Family Dental Plus: Dentist Serving Watts, CA
Watts covers 2.118 square miles in South Los Angeles across ZIP codes 90002 and 90059, with a population of nearly 45,000 and a median age well under 32. Family Dental Plus serves patients here and across the neighboring South LA communities.
A Densely Populated, Family-Centered Community
Watts packs roughly 21,188 people per square mile into ZIPs 90002 and 90059 — more than double the citywide average of 8,146. Average household size is 4.6 people, compared with 2.5 across Los Angeles as a whole, and 59.3% of households are family households. Single-mother households account for 17.7% of all households, nearly twice the city rate of 9.7%.
The community is unusually young. The median age is 27.7 for males and 31.8 for females, against citywide medians of 36.5 and 38.0. One in three residents — 33% of the population — is under 18, well above the national figure of 23.8%. That proportion shapes what a neighborhood dental practice here actually does: a large share of every family's appointments will be for children and teenagers.
Dental Access in Watts
A Documented Shortage Area
The Firestone/Florence South/Watts corridor was formally designated a Medicaid-eligible dental Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) on March 5, 2021, with a HPSA score of 19 out of a possible 25. Higher scores indicate greater severity; a score of 19 places this area among the more acutely underserved designations in Los Angeles County.
From 2016 to 2022, roughly three-quarters of adult Medi-Cal beneficiaries in Los Angeles County did not access any dental services in a given year. Barriers include limited clinic availability and the near-absence of dental services in primary-care settings — nearly half of Los Angeles community clinics offer no dental care at all.
Education patterns are directly tied to dental-visit rates. Forty-two percent of Watts residents have less than a high school diploma, compared with 10% nationally, and only 6% hold a bachelor's degree against a national figure of 22%. LA County public health data documents that adults without a high school diploma are significantly less likely to make an annual dental visit than college graduates — a pattern the neighborhood's access figures reflect.
Community Health Infrastructure
Watts Healthcare Corporation (WHCC) has operated in South Los Angeles since it was formally founded in 1967, growing out of a volunteer clinic established after the 1965 Watts uprising. WHCC is a federally recognized Federally Qualified Health Center running seven clinical sites, with mobile dental programs among its services. Family Dental Plus is a private practice that accepts insurance and standard payment arrangements; the two types of provider address different parts of the same persistent access gap.
What Family Dental Plus Offers Watts Residents
Our full range of dental services covers preventive care, restorative work, and cosmetic procedures for patients of all ages. Because one-third of Watts residents are under 18, we see a steady flow of younger patients alongside adults and seniors, and we are experienced at making children comfortable with routine checkups and cleanings. We accept a range of insurance plans and offer financing options for work not fully covered; details are on our insurance and financing page. Spanish-language support is available throughout the practice — our Spanish-language site has complete information for patients who prefer it.
To confirm whether we are in-network for your plan or to request an appointment, visit our contact page.
Getting Here from Watts
Our office is a short drive from the 90002 and 90059 ZIP codes via the 110 freeway or Alameda Street, the western boundary of Watts. We also serve patients from nearby communities including San Pedro, Long Beach, and Carson.
The Neighborhood
Watts was incorporated in 1903 and grew as a community after Watts Station opened in 1907, tying it to the rail network that runs today through the Alameda Corridor — a 20-mile freight expressway connecting the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to the transcontinental mainlines, with Alameda Street running along the neighborhood's western edge.
The neighborhood's most recognized landmark is the Watts Towers, built between 1921 and 1954 by Sabato Rodia at 1765 E. 107th Street. They are a National Historic Landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Historic-Cultural Monument No. 15. The Watts Happening Cultural Center at 1827 E. 103rd Street — a center for Black art and activism since 1969 — was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2023.
Sources
This page is general information about our practice and the communities we serve. It is not dental advice, and it is not a description of any specific treatment outcome. Please speak with us about your own situation.
Last reviewed October 1, 2026.