What Makes Us Unique?

We have been serving patients in Long Beach and the surrounding areas for over 30 years! We consider dental health to be an integral part of overall good health. Our practice philosophy is to provide dental education and treatment, as well as orthodontics, for children, teens, and those with special healthcare needs. We believe that good dental health can instill a sense of well-being, provide a lifelong smile, and promote good overall health.

Dr. Santos Cortez, Dr. Estela Sanchez, Dr. Ana Planells and Dr. Gabriela Cervantes, as well as our team, are committed to supporting and educating our patients to care for their teeth and gums and help in the prevention of dental disease. We strive to achieve this goal in an environment that is soothing and welcoming to both parents and children of all ages.

What Sets Us Apart?

We offer pediatric dentistry and orthodontics for children, teens, and patients with special healthcare needs. With years of education, hands-on training, and experience, our doctors and staff are uniquely able to meet the specific dental needs of our young patients.

We utilize digital radiographs and the latest digital impression technology, which allows us to take digital molds for appliances and retainers without the goopy, messy material used in the past.

Our dental and orthodontic charts are digital, which allows for better communication with other dental and medical doctors. This reduces the number of X-rays patients undergo, and improves communication between providers, which leads to better care.

Make your child’s visit special!

As a new patient, your young child will receive a personalized book with his or her name and the name of the dentist. This book is kid-friendly and leads young children through their first dental visit and introduces them to, the dentist, dental staff, and some tools they will see during their visit. Read this to your child before his or her first visit to ease any fears.

We have a No-Cavity Club Program to reward children who perform good oral hygiene and have no cavities whereby they get entered into monthly drawings for gift cards. We also have many fun contests throughout the year to keep kids engaged and have positive experiences when visiting the dentist.

Here when you need us!

The doctors at Pediatric Dental Specialists are on-call for after-hours emergencies, including holidays and weekends. In the event of an emergency, you may contact our office to page the doctor on call, and expect to hear back within 30 minutes. The doctor will discuss the emergency over the phone and determine what action needs to be taken. Some emergency require seeing the patient in the office, other situations may be handled over the phone.

August Charity Of The Month

August is here! For many, this means the end of summer vacation and back to school, but for Pediatric Dental Specialist of Long Beach, this means a new charity of the month. This month, with your help, we will be supporting Doctors Without Borders. 

ABOUT THE CHARITY
Doctors Without Borders is an international humanitarian organization founded in 1971. This charity is known to respond to emergencies around the world, saving and impacting lives daily. The funds allow the organization to impact those in need of help; they go where patients are. They generally work in conflict zones after natural disasters, epidemics, long-term care settings, and more. Funding is a crucial part of this charity as the crew works on so many projects worldwide, we want to help.

JOIN US IN SUPPORTING DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
Pediatric Dental Specialists is a Check-in 4 Charity Member. That means, whenever you check-in at our office on Facebook, a donation will be generated for the charity of the month. Check-in at your next appointment and together we can join forces to give back to this amazing charity during the month of August.

When To Bring A Baby To The Dentist

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend that you take your child to the dentist within six months after the first tooth erupts, or by his or her's first birthday, whichever comes first.

In the meantime, your primary healthcare provider should take a look at your baby's teeth (if he or she has any) and apply fluoride varnish every three to six months. Risk factors include a family history of cavities and poor dental health in the mother during pregnancy.

When you are ready to bring your child to the Pediatric Dental Specialists in Long Beach, be sure to communicate what fluoride treatments your baby has already received at the doctor's office.

If you can't afford dental care for your baby, consider getting in touch with your local health department to ask about resources.

We Offer Invisalign Teen

Pediatric Dental Specialists in Long Beach is excited to offer Invisalign Teen, a clear alternative to braces that’s just for teens! With Invisalign Teen, we are able to straighten your teen’s teeth without the hassle, discomfort, and embarrassment of traditional braces.

