Conservative Dentistry
At Tiny Texans Pediatric Dentistry, we believe in cost-effective, conservative dental treatment for your child.
The foundation of our practice was built on the tenets of preventive dentistry. When treatment is needed, Dr. Christina Ramirez will recommend the most conservative treatment available.
You can rest assured that Dr. Christina will not recommend dental work that is not absolutely necessary to promote healthy teeth and gums.
Preventive Care Is the Best Approach to Pediatric Dentistry
One of the reasons we emphasize seeing your child in our office at such an early age—usually around their first birthday—is because preventive care is so important.
With regular visits, Dr. Christina can spot problems with your child’s smile while they are still small and easily treatable. Keeping dental treatment to a minimum means fewer appointments in the dental chair for kids and less money spent by parents.
We may also recommend preventive fluoride treatments or dental sealants to help keep cavities from forming on your child’s teeth. Fluoride treatments are usually recommended every six months, so it makes sense to do them each time your child comes in for a regular appointment. Dental sealants, which are tooth-colored plastic coatings placed over the deep grooves in back molars, cost a fraction of what fillings do. They are long-lasting as well, and usually effective for about five years.
We will also do our best to educate you and your child about proper home care. We want to help your child develop good brushing and flossing habits from an early age. When they are young, we will show you how to properly take care of their teeth. When they are old enough to have the dexterity to brush on their own, we’ll make sure they understand proper techniques.
When Treatment Is Necessary
Tiny Texans Pediatric Dentistry is a mercury-free office. We do not place amalgam fillings.
Dr. Christina prefers prevention over restorations, but sometimes a cavity gets too large to monitor and a restoration is needed. She will recommend a tooth-colored filling in most cases, although in certain instances, she might suggest a full-coverage stainless steel (silver in color) crown.
It is essential to fix a cavity before the bacteria from it has infected the surrounding bone and gums. If this happens, an extraction might be necessary. A small space maintainer may need to go into the space if the baby tooth is removed before adult teeth are present.
Make an Appointment Today at Tiny Texans Pediatric Dentistry
Dr. Christina and her team strive to deliver compassionate, conservative, quality dental care in a comfortable environment where your child feels safe. We believe every child should have a pediatric dentist they can trust and feel good about seeing.
We look forward to establishing a bond with you and your child that will serve all of us well in the years to come. Call us today to make an appointment with Dr. Christina, a pediatric dentist you can trust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Over-retained baby teeth are common, particularly in the lower front area of the mouth. In some cases, it looks like your child has two rows of teeth.
In most cases, the baby tooth is already loose but needs your child to wiggle on it more so it falls out, leaving room for the adult tooth to move into place.
Sometimes, the adult tooth comes in too far back from the baby tooth so that the root of the baby tooth is left intact and a dentist needs to remove it. We recommend that you come in and allow us to evaluate the baby tooth if it does not seem loose and the adult tooth is already erupting behind it.
In some cases, a baby tooth is over-retained because there is a missing adult tooth. This can be caused by trauma, obstructions, or late eruption—or the adult tooth is simply not there. It is just one of the reasons it’s so important to bring your child to the dentist from an early age for regular examinations. If your child needs treatment for over-retained baby teeth, Dr. Christina can make recommendations that are best for your child’s overall oral health and smile.
If you suspect your child has a cavity, you should contact our office immediately to set up an appointment. In the meantime, reduce high-sugar drinks like juice and soda, limit candy and other junk food, and keep the suspect area as clean as possible until the tooth can be evaluated by a dentist. If the tooth is causing any pain with eating or sleeping, please notify us about that when you call.
When you bring your child in, we will examine the area to determine whether or not it is a cavity. An x-ray might also be recommended. It if is decay, we will review treatment options, even if the cavity is in a baby tooth. A baby tooth cavity that is left with an untreated cavity runs the risk of spreading into the bone and gum, and it can even impact the adult tooth below it.
The dental process for kids is very similar to the way it works for adults. After the tooth is numbed, Dr. Christina will gently remove the decayed portion of the tooth, then sterilize the area. She will fill the spot with a tooth-colored composite to keep the decay from spreading. If the decay has already spread into the nerve chamber, the infected nerve will be cleaned, medicine placed, and the tooth covered with a silver crown. Sometimes cavities are too deep to be cleaned and saved, and an extraction could be recommended.
Dr. Christina has a way with children that helps them stay comfortable during the entire procedure.
You can also talk to us about silver diamine fluoride as a treatment for cavities.
Meet Our Doctor:
Dr. Gracen Marriott
Board Certified Pediatric Dentist
Gracen Marriott, DDS, was born and raised in a small mountain town in Colorado where she spent time skiing, snowboarding, and hiking in the mountains. She grew up the second of five children, so her house was always busy, loud, and lots of fun! She completed her undergraduate degree at Duke University, studying Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology.
It was in dental school that she fell in love with the state of Texas and met her fellow dentist husband, Tyler. Dr. Gracen stayed at UT Health San Antonio to complete her residency ...
