Dr. Escobar attended dental school at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. During her time there, her dedication to the profession of dentistry was clearly demonstrated by her clinical and classroom performance

Born and raised in Southern California, Dr. Jernell Escobar became interested in healthcare while serving her country as a Public Health technician for the United States Air Force. After seven years of military service, Dr. Escobar was honorably discharged from the Air Force having garnered multiple awards and service commendations. Upon completion of her service, Dr. Escobar focused her attention on completing her undergraduate degree at San Jose State University. She graduated, with honors, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. In addition, while completing her undergraduate education, Dr. Escobar was involved in genetics research at Stanford University.

She was awarded the Fixed Prosthodontics Award for outstanding performance, the Norma T. and Robert G. Grosso Award for interest and promise as a dental educator and the Quintessence Award for outstanding performance in clinical restorative dentistry. In addition, she was inducted into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon and Tau Kappa Omega dental honor societies for scholastic excellence. Dr. Escobar earned the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2006.

After completion of dental school, Dr. Escobar continued her education at the University of the Pacific School of Education and earned a Master of Arts in Dental Education in 2009. She was also invited to join the dental school faculty as an instructor for Preclinical Restorative Dentistry.

Dr. Escobar has been practicing dentistry in the bay area since 2006. She is passionate about providing exceptional oral health care in a patient centered environment. In addition, Dr. Escobar enjoys spending time with her two children. Some of her favorite activities include travel, boating, running marathons, triathlons, wakeboarding and yoga.

Samantha Tripp has been an RDA for six years, and has been working alongside Dr. Escobar since 2013. Born and raised in Gilroy, Samantha is a friendly face to many of our local patients. On her off time she loves traveling and going on hikes. My favorite thing about my job is the variety it brings, she said. No day is ever the same.

Christine Drysdale has served the South County community as a Registered Dental Hygienist for the past three decades. She has worked alongside Dr. Jernell Escobar since she established her practice in Gilroy and is grateful to be part of such a professional and caring dental office team. Christine completed her clinical training at Cabrillo College, Aptos in 1988. She demonstrates commitment to offering her patients the very best in dental care by staying up-to-date on new procedures, techniques, and products. Christine, a native Gilroyian, has been happily married to her high-school sweetheart since 1990 and is the mother of two adult sons. She enjoys spending time with her family, boating, snowboarding, camping, traveling and attending sporting events. As a Dental Hygienist, I love helping my patients have a clean, beautiful smile but more importantly, my main goal is to educate them on the importance of good oral health. We now know that poor oral health can contribute to cardiovascular disease, pregnancy complications, and other serious health concerns. My top priority is to have my patients keep their natural teeth healthy for as long as possible. I care deeply for my patients and building a close relationship with them makes my job very rewarding.

Registered Dental Hygienist Paula McDermott has been dedicated to the practice for 25+ years. Raised in Gilroy, she takes pride in serving her community by improving their Oral Health. Paulas favorite aspect of her job is connecting with her patients while enhancing their smiles. In her spare time, she enjoys being with her family, gardening, baking Italian desserts, and reading for her book club.

What Laura likes about her job is being able to educate her patients and make them feel safe and at ease during their dental procedures. She has been in the dental field for 17 years, graduating from the University of the Pacific in 2016 receiving her Dental Practitioner license. Laura has been married to her partner for two years and has two children, a 17-year-old daughter, and a 13-year-old son. On her days off she enjoys spending time with her family and friends

Alyssa Lopez began her dental career as a Dental Assistant Intern for Dr. Escobar, and is now a full-time Dental Hygiene Student at Cabrillo College. She will be returning as a Registered Dental Hygienist after her graduation in May of 2021. During her time off, Alyssa enjoys being at the beach with her 3-year-old daughter, and taking trips with her family.

The essay describes her experiences on Sundays riding with her sister as her handyman father drove to a job site at 5 in the morning, followed later by watching her mom working in a hot kitchen in a restaurant. Both of her parents would encourage her to study hard and get a good job unlike theirs.

