Meet Dr. Marielena Torres-Ricart

BOARD CERTIFIED PEDIATRIC DENTIST

I am enthusiastic about teaching children how to overcome their fears, creating happy smiles and happy patients that will enjoy visiting the dentist for a lifetime. My goal is to make dental visits fun for our patients and their parents from the moment they walk into our office. I am a true believer in prevention and would love to see a world where no child ever has to suffer from dental pain. Practicing pediatric dentistry in San Antonio has allowed me to follow my passion for informing and caring for children.

Education and Continuing Education

I am proud to have followed in my brother’s footsteps to study and practice dentistry. It was his passion for serving and the gratitude expressed by his patients in our native San Pedro that made me realize that I wanted to do the same and make a difference.

My education began at the Universidad Central del Este, San Pedro de Macoris, where I received my Doctor of Dentistry degree in 2004. From there, I went to New York University to obtain my Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2009. I received my Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, PA, in 2011.

I am board certified and am constantly continuing my education. I am dedicated to staying informed of the latest developments in pediatric dentistry, allowing me to offer my patients and their parents the most cutting-edge care and education.

Family and Community

I love living in the San Antonio community with my husband, son, and daughter. We are surrounded by our family, including 12 nieces and nephews, so there is always something fun and exciting happening! When I’m not working, I enjoy food, travel, and art.

In my native San Pedro de Macoris, DR, I realized early on that poverty and poor health go hand in hand, and children are the most severely impacted. This is what made me decide to pursue my education in pediatric dentistry and partake in regular outreach programs, not only here in the U.S., but also back in small towns in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Peru and Ecuador where I have attended children and patients with special needs.

Providing my little patients with healthy smiles and being able to take part in their growth by educating them and their parents is invaluable to me. There is never a dull moment in pediatrics, as children are so inquisitive, vibrant, and full of life. Nothing makes me happier than being able to appease their fears of dentistry and make their experience a great one. My passion for children and their health is what led me to become a board-certified pediatric dentist in Texas.

Professional Affiliations

ATTN: Families of Kids World Pediatric Dentistry

Dear Families of Kids World Pediatric Dentistry,

We hope you are all well and in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice, our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it is both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the Texas State Dental Board, American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up to date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. We do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agency recommendations.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff from the current COVID-19 crisis. The process to check in will for now be different than the previous “normal”

• Before your appointment fill our screening questionnaire and any required forms from our website, this will reduce paperwork at the office. You will be asked those same questions again when you arrive at the office in case anything has changed. The patient’s temperature will be taken upon arrival. Please understand that if required we might have to reschedule your visit.

• Check in by phone when you park your car. You will receive a text to enter the office.

• Please bring only the patient that is being seen and one adult.

• We will guide you to either a seating area assigned with a letter or straight to the treatment room.

• Mandatory: Please wear mask.

• Please maintain social distancing.

• Only patients in treatment areas when possible, this reduces effects of any aerosols.

• We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.

• Our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, books, toys, ipads and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.

• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.

• We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at 210 787 1200 or visit our website at kidsworldpediatricdental.com