Photos by Mewborne Photography

Aloha, and welcome to Schatz Orthodontics, where families go to get beautiful smiles, island-style. It is almost easy to forget you are in the Stone Oak Area of North-Central San Antonio, when you visit Schatz Orthodontics. It’s location makes visitors feel like they are in a tropical island destination.

Nestled atop the bustling shopping community, Village at Stone Oak, Schatz Orthodontics can’t be missed. The office is located on the second floor of the complex, facing TPC Parkway. A large, easy-to-read sign greets visitors from the corner of Highway 281 North and TPC Parkway and then, again, at the complex.

Parking is ample and can be found on nearly all sides of the complex where Schatz Orthodontics sits. Most often, patients prefer to park in a small lot closest to the rear entrance of the building which faces TPC parkway.

If you’re up for some instant cardio or have boundless energy like so many of our younger Schatz Orthodontics patients, we suggest you climb the stairs and enter the building through the back of the complex on the second floor! Before entering the building, pause to take in a stunning view of Stone Oak and 281 from the second-story landing. There is also an elevator centrally located on the first floor of the building which can comfortably lift you to the second floor.

Welcome to Schatz Orthodontics

Open the door to the office of Dr. Eric Schatz, Board Certified Orthodontist, and you might think you’re in Hawaii. Or Tahiti. Or any far-away island calling your name. Instantly, kids (and often dads) become captivated by surfboards, jeeps, tiki huts and bright floral murals that cannot help but make you smile.

• Big.
• And that’s the point.
• Because at Schatz Orthodontics, smiling is encouraged.
• And contagious.

As young patient eyes dart from wall to wall, parents are welcomed into the clinic by a long and well-lit front desk. Beaming behind it is Leslie, Schatz Orthodontics’ face of the front desk and master scheduler.

Leslie knows the lay of the land well here. She has been with Dr. Schatz (and the Orthodontist before him) for over thirteen years.

If it is your first visit to Schatz Orthodontists, Dr. Schatz and his team of Registered Dental Assistants will give patients a tour of the office. After all, they will be spending a good amount of time in it over the next year or two.

Patient families are easily drawn to the wait room at Schatz Orthodontics. In this large, bright, and open lobby, patient families are made to feel comfortable. There is plenty to do and see. There is Hulu television, current magazines, and toys for the kids. There is even an i-pad game system! And because orthodontic appointments are often early ~ before school, the wait room will always have hot coffee brewing or tea available. There is also a basket of snacks. This comes in especially handy for late-day appointments when kids’ bellies crave that all-too-important after school snack.

A short hallway leads patients from the wait room to the treatment room. In fact, after a patient’s initial visit, he or she typically will go right back to the treatment room immediately after arriving.

Schatz Orthodontics’ treatment room is where the real magic happens. It is bright, airy, and filled with raspberry-colored patient chairs, each equipped with its own TV and bright-colored headphones.

“I chose this office and location because of the large windows,” says Dr. Schatz. “I love all the light.”

The treatment room is clean, organized, and inviting. (Parents of patients are always welcome to peek at or sit in the treatment room)

Trays lay lined with tools sterilized and ready to place, adhere, adjust, and eventually remove brackets, wires, and all the finite pieces Dr. Schatz uses to design beautiful smiles.

Schatz Orthodontics is equipped with some of the most advanced equipment in modern-day orthodontics including an on-site digital X-ray machine and a 3-D scanner which is used to create impressions used to make Invisalign, retainers, and more. Mostly gone are the days of having to bite into a cold putty-like mold, sometimes twice, to get a terrific template of teeth.

RDA Evie uses the 3D Scanner to get a patient’s impressions.

Next to the treatment room is an office used for patient-doctor consults large enough to easily fit an entire family. This is where patients will most often meet Susan, who discusses with patients the financials associated with getting braces or other orthodontic treatments. Susan, much like Leslie and most of Dr. Schatz’s staff, has also been with Schatz Orthodontics for many years. She is well versed in everything-insurance and always encourages patient families to ask questions. It is Susan’s job to outline what patients can expect in all stages of treatment.

Here’s something else cool: Patients who come to see Dr. Schatz in the middle of a work day or after a long day at school don’t ever have to worry about dental hygiene. Patients are free to use the office’s tooth brushing station before, during, and/or after treatment.

“We believe we have done everything possible to create a happy and healthy environment. From equipment we utilize in treatment to the design of the office to overall organization at our practice, we are focused on quality of care and the patient’s comfort,” said Dr. Schatz. “If there is something we may have missed or can do better we certainly want to know.”

And, in case you might be wondering, as you scroll through images of Schatz Orthodontics, photographed by Mewborne Photography, Dr. Schatz is not a surfer on the side. The cool and laid back vibe of the office decor was actually initiated by the orthodontist with whom Dr. Schatz worked years before. Dr. Schatz does however wake board, and, he loves the beach. So it works. For him, and purposefully too, for his patients. Dr. Schatz acknowledges, that sometimes, there are some patients who are simply not as comfortable seeing a dentist or orthodontist. Dr. Schatz hopes the practice’s fun and colorful atmosphere helps those patients feel a little more at ease during treatment.

Finally, at Schatz Orthodontics, patients can expect to have their cake and eat it too! After treatment concludes and the braces come off, each patient will receive his or her own celebratory smile cake.

A healthy new smile and cake?

Now that’s really something to smile about!