Estuda, mija, pa que no tengas que tener un trabajo de estos, her father would tell her, Study, my love, so you dont have a job like mine. Her mother would say something similar to her as she wiped the sweat off her borw.

However, those bittersweet memories of driving in my Dads old truck only made me try harder for my dreams, she writes. My parents worked hard to get where they are in life, so Im going to do the same, I always told myself, and Id like to think Ive done the best I could. I maintained a good GPA all through high school, I took AP (Advanced Placement) classes, I participated in extra-curricular activities, I was a tutor, I received awards for my academic achievement, and I tried my best to leave my teachers with a good impression of who I am as a student. Yet, all these things would not matter if I hadnt have had those Sunday trips.

Those days of driving in her fathers truck and to her mothers work on Sundays only to watch her parents struggle for the sake of her future, only made me work more diligently for my education. I owe my present accomplishments to my parents past triumphs.

One of the most frequently asked questions by parents in my practice is, when should Itake my child to the dentist? In this article, we will address when to initiate dental care foryour child and discuss milestones in your childs treatment.

Pediatric dental visits are also an important time to talk about other topics such asfluoridation. Fluoride can be a touchy subject for some. However, if it is your intention to giveyour child fluoride, than the time frame as well as the dosage is important. Frequently, thepediatrician prescribes oral fluoride in conjunction with a multivitamin. However, there arethings to consider that the pediatrician may or may not take into account. It is important todetermine whether or not your child is receiving any fluoride from their municipal water sourceand if so how much. Once this determination is made, the correct dosage can be prescribed.This is very important because too much fluoride can be deleterious to teeth.

The next milestone in your childs dental care will be their first dental cleaning. Thisshould occur between two and three years of age. At this visit, the child is introduced to thevariety of instruments and equipment at the dental office. The instrumentation is referred to byclever names and the children are encouraged to play with them to see how they work. Theoral exam conducted at the cleaning will be a time to review how well the home care isprogressing and to point out areas that could use improvement.

Around the age of five, the dentist will recommend that your child have their first set ofdental radiographs. The purpose of the radiographs is two fold. First, the dentist is screening forcavities and infection that may be developing that are not visible during an examination. This isespecially true of cavities that originate in between teeth. Second, the dentist is checking forthe presence and to monitor the development of the incoming adult teeth. It is important toidentify congenital problems, such as missing teeth, so that you and your dentist can beproactive about how to plan appropriately to repair or replace these teeth. If your child hasrequired radiographs prior to this time frame, they likely have suffered some kind of dental trauma or infection.

Between the ages of six and eight, your child has likely lost some of their baby teeth andthe adult teeth are beginning to make an appearance. This is a crucial time to evaluate theincoming position of the adult teeth and to do a comprehensive orthodontic evaluation. It isimportant because if the child is found to be deficient, early orthodontic intervention can meanavoiding costly procedures to correct a severe malocclusion. Also, around this time, the firstadult molars have come in to view. At this point, your dentist may talk to you about sealing thetop and side surfaces of the molars. This is done to protect the pits and fissures that are part ofnormal tooth anatomy and to prevent them from accumulating food and plaque. This shouldhelp to prevent the onset of cavities in those teeth.

In conclusion, it is crucial that your childs first dental experiences be positive as well asinstructive. It is important that your child develops a trusting relationship with your familydentist so that routine care is straightforward and lessens the likelihood that your child willdevelop dental anxiety in the future.

