Trusted by 500+ Austin families
Dentist visits kids actually look forward to
Meet Toothy. Move your mouse around — he’s watching, and he can’t wait to say hi. Meet Toothy — he can’t wait to say hi.
500+ happy smiles · 0 scary tools in sight · 100% kid-approved
Open Saturdays · Most insurance accepted · Mueller, Austin
- 4.9 on Google — 312 reviews
- Board-certified pediatric dentists
- Same-day emergency care
- Cartoons on the ceiling
- Parents stay in the room
- 15 years serving East Austin
Meet Toothy
“The chair goes up. That’s the scariest part, promise.”
Hi! I’m Toothy. I hang out at the front desk and I know exactly what happens back there, because I watch it all day long.
Here’s the whole secret: somebody counts your teeth, tickles them clean with a little spinny brush, and tells you which one is the wobbliest. Then you pick a sticker. That’s it. That’s the appointment.
If you want, you can hold my hand the whole time. I have very small hands, but I try my best.
- We show every tool before it comes near a mouth
- Nothing happens until your kid says “okay, go”
- Tell-Show-Do, every single visit
What we do
Everything little teeth need, and nothing they don’t
Six things make up almost every visit here. All of them are explained to your child first, in words they already know.
-
Cleanings & Checkups
A polish, a fluoride varnish and a full count. Twenty minutes, then a sticker.
Learn more -
Cavity Fillings
Tooth-coloured, so nobody at school can tell. Numbing gel goes on first, always.
Learn more -
Sealants & Fluoride
A clear coat painted over the back molars. It is the cheapest cavity you will never have.
Learn more -
Orthodontic Referrals
We watch how the jaw is growing from age 6 and tell you when it is actually time.
Learn more -
Sedation-Friendly Visits
Laughing gas or oral sedation for kids who need the volume turned down. Fully monitored.
Learn more -
Same-Day Emergencies
Knocked-out tooth at the playground? Call us. We hold slots open every afternoon.
Learn more
Why parents choose us
The no-fear approach, in plain English
- Kid-friendly language, not scary jargon. A drill is a “spinny toothbrush.” A suction tip is “Mr. Thirsty.”
- Parents welcome in the room. Every appointment, every time, no exceptions.
- Reward wall after every visit. Pick a prize, add your name, come back and find it.
- Two-visit rule for anxious kids. The first visit is just meeting us. Nothing gets done.
How it works
A first visit, start to finish
Forty minutes, four steps, and one sticker. Read it out loud to your kid tonight so they know exactly what is coming.
-
1
Say hi to Toothy
Front desk, tooth-shaped chairs, a fish called Bubbles. Nobody touches anybody yet.
-
2
The chair ride
Up it goes. Cartoons come on the ceiling. Your grown-up sits right next to you.
-
3
Count and tickle
We count out loud, brush with the spinny brush, and rinse. You can stop us any time.
-
4
Sticker and a plan
You pick a prize. We tell your grown-up what we saw, in normal words, before you leave.
Two minutes, small circles, and don’t forget the ones in the back. Toothy will show you.
Our team
The people your kid will actually remember
-
assets/team-villarreal.webp800×1000
Dr. Mariana Villarreal, DDS
Pediatric Dentist & Founder
Opened this office in 2011 because her own daughter refused to sit in a grown-up dental chair. Fair enough.
-
assets/team-okafor.webp800×1000
Dr. Chris Okafor, DMD
Pediatric Dentist
Does card tricks between patients. Has never once done a filling on a kid who was still crying.
-
assets/team-lin.webp800×1000
Aubrey Lin, RDH
Registered Dental Hygienist
Cleans teeth to a Taylor Swift playlist that the kids choose. She has heard every song many times.
-
assets/team-delgado.webp800×1000
Sam Delgado
Kid Comfort Coach
Runs the reward wall and the fish tank. If your child is nervous, Sam gets to them before we do.
Reviews
What Austin parents say
My son screamed through two other offices. Here he asked if we could come back next week. I don’t know what they do differently but I’m not asking questions.
Called at 8:40 in the morning with a chipped front tooth. We were in the chair by 11. Dr. Okafor showed my daughter every instrument before he used it.
Our daughter has sensory processing differences and the first appointment was literally just a tour. No pressure, no billing for it. That told me everything.
Two cavities, no drama, and they explained the cost before doing anything. My twins now argue about whose turn it is to go first.
FAQ
Questions parents ask us first
By the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing. That visit is short and mostly for you: we check how the teeth are coming in and talk through bottles, sippy cups and brushing. Free, always.
A cleaning does not hurt. It tickles and it is loud, which is a different thing, and we tell kids that up front so they are not surprised. For fillings we use numbing gel before the injection, and we never start until your child says they are ready.
We are in network with most major Texas plans and we file Medicaid and CHIP. Bring your card to the first visit and we will run the benefits while you are in the chair, so you hear the real number before anything is scheduled.
We split it into two appointments. The first one is a tour: sit in the chair, ride it up and down, hold the mirror, meet the fish, go home. Nothing clinical happens and we do not bill for it. Most kids come back for the second visit genuinely curious.
Your insurance card, a list of any medications, and a comfort object if your child has one. Blankets and stuffed animals are extremely welcome in the chair. Arrive ten minutes early for paperwork.
Yes, and we would rather you did. There is a chair right beside your child for every appointment, including fillings. Some offices ask parents to wait outside. We do not.
Book a visit
First visit is on us
Send this over and we will call you back the same business day with two or three times that work. No deposit, no card.