OAKLAND — Licensed pediatric dentist Cindy Parks, DDS, plans to begin serving residents in western Maryland and neighboring West Virginia.

“There are only a small number of pediatric dental specialists in the country, and we are very fortunate that Dr. Parks has chosen to practice in our region,” said Donald P. Battista, president/CEO of Garrett County Memorial Hospital.

Originally from Eglon, W.Va., Parks graduated from nursing school at Davis and Elkins College. She went to West Virginia University School of Dentistry, receiving an excellence award from the American Society of Dentistry for Children.

She pursued a two-year residency of advanced training in pediatric dentistry at Case School of Dental Medicine/Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland and was chief resident.

She was trained in care of healthy and special needs children and adolescents. She taught in the pediatric dental undergraduate clinic.

Parks was a presenter at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry meeting this year and will be published in the Public Health Nursing Journal.

Garrett Memorial accepted her application for hospital privileges for situations that may require general anesthesia. “Our specialty trains us to manage children in a variety of ways,” said Parks. “So, not all children will require general anesthesia.”

Pediatric dentistry is an age-defined specialty. Her practice will be limited to infants, children and adolescents, including those with special needs, up to the age of 19. Children will accepted with or without a referral.