental plan, so the office is out of network for everyone. It works with PPO plans that offer out-of-network benefits. The page names Aetna, Blue Shield, Cigna, Guardian, MetLife and some Delta Dental plans as ones that may cover the practice's full fee schedule.

Families can pay in full at the visit, which the practice prefers. Alternatively, you can store a credit card that is charged 30 days after the appointment. The office files the claim for you after each visit. Your plan then mails the reimbursement check to you with an amount that varies by plan. You can also ask for a predetermination, where the office sends the proposed treatment to your plan for a cost estimate before work begins. If neither payment option works and you have a PPO plan, the office asks you to call.

Who it suits

As a practice limited to children and teens, Sunrise suits families looking for a pediatric specialist rather than a general family dentist. Its sedation options and special needs focus may interest parents of anxious children or children who need extra support during care. Families whose dental plan has no out-of-network coverage should weigh the cost before booking.

Booking and visiting

Book through the online scheduling link on the website, call 650-331-0440 or email hello@sunrisepediatricsmiles.com. The about page mentions that the team sees children for dental emergencies after hours. Call the office to ask how that works. The website does not publish regular office hours, so confirm your time when you book.

• Check your plan's out-of-network dental benefit before the first visit so the cost is not a surprise.
• The California Avenue Caltrain station is a short walk through the pedestrian tunnel. See our Caltrain guide.
• Jerry Bowden Park is right across the street if you arrive early. For more family ideas, see Palo Alto with kids.
• The office is in the Evergreen Park neighborhood, near the California Avenue district.

Location and getting there

Sunrise Pediatric Dentistry is at 2233 Alma Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301, in the California Avenue area of Palo Alto. Our California Avenue guide covers what else is around.

The California Avenue Caltrain station is less than a quarter mile away, a walk of a few minutes.

Parking: street spaces and city garages with posted limits (see parking in Palo Alto).

What is nearby

• Mollie Stone's, food shop, under 0.1 mi
• Imperial Treasure, restaurant, 0.1 mi
• Law Offices of Nancy M. Martinez, P.C., firm, 0.1 mi
• Domino's, quick-service spot, 0.1 mi
• Rara, restaurant, 0.1 mi
• Bowden Park, under 0.1 mi
• Peers Park, 0.3 mi
• College Terrace Library, 0.6 mi

Other health and medical nearby: Palo Alto Smiles (under 0.1 mi); Palo Alto Vision (0.1 mi); Palo Alto Mind Body (0.1 mi); Cambridge Optometry (0.2 mi). Browse the full health and medical list.

Before you go

• Call ahead to confirm the practice accepts your insurance and is taking new patients.
• Bring a photo ID, your insurance card and a list of current medications to a first visit.
• For emergencies call 911. Stanford Hospital's emergency department is the closest major emergency room for most of Palo Alto.

About this listing

Checked October 30, 2026 against Sunrise Pediatric Dentistry home page; About Dr. Sheila; Financial policy. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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