Dr. Caroline Hu, DMDPediatric Dentist That Truly Cares

Dr. Hu brings 17 years of dental experience to the TLC for Smiles office. Her genuine love and care for children make it only natural to work as a pediatric dentist, living by a code of ethics to deliver the best care to children, from infancy to their teen years.

Dr. Hu understands that children can be apprehensive when it comes to visiting a dental office. She utilizes the “Tell-Show-Do” technique in which she explains and shows children what will happen during their time at our office.

Dr. Hu is a go-to dental expert for children with developmentally challenging needs, such as autism, ADHD, Down’s Syndrome, and sensory processing disorders. She has the patience and understanding that special needs children benefit from. Her compassionate nature wins her patients over and gives them an extraordinary experience they look forward to, rather than one they dread.

Dr. Hu also realizes that a team approach, particularly where children are concerned, offers the best success in treating her patients. She strives to deliver the excellent oral health care her patients deserve by having her dental staff, the children she treats, and their parents all on the same page, working towards the common goal of optimal oral health. Dr. Hu sees each child as an individual with unique needs, and as such, she takes a personalized and customized approach to each patients’ care. She also takes the time to educate her patients and their parents on the prevention of dental disease.

Education and Training

Dr. Hu traveled a long way to end up on our Granada Hills doorstep. She was born and raised in Pakistan, where she began her dental education in 2003. Following her residency there, she immigrated to the U.S. to continue her training.

She earned her Doctorate at the College of Dental Medicine at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she was an honors student and scored above the 95th percentile of her class. During her training in Pakistan and the U.S., Dr. Hu ranked near the top of her class and was a 2006 National Dean’s List Honoree and was bestowed numerous awards and honors.

Once Dr. Hu decided to specialize in pediatric dentistry, she went to Brooklyn, NY, to further her education at the Lutheran Medical Center’s Department of Advanced Education in General Dentistry. From 2012 to 2013, Dr. Hu completed her graduate training at New Jersey’s St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center and received her degree in Pediatric Dentistry. It was during her training there that she learned the various treatment approaches for children with special needs and craniofacial abnormalities.

Dr. Hu also took on a role as a Clinical Professor and supervised residents in training while at Lutheran Medical Center and Columbia Medical Center. She worked as a solo practitioner while also delivering preventative and comprehensive dental care to elementary school children at New York City’s School-Based Dental Clinic. Her time there fueled her passion for working with children.

Besides her numerous certifications in the pediatric dentistry profession, Dr. Hu holds advanced education certifications in Pediatric Acute Life Support (PALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR). In 2016, went through a rigorous process to become a board certified pediatric dentist. She’s also an active member of many professional organizations, including the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the California Society of Pediatric Dentistry, and more.

Dr. Hu - A Pakistan Native Who Loves Sunny California!

Due to her mastery of four languages, Dr. Hu can communicate with patients of many cultural backgrounds, including English, Chinese, Hindi, and Urdu.

She is licensed to practice in California and New York, but the Golden State remains her primary focus of practice. Dr. Hu loves California’s sunny climate, which affords her the chance to maintain the active lifestyle she loves.

She enjoys dragon boat racing on the beautiful lakes within the San Fernando Valley, as well as reading, cycling, or hiking the rugged terrains and valleys located all over our great state!