You pay at the time of your visit, and we’ll file your insurance claim for you — your insurance will reimburse you directly based on your plan’s coverage.
Our membership plans make it easy to prioritize your child’s oral health and overall wellness without the stress of insurance limitations or unexpected costs.
We’ll always provide detailed treatment estimates and work with you to find payment solutions that fit your family’s budget and healthcare goals.
Finding a dentist your child actually looks forward to seeing sounds like a tall order, but it is entirely possible when the right training, philosophy, and environment come together all in one place. Children have developing teeth, jaws, airways, and immune systems require a level of focused expertise that general dentistry doesn’t cover. For San Antonio families, that expertise needed for pediatric dentistry has never been more accessible or more aligned with a whole-child approach to health than it is right now.
Wellness Pediatric Dentistry & Airway is San Antonio’s first holistic pediatric dental practice, serving families throughout the city and surrounding communities from our home in Castle Hills. Led by Dr. Christi Wengler, a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD), we are built around the belief that every child deserves care that respects their developing body, empowers their parents with real information, and creates the kind of positive experiences that shape healthy dental habits for a lifetime.
The title “board-certified” carries real weight for pediatric dentists. It means that a dentist has not only completed dental school but also a full residency program dedicated exclusively to pediatric patients, and has then passed a rigorous examination administered by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Only a fraction of dentists who treat children hold this distinction. As an active pediatric dental specialist, Dr. Wengler has met and maintained those standards.
Board certification is not a one-time achievement. Maintaining Diplomat status requires ongoing education and a demonstrated commitment to staying current with the evolving science of pediatric oral health. For parents, choosing a board-certified pediatric dentist means choosing a provider whose qualifications have been independently verified, not just self-described.
Dr. Wengler completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency followed by a full pediatric dental residency, building a clinical foundation that spans everything from infant oral exams through adolescent care. She currently serves in the Air Force Reserve and was previously active duty, including four years stationed in Germany, where she pursued advanced international training and deepened her experience across a wide range of pediatric cases.
For San Antonio families considering their options, these credentials translate directly into safer, more informed care for your child at every stage of development.
Most parents know about pediatric dentistry, but fewer have encountered a practice that connects oral health to airway development, nutrition, sleep quality, and long-term systemic wellness. At Wellness Pediatric Dentistry & Airway, we see the mouth as a window into the whole child, and that early patterns in jaw growth, breathing, and bite development have consequences that extend well beyond the smile.
Research continues to reinforce what we see clinically, that oral health in childhood is deeply linked to broader developmental outcomes. According to research published through the National Institutes of Health, early childhood oral health has measurable impacts on quality of life, growth, and systemic health. That understanding is central to how we plan and provide care at our practice.
We use fluoride-free products whenever possible and prioritize biocompatible materials that respect your child’s developing biology. Our restorative dentistry approach is built around the principle that treatment should always be the least invasive option that achieves a lasting result. When restoration is needed, we explain exactly what materials will be used and why, because transparency with parents is not optional in our practice. It is foundational and at the core of everything we do.
We also work with families through preventive dentistry programs that address diet, oral hygiene habits, and developmental milestones, so that intervention is the exception rather than the rule. Dr. Wengler’s Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences is not incidental. It directly impacts how she counsels families on the dietary patterns that either support or undermine their child’s oral health over time. This depth of nutritional expertise is rare in pediatric dentistry and is one of the clearest ways that Wellness Pediatric Dentistry & Airway stands apart from conventional practices in the area.
One of the most significant ways Wellness Pediatric Dentistry & Airway differs from conventional pediatric practices is our emphasis on airway health. Most jaw growth occurs before age 6, which means the window for key early intervention is shorter than most parents think. Breathing patterns, tongue posture, and jaw development during these early years can influence how a child sleeps, concentrates, and forms a healthy adult bite.
Dr. Wengler is trained through Airway Health Solutions and holds membership in the International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine (IABDM). Through our airway orthodontics program, we evaluate children for signs of airway restriction, mouth breathing, and structural concerns that may benefit from early treatment. We conduct sleep questionnaires for children ages five and older as part of our standard intake process, helping families identify issues that often go unaddressed in conventional dental settings. Many San Antonio families come to us after noticing signs like chronic mouth breathing, restless sleep, or behavioral changes that have not been linked to dental or airway issues. These evaluations often open doors to solutions that other providers never considered.
When structural guidance is indicated, we offer palate expansion and other interceptive orthodontic approaches that work with a child’s natural growth rather than against it. The goal is always to create the space needed for healthy development before problems pile up. Early orthodontic intervention can reduce the need for more extensive treatment later. These services are available alongside our Invisalign Teen program for older patients who are ready for a more discreet approach to alignment.
