By: Richard L. Smith
When I visited the revamped dental office at 81 Broadway in Newark, I immediately noticed something different. 
A senior patient hanging in the waiting room was anxious but not rushing out—she was relaxed, talking comfortably with the staff, and greeting the dentist as if she were a longtime neighbor. And in many ways, she was.
During my interview with Dr. Richa Vajpeyee, it became clear why this practice, once marked by complaints and inconsistencies, is now gaining a reputation for honest, steady, and compassionate care.
Her connection to this community began long before she purchased the office.
For years, she’s been treating patients across East Orange, Newark, Irvington, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Dr. VajPeyee lives just minutes away in Harrison. These are people she knows well, families she has cared for, children she watched grow, seniors she has supported through difficult dental journeys.
That familiarity is part of the reason she decided to take over the practice when she saw it was up for sale.
She drove past on two separate occasions, saw the sign still posted, and felt something pull her back.
The previous owner was commuting from Fort Lee and could no longer manage the distance. Dr. Vajpeyee knew the office needed attention, but she also knew what it could become with the right leadership.
She stepped in, cleaned, reorganized, modernized equipment and materials, and created a new, welcoming staff that reflects the kind of care she believes patients deserve.
Walking through the office, the change is obvious. Patients who hadn’t returned for years are now coming back, saying they can feel the difference as soon as they walk in.
The office is brighter, cleaner, more organized, and most importantly, more caring.
What impressed me most during my visit was how calm the space felt.
Yes, dentistry can be intimidating, but she speaks gently, moves with patience, and reassures people with sincerity.
Her goal is simple: to be the community’s local family dentist, patients trust and return to; generation after generation.
Her journey to this profession stretches far beyond Newark. Born in India, she came to the United States chasing her American dream.
Before becoming a dentist, she worked as a dental assistant and also experienced dentistry as a patient. Those experiences shaped her understanding of what people fear, what they struggle to afford, and how important empathy is in this field.
A childhood family dentist inspired her, the kind of doctor who treated her grandparents, her parents, her relatives, and eventually her. That sense of continuity and trust is what she now aims to recreate in Newark.
She is also a mother, a wife, and someone who built her career while raising a daughter and navigating school.
Dr. VajPeyee spoke candidly about wanting other women to know they are capable of overcoming challenges and achieving their goals.
Today, her practice is growing steadily. Since assuming ownership in July and fully transitioning operations in August and September, she has been working nonstop to rebuild patient trust.
She welcomes people with diabetes, high blood pressure, complex medical needs, seniors needing dentures, and families who may have gone years without regular dental visits.
There is no judgment—only solutions. She offers flexible payment plans, straightforward explanations of insurance, and transparency about costs.
Her mission, as she told me more than once, is to give every patient the best possible care without stress, pressure, or confusion.
As I left the office, I understood why her patients speak so highly of her. Newark didn’t just gain a dentist, it gained someone who truly cares, someone who understands the community deeply, someone determined to restore the kind of family-focused dentistry many people feel has been lost.
At 81 Broadway, people aren’t just getting fillings or cleanings—they’re finding comfort, trust, and a doctor who believes in caring for the whole person, not just their teeth.