Dr. Joseph P Grieco

Joseph P.
Grieco, Jr., D.D.S.
F.A.G.D.
Joseph P. Grieco, Jr., DDS, FAGD
Dr. Grieco is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Dentistry and has been in practice for 24 years. Half of this time has been spent at our current location.
As a child, Dr. Grieco was greatly influenced by his family dentist, Dr. Richard Cowan, whose office is located in Redondo Beach, California. When Dr. Grieco was 12 years old, Dr. Cowan gave him a brochure on careers in dentistry, which “made a significant impact on my direction for the future.”
Dr. Grieco’s interest grew in the dental profession while attending UCLA. Through working at the Los Angeles Free Clinic, he discovered how dentistry could effectively minister to people. At the free clinic, students could receive training as dental assistants. Dr. Grieco saw first hand that the dentist was able to relieve discomfort almost immediately. As a result, “I never viewed the dentist as one who causes pain, but rather, as one who …alleviates it.”
Prior to the year that Dr. Grieco applied to dental school, the number of applicants held steady at around 6,000 per year. In 1975, over 15,000 applicants were received by dental schools in the United States. As a result, there were an insufficient number of spaces available for all the interested students. These circumstances led Dr. Grieco to apply to the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. He spent six months learning Spanish and moved in with a Mexican family. After two years, he took the National Dental Board examination and reapplied to dental schools in the United States. Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. accepted him into the second year and he completed his studies in 1982. It was a roundabout way of receiving a dental education, but Dr. Grieco wouldn't have had it any other way. "In addition to receiving an excellent education, I was also given the opportunity to learn another language and was exposed to a different culture. The Lord used this experience to prepare me for doing mission work in Honduras and Guatemala. “Proverbs 16:2 says, 'The mind of a man plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps.' That was certainly the case with me!"
Upon graduation, Dr. Grieco met Dr. Ralph Gibson, who mentored him and guided him in his new career. The two of them practiced together for over 10 years. Dr. Grieco remarks that this time in his career “was a wonderful opportunity to learn from a seasoned professional. Dr. Gibson was very progressive in dentistry and his influence on me is immeasurable. “
In 1994, Dr. Grieco opened his own practice in Fairfax City. In the past 10 years, we have seen steady growth in our practice. During that time, there have been dramatic changes in materials and techniques available to dentistry. Dr. Grieco is excited about these new technologies.
“Tooth-colored filling materials are beginning to replace silver fillings as the standard of care. Lasers for restoring teeth are looking promising. Dental implants can predictably replace missing teeth with an excellent long-term prognosis. Digital X-rays are now the standard of care in our practice. We also constantly take courses to keep abreast of the latest techniques and materials available.” For his pursuit of continuing education, Dr. Grieco was made a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry in 2004.
Dr. Grieco and his wife, Anna, reside in Chantilly, Virginia, with their two daughters, Sarah and Christina.