When you walk into our office, youll notice right away that we do things differently here. From our friendly, passionate team members to our warm, inviting office atmosphere, our goal is to give you and your child a positive, memorable experience that exceeds your expectations. We treat our patients like family and wed love for you to join our dental home!
Dr. Elizabeth Laborde was born and raised in North Texas. She decided to become a dentist because she had a kind, compassionate dentist growing up that made her feel comfortable while receiving her care. She always had cavities, and cannot recall ever being a part of the no-cavity club. She claims she was more of a frequent flyer at the dental office, which is why her positive experiences at the dentist early on really piqued her curiosity towards dentistry. Through her frequent dental visits, she learned a lot about dentistry and was interested in how it integrated science, art, and working with people.
Dr. Laborde went to Wellesley College and graduated with a BA in Neuroscience. She then went on to Texas A&M Baylor College of Dentistry to earn her Doctorate of Dental Surgery. After dental school, Dr. Laborde completed a General Practice Residency (GPR) at the Brigham and Womens Hospital-Harvard Wide GPR in Boston. During her training, she worked with medically compromised patients, most of whom had cancer. She also was able to work with a large pediatric population in one of the local community health centers. It was there that she decided to pursue a career in pediatrics and learned the importance of critical care for patients with vulnerable health, and how important the entire family unit is when making healthcare decisions.
Dr. Laborde was accepted to Texas A&M Health Sciences Center Baylor College of Dentistry for a Residency in Pediatric Dentistry. The Baylor residency program afforded her the opportunity to train at the Childrens Hospital in Dallas, Scottish Rite Hospital, Baylor College of Dentistry (now Texas A&M,) and a variety of community health centers.
After completing her GPR in Boston, MA, Dr. Laborde worked as a general dentist for 2 years in two very different settings. For part of the week, she worked at MIT Dental Group, the private practice dental group that operated within the health center at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At that office, she saw patients who were students, professors, systems operators, administrators, anyone affiliated with the Institute. This group taught her a lot about working with a very motivated and high-achieving population. She also worked at Uphams Corner Health Center Dental Clinic, in Dorchester, one of the more underserved areas of Boston. At this clinic, Dr. Laborde treated mostly children. She was constantly inspired by the hard-working, caring families she saw there. She learned to maximize the resources they had available and to be creative in terms of helping children feel comfortable and relaxed during treatment. There was no laughing gas or TVs in the ceiling in Dorchester.
After working as a general dentist in Boston, Dr. Laborde moved back to Texas and decided to open her own office so that she could be closer to home and to her family. She was passionate about having the opportunity to treat the members of the community where she lives. Dr. Laborde currently serves on the Board of the Fort Worth District Dental Society as the President-Elect. She is also a member of the Pinwheel Society for the Alliance for Children and participates in two local study clubs.
Dr. Laborde believes that it is extremely important for parents to feel comfortable and heard because making healthcare decisions for someone else can be stressful. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to pediatric care, and each individual has their own needs. It is critical that each child have their treatment completed in a manner that is kind and respectful, empowering, and promotes education. They can also have fun! It is great for children to have an overwhelmingly positive experience because it promotes better self-care, and in turn, better health overall.
When shes not at work, you can almost always find Dr. Laborde with her family. She loves spending time with her husband and their three young children. She is also very committed to the Fort Worth District Dental Society, so youll see her at almost every FWDDS meeting and event! In addition, she is a life-long learner and is often at a study club or attending a continuing education course.
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We designed our space to feel less like a dentists office and more like a fun, exciting getaway for children and their parents. Our goal is to have a safe, relaxing office where children feel comfortable getting the dental care they need.
As a parent herself, Dr. Laborde understands how crucial it is to find the best medical care for your child. Our practice continually strives to stay on the leading edge of dentistry and has invested in advanced technology to ensure that we give children the exceptional care that they deserve.
Radiographic examination is determined largely by our patients needs and their ability to tolerate the process of taking the x-rays. X-rays are an important diagnostic adjunct and can help us determine if there is any pathology, like cavities, cysts, or other lesions, as well as missing or extra teeth and other developmental considerations that we cannot see during the clinical (visual) exam.
Our youngest patients usually begin with occlusal x-rays of their front teeth. This can rule out cavities between these teeth. Sometimes the permanent teeth are in view, and we can verify their presence. These are the easiest to tolerate, as the sensor does not rest on any soft tissue in the mouth. Often with our little patients, we split their full series of x-rays over two visits and take the occlusal x-rays at one visit and their bitewing x-rays 6 months later at their next visit when they are better able to tolerate biting and holding the sensor for diagnostic images.
Smaller x-rays in between the teeth (usually referred to as bitewing x-rays) help us check for cavities in between teeth and help us determine the proximity of any cavities to the nerve of the tooth, as well as the extent of the cavity related to the whole tooth. They can help us determine what type of restoration (fillings or crowns) will best be successful in the treatment of the cavity.
These images, commonly referred to as panos and cephs, help us see the more global developmental picture. The pano shows us erupted and unerupted teeth and the position of the jaws in relation to the skull. This image can help us assess growth and development, rule out pathology, and serve as a baseline if there is ever trauma to the jaw. Cephs show us a profile view of the upper and lower jaw and can provide important information related to growth and development and the relationship of the jaws to the airway.