About Safari Children’s Dentistry & Bracesin San Antonio, TX
If you have been searching for a pediatric dental office in San Antonio that can meet all of your child’s needs, you’ve come to the right place!
Safari Children’s Dentistry & Braces was specifically created with children in mind. Everything from our brightly colored office to our kid-friendly services is intended to help your family have pleasant, enjoyable experiences in our office. We look forward to working with you soon!
High-Quality Pediatric Dental Care in Your Neighborhood
Safari Children’s Dentistry & Braces is proud to serve the North San Antonio community. Our practice is conveniently located in Uptown, and we see patients from Bracken, Selma, Schertz, and Cibolo as well. Our office is close to Northern Hills Elementary, El Dorado Elementary, Wetmore Elementary, and Stahl Elementary, as well as James Madison High School, which helps makes school-day appointments a breeze! Keeping our care convenient for our patients is important to us, which is why we also open our doors at eight in the morning, five days per week!
Dr. Victoria Ramirez
Board Certified Pediatric Dentist
Dr. Victoria Ramirez was born and raised in San Antonio, TX. She attended Texas A&M International University, where she played volleyball and served as the president of the Pre-Dental Society. Dr. Ramirez earned her dental degree from The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston.
Dr. Ramirez’s passion for children, learning, and providing the best care for her patients propelled her to attend a pediatric dental residency. She completed her pediatric dentistry specialty training at NYU Langone Health in Nashville, TN. She was also the chief resident and received extensive training in pediatric sedation dentistry. Dr. Ramirez then practiced for five years as a general dentist in a pediatric dental practice before joining our team.
Due to Dr. Ramirez’s own upbringing and her close ties to the community she serves, she has a strong belief in creating a family-friendly, educational environment where parents play an active role in their child’s dental health. Outside of the office, Dr. Ramirez loves to travel, cook international foods, stay active, and cheer for the San Antonio Spurs.
Dr. Gladys Carrasco
Board Certified Pediatric Dentist
Dr. Gladys Carrasco was born and raised in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico where she completed her Doctoral of Dental Surgery degree from Universidad Autonoma de Sinaloa in 2011. Following graduation, Dr. Carrasco moved to Massachusetts seeking opportunities to teach and grow in the dental field. The Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine opened the doors for her and she worked as a Clinical Instructor for 7 years in the School-Based Programs. She provided preventative and restorative dental services to children in elementary schools in Chelsea, MA. Through this role, Dr. Carrasco realized how much she enjoyed working with children as well as making an impact in the community, and in 2018 she joined a Pediatric Dentistry Residency program at Boston University GSDM and graduated in 2020. For the past three years she has been working as a full-time faculty and as a pediatric dentist for Northern Counties Healthcare, Inc in Orleans, Vermont.
Her philosophy of practice is based on compassion, empathy, and trust. She understands every child has a different comfort level in the dental environment and will adapt to every patient with the desire to provide a safe, nurturing, comfortable, friendly, and fun place for children to learn about caring for their teeth, keeping a healthy mouth, and taking pride on their smile.
Dr. Carrasco came to San Antonio for the first time early this year to a conference and fell in love with its people, its culture, and its cuisine. Then, her family – her husband – Javier, and son – Enrique -decided to call San Antonio their new home. Outside of the office, Dr. Carrasco spends her weekends exploring San Antonio and the surrounding areas with her family.
Dr. Carrasco is very excited to experience San Antonio and be part of the community.
Dr. Noor Mansouri
Board Certified Orthodontist
Dr. Mansouri is a board certified specialist in Orthodontics and is a member of the American Association of Orthodontics, The American Dental Association and San Antonio District Dental Society. She graduated from Jacksonville University in Florida earning her specialty Certificate in Orthodontics and a Master of Science in Dentistry.
Dr. Mansouri met her husband during residency and together they relocated to Texas where he grew up, and fell in love with the charming people and city of San Antonio. In her free time she values spending time with her family and enjoys cooking, exploring new places and traveling.
Dr. Mai Luk
Pediatric Dentist
Dr. Luk is from Austin, Texas. She obtained her Bachelors of Arts degree in biology from the University of Texas at Austin. She graduated with honors from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio where she earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. Shortly thereafter, she completed their Pediatric Residency Program. Her training includes extensive experience in sedation, dental trauma, and treating children.
Dr. Luk is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the Texas Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. In her spare time, Dr. Luk enjoys spending time with her family, the outdoors, playing tennis, photography, running, knitting, and crocheting.
Our Safe and Effective Dental Sedation
While it’s perfectly normal for children to experience dental anxiety, we always want our patients to feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible in our office. Whether your child has a big treatment coming up or they just need a little help sitting still in the dental chair, our team can go over our safe and effective sedation options with you before their next appointment.
Nitrous Oxide
Laughing gas is a clear, sweet-smelling gas that is administered through a comfortable mask that is placed over the nose. It stimulates feelings of relaxation, begins working very quickly, and wears off once the mask is removed and the patient breathes normal air for a little while.
Oral Sedation
Medication is taken orally prior to the dental visit, and the patient will begin to feel content and sleepy. Even if they fall asleep during their appointment, it should be easy to wake them up, and they can respond to questions. Our team will take your child’s medical history and overall health status into consideration when determining the best medication to prescribe.
General Anesthesia
Patients are put into a controlled state of unconsciousness. General anesthesia eliminates the patients’ awareness of their surroundings, the formation of memories, and their ability to move. This safe, effective sedation option is reserved for treatments that are performed at a nearby hospital on an outpatient basis.
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Emergency Dental Care for Kids
When your child complains of a toothache or knocks out a baby tooth that wasn’t quite ready to come out yet, it can be difficult to know exactly what to do. Fortunately, Safari Children’s Dentistry & Braces offers same-day emergency dental appointments for children. Simply give our office a call, and our experienced pediatric dental team will be happy to assess the situation over the phone and advise. Once an emergency visit is scheduled, we’ll begin preparing a treatment room so we can be ready to go upon your arrival.
Common pediatric dental emergencies include:
- Throbbing Toothache
- Broken or Cracked Teeth
- Dislodged Tooth
- Excessive Bleeding or Swelling
- Foreign Object Stuck Between Teeth