Invisalign Teen’s clear aligners are virtually invisible. What’s more, they are removable, which means your child is free to eat anything they choose, as well as brush and floss with ease! Best of all, Invisalign Teen uses no wires or metal to straighten your teen’s teeth.

Invisalign Teen aligners are made from a lightweight plastic material and fit precisely on the teeth. Invisalign Teen has become a popular treatment here at Pediatric Dental Specialists because it helps our younger patients achieve a straight, beautiful smile without their friends noticing.

Our team is aware that most teens today have a busy lifestyle, and sometimes, they tend to lose things, including their retainers or aligners. But with Invisalign Teen, if your child happens to lose an aligner, let Dr. Planells, Dr. Cortez, Dr. Sanchez and our team know as soon as possible and we will have the aligner replaced.

For more information on Invisalign Teen, please give us a call at our convenient Long Beach, CA office today!

Questions To Remember At Your First Orthodontic Appointment

As you consider orthodontic care for your child, it is likely that several questions may naturally arise. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions you might have. The doctors and staff at Pediatric Dental Specialists are always here to help.

As several of you reading this are in the early stages of orthodontics, we thought it would be helpful to guide you through some important questions to ask at your child's first appointment for braces.

Here are just a few examples of questions you may want to ask at your consultation.

• Is there an estimated length of time that kids have to wear braces? 
• How can my child keep teeth clean with braces?
• How much should I expect to pay for treatment? What are the payment options? 
• Is it likely that my child will be wearing extra appliances in addition to braces to correct an overbite or other problems? 
• How often will my child be expected to come in for check-ups and other appointments?
• Are there specific foods my child will need to avoid when wearing braces? 
• Will braces prevent my child from playing sports or musical instruments? 
• Does getting braces hurt? Is there anything we can do to prevent or minimize pain? 

With answers to your questions and our amazing Pediatric Dental Specialists team on your side, you can be confident about any necessary orthodontic treatments for your child.

Help Us Grant Wishes This February

Join us this month in supporting the Make-A-Wish International Foundation when you check-in at our office. As most of you are aware, Pediatric Dental Specialists-Long Beach became a member of Check-in 4 Charity last month! This program allows us to turn your Facebook check-ins into something much more; donations. By joining us in this movement, it costs YOU absolutely NOTHING!

How does it work?

Every month, we will be working with different charities to turn your check-ins into donations. Each check-in amounts to a specific monetary amount paid by Pediatric Dental Specialists-Long Beach, and at the end of the month, we make a donation to the charity of the month after receiving your check-ins. It's simple. You check-in, we donate. 

We Are Now A Check-In 4 Charity Member

Pediatric Dental Specialists-Long Beach is now a Check-in 4 Charity member! Check-in 4 Charity is a program for businesses such as ours to partner with our patients by getting them to check-in on Facebook.  Each check-in helps us generate donations for different charities every month. It is fun, easy, free for you to participate in, and allows us to work together with you to achieve the goal of donating monthly to charities.

January Charity Of The Month 

This month, we've decided to support the Children's Dental Health Clinic! This clinic is a non-profit that provides dental care and health education to children ages 0-21 in the greater Long Beach areas. All you have to do is check-in at Pediatric Dental Specialists-Long Beach to help us make a difference. 

Everybody Benefits from Braces! Pediatric Dental Specialists

Braces aren’t just for pre-adolescents and teenagers anymore! Anyone, at any age, can benefit from orthodontic care from us at Pediatric Dental Specialists; whether it is correcting a problem not treated in your younger years, or catching a problem early.

To ensure the best overall treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children receive an orthodontic consultation as early as age seven. If a problem is evident, taking action early can spare a lot of treatment and expense down the road.

If you never received orthodontic treatment when you were young, don’t worry! You’re never too old for a beautiful smile. Set up an appointment with us at Pediatric Dental Specialists for a consultation and find out how adult orthodontics will transform your smile, and your life!