Excellent daily oral hygiene is probably the most important way to keep your teeth and gums healthy. This includes effective brushing and flossing as well as the use of various oral rinses. Often forgotten but every bit as important to good oral health is a nutritious diet. Proper vitamins and minerals are essential to the health and development of the teeth and gums. We have all been told that too much sugar in our diets causes tooth decay. However, most of us fail to recognize the sugar that is present in foods we would not normally associate with having a high sugar content. When we talk to patients about cavity causing foods, we use the term fermentable carbohydrates. This refers specifically to the type of sugar that the bacteria that cause tooth decay love to eat. A cavity is a hole in a tooth caused by acid erosion. When the bacteria that cause cavities eat fermentable carbohydrates, they secrete acid as a byproduct that can dissolve tooth structure, thus creating a cavity. Many foods contain these fermentable carbohydrates such as bread, milk, grains, candy, fruit and the list goes on. You should not expect to eliminate these foods from your diet but you should moderate their intake and brush thoroughly after eating. Vitamins and minerals are essential to the development and maintenance of healthy teeth and gums. Often, people supplement their diets with over the counter vitamins and minerals because their diets are poor. However, studies have shown time and again that there is no substitute for proper nutrition. This will help to build strong teeth and bones as well as healthy gums. The mineral fluoride is a very well known tool in the fight against tooth decay. Topically, fluoride aids in the hardening of tooth structure. It makes tooth enamel stronger and can actually help reverse smaller cavities. When ingested during childhood, fluoride is incorporated into the developing adult teeth making them stronger. However, once the adult teeth have completely formed, the topical application of fluoride is the delivery modality of choice. Xylitol is a sugar substitute that has been shown to have an anti-cavity effect. Xylitol is a naturally occurring carbohydrate that is typically extracted from corncobs and trees. The natural sourcing of xylitol makes it a very attractive option for those who shy away from artificial sweeteners. Xylitol can be found in many sugar free chewing gums, toothpastes, mouth rinses and mints as well as a sugar substitute in many foods. Used in moderation, xylitol can help in the fight against tooth decay. In conclusion, a healthy and balanced diet in conjunction with effective oral hygiene will keep you smiling for years to come.

Part of each new patient exam is a comprehensive evaluation of each patients dental condition. Frequently it is determined that the patient could benefit from a night guard. A night guard is a protective plastic dental appliance that is worn on the upper or lower arch of the patients mouth. Often, patients do not feel that they need a night guard because it is not clear to them what damage the dentist is seeing or how the night guard could benefit them. We will attempt to explain some of the common reasons for the prescription of a night guard and how the appliance could be a benefit. Bruxism or grinding of the teeth is the most common reason for the prescription of a night guard. Teeth grinding is primarily a nocturnal activity but it is also something that may happen during the day. Often the points on the teeth have been worn away and a crater begins to develop in it place. Ultimately, the enamel is worn away exposing the softer dentine underneath. This can result in tooth decay as well as temperature and contact sensitivity. In extreme cases, the patient can have a bite that collapses due to the extensive wear to their teeth. The night guard serves to act as a barrier between the teeth to prevent damaging tooth-totooth contact. Another condition is clenching. Often people wake up with a headache or find themselves with tension headaches throughout the day. This can be the result of clenching. Often people have no idea that they are clenching until someone brings it to their attention. In addition, there are physical symptoms as well. Typically this can be observed in welldeveloped jaw muscles, fractures and fracture lines in the teeth and a build up of supporting bone in the jaws. It is also important to note that some of these symptoms can also be observed in tooth grinders as well. The night guard serves to break the tension that would otherwise be created by clenching the teeth together. Many people report resolution of their headaches and the practitioner observes a decrease in tooth damage as well. The night guard can also serve as a first line of treatment for people having problems with their Temporomandibular Joint or TMJ. It is important to note that bruxism and clenching can both be major contributors to problems associated with the TMJ. Some people require more sophisticated appliances in order to treat their symptoms and it is up to the practitioner to make this determination. In conclusion, the recommendation of a night guard is a simple treatment to prevent a series of tooth related problems in the future. It may also provide relief for symptoms you may be experiencing now. If you have been prescribed a night guard and are reluctant to proceed, we encourage you to begin a dialogue with your dentist to help you fully understand why a night guard is being prescribed.