A significant number of families who come to Wellness Pediatric Dentistry & Airway arrive seeking a second opinion. They were told their child needs a particular treatment, and they want to understand whether that is truly the best choice, or whether less invasive alternatives may be a better fit.
Dr. Wengler welcomes these conversations, taking the time to review what a child has been told, evaluate their current condition, and present all available options with full transparency about what each involves. For families who feel they were not given a complete picture elsewhere, this process can be incredibly helpful. A second opinion at our practice is not about criticizing another provider. Instead, it is about ensuring that your child’s care is driven by what is best for them, not by what is most convenient or most routine.
This approach reflects our core value, that parents deserve the information they need to make real choices. It includes understanding the difference between urgent treatment and treatment that can wait, between non-toxic materials and those that are not, and between approaches that address the root cause of a problem and those that simply manage its symptoms.
Wellness Pediatric Dentistry & Airway is designed to serve children across the full spectrum of needs. For families whose children require a more careful, supportive environment, our special needs dentistry services provide a sensory-considerate setting with private, quiet treatment rooms that reduce overstimulation and help every child feel safe. We take time with these families in a way that high-volume practices are unable to accommodate.
For children who experience significant dental anxiety, we offer a full range of comfort options. Nitrous oxide, which we consider an anxiolytic rather than sedation, is available for children who need a gentle edge of calm. For more complex cases, sedation dentistry options, including general anesthesia, are offered with full transparency about what each approach involves and what alternatives exist. Every family deserves to make those decisions with complete information, and that is the standard we hold ourselves to.
We designed our new patient experience to be thorough, unhurried, and genuinely informative. Rather than rushing through a checklist, Dr. Wengler focuses on understanding each child’s health history, feeding history, developmental milestones, and the specific concerns that brought the family in.
For infants and toddlers, early visits are as much about establishing trust and educating parents as they are about clinical evaluation. We are also one of the few pediatric dental practices where the provider holds a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) certification, making us a uniquely prepared resource for families dealing with infant oral ties, feeding difficulties, and the earliest stages of oral development.
Families come to Wellness Pediatric Dentistry & Airway from neighborhoods and communities across the greater San Antonio area, including Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Stone Oak, Helotes, Boerne, and communities throughout Bexar, Kendall, and Comal counties. For the airway evaluation and holistic specialty services we offer, many make the journey from well outside the immediate area because there is simply no comparable option closer to home.
We understand that making a longer drive for a dental appointment is a significant commitment. This is why we work hard to ensure that every visit is worth the longer drive time through careful scheduling, clear communication before appointments, and care tailored to each child rather than standardized.
We also recognize that the San Antonio market is home to families with diverse needs and priorities. Some parents come to us specifically because they have been searching for a fluoride-free pediatric dentist. Others are drawn by our airway focus, our approach to sensory-sensitive care, or the fact that we offer genuine second opinions. Whatever brings your family to us, you will find a practice that takes the time to know your child as an individual and tailor the experience to their needs.
San Antonio is a large and diverse city, and families here have more choices than ever when it comes to pediatric dental care. What distinguishes Wellness Pediatric Dentistry & Airway is not simply a credential or a service list. It is a commitment to a different kind of relationship between provider and family. We believe that parents have the right to understand exactly what goes into their child’s mouth, why a specific treatment is recommended over alternatives, and what the long-term implications of any decision may be. We practice partnership rather than pushing control.
We are an out-of-network practice by choice, a decision that allows us to prioritize treatment quality, material selection, and appointment time over insurance-driven volume. For families concerned about cost, we offer flexible payment options including in-house membership plans, financing through Cherry and CareCredit, and we work with families to help them find their way with out-of-network benefits whenever possible.
Experience the difference that holistic pediatric care can make for your child. Our comprehensive approach combines gentle techniques with transparent communication to create positive dental experiences that last a lifetime. We’re here to partner with you in supporting your child’s overall health and development through expert oral care.
From fluoride-free alternatives to airway-focused orthodontics, we offer the choices and expertise your family deserves. Schedule your consultation today and discover how our unique approach can benefit your child’s health and wellness journey.
Dr. Christi Wengler brings board certification, international training, a nutritional sciences background, airway-focused expertise, and a deeply held philosophy of transparent, whole-child care to every patient she sees. As a woman-owned practice and the first of its kind in San Antonio, Wellness Pediatric Dentistry & Airway was built to fill gaps in care available to local families and to raise the standard for what pediatric dentistry can look like when a provider truly puts children and their parents first.
Whether you are searching for a second opinion, evaluating your child’s airway health for the first time, or just looking for a pediatric dentist in San Antonio who will treat your child as an individual rather than an appointment slot, Wellness Pediatric Dentistry & Airway is ready to welcome your family. To learn more about Dr. Wengler’s approach or to schedule your child’s first visit, please contact our office today.
