The current understanding and professional consensus regarding dental caries, or “tooth decay,” is that it represents an infectious process via a biofilm composed of various bacteria and bacterial bio-products that break teeth down. Once the teeth are significantly affected by this process–which may occur with or without pain – a restoration such as a filling, onlay or crown is required to replace the infected tooth structure. Replacement of an existing restoration (recurrent decay) is sometimes required as well, or even an extraction of the tooth if it is completely unrestorable. There are currently two accepted approaches to manage this disease … Read Full Article
Dental caries, which are essentially “cavities,” is a serious form of decay that can damage the structure and integrity of your teeth. In some cases, it can be so severe that a filling will not be able to save the tooth, and it must be entirely extracted in order to save the other teeth from becoming affected as well. Getting dental caries can be due to a number of various factors. While many understand that poor dental hygiene can be the main factor of getting dental caries, this is not the only reason why someone could experience such problems with … Read Full Article
You have decided that you want a CAMBRA evaluation done with Dr. Cruz. Congratulations on taking advantage of the technology out there to help you take the best care of your teeth! Part of a CAMBRA evaluation includes a saliva test, called the salivary secretion and buffering capacity quantification. This test helps determine the pH levels in your saliva, as well as tests for certain bacteria that may be causing you to become more prone to dental caries regardless of your dental hygiene routine. The examination takes approximately 20-30 minutes. Before you arrive, about an hour before the test, there … Read Full Article
You may have heard of acid reflux, or heartburn. These are typically used to describe the symptoms that one experiences when they have GERD. GERD, which stands for “Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease,” is when an individual experiences stomach acid that comes up into their oesophagus. Gastroesophageal Reflux, or GER, is defined as the return of the content of the stomach and/or the duodenum into the esophagus. It is a physiologic phenomenon, which, in normal conditions, occurs after eating and is asymptomatic. When the number and duration of daily reflux episodes increase, symptoms and/or lesions appear in the mucosae which results in … Read Full Article
Given a choice, most people would prefer a full set of healthy teeth, free of dental restorations. Dr. Mark Cruz strives to preserve that choice with forward-thinking care strategies. CAMBRA is part of his commitment to helping patients in the Dana Point, CA area avoid the need for extensive dental work. Tooth decay remains a prevalent concern “Cavities” have been around as long as mankind has had teeth. Silver-colored amalgam fillings have been widely used in the United States since the mid-1800s to repair the damage. As a country, we started to take prevention of tooth decay more seriously after … Read Full Article
