A trip to the dentist can be something to look forward to if you’ve got a friend waiting to greet you. Mark Cruz, family dentist in Laguna Niguel, makes a dental visit a positive experience. From his thorough, gentle exams to his friendly, caring manner, Dr. Cruz knows how to make young children feel at ease. When it’s time for that next appointment, call Dr. Cruz. Your children may just find a friend for life. Even a Toothless Smile Needs TLC Although your baby’s first smile will be a toothless one, don’t let the absence of teeth prevent you from … Read Full Article
Your oral health is tied directly and intrinsically to your overall systemic health and wellbeing. Many people think of dental or oral health care in relation to their teeth and gums. As healthcare and dentistry evolve, we understand how critical the detection of changes in the mouth and saliva has become in diagnosing health conditions, such as cancer and diabetes. The use of saliva testing is increasing as a less invasive and immediate diagnostic tool. Because the chemistry in the mouth changes as we age, periodic visits to your professional dental team are important not just for the appearance and … Read Full Article
About half of our population has some form of gum disease including gingivitis, the early stage. Nearly nine percent of individuals aged 20 to 64 have advanced stage periodontal disease, and that figure jumps to over 17 percent for people aged 65 and older. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults and can have grave impact on overall health. Dr. Mark Cruz, a leading dentist in Dana Point, explains symptoms and causes of gum disease. How do you know if you have gum disease? To recognize symptoms of gum disease, it helps to understand characteristics of … Read Full Article
The mouth is a complex environment. Each component is designed to work with the others for oral function that contributes to whole body wellness. More than teeth, gums, and tongue reside in your mouth, though. It is also home to hundreds of strains of bacteria, some of which lead to periodontal disease if allowed to overpopulate. Dana Point, CA dentist, Dr. Mark Cruz, urges all patients to consider the seriousness of gum disease. Here he discusses potential risks for men, in particular. How bacteria affect your mouth Bacteria are living single-cell organisms termed prokaryotes. Their internal DNA floats in a … Read Full Article
We all smile. Some laugh and smile freely showing confidence and a healthy smile, while others tend to cover their mouth when they smile or just smile without showing their teeth. Often times this is due to stained or yellow teeth. Our smiles tell more about us than we think and people tend to judge us upon what they see. If we have stained teeth, others think ‘Wow, they don’t take care for their teeth’ they can’t afford dental care’; when the stained teeth is actually from coffee, tea or even smoking. Regardless if you do brush your teeth and … Read Full Article
Take action and reverse the steps of discoloration. Thanks to advances in cosmetic dentistry, you can whiten and brighten your teeth in a matter of weeks. A safe, effective method of teeth bleaching is available through neighborhood dentist, Mark Cruz, DDS. Under the supervision of Dr. Cruz, treatment is initiated in his office and completed at your home. If you wish your teeth were a shade brighter, ask Dr. Cruz how bleaching can put the sparkle back in your smile. The Ultimate Fashion Statement Hip. Fresh. Most Cool. Great teeth are the fashion accessory of the 2K era. Bright white … Read Full Article
A dingy smile be an indication of a medical condition or a sign of aging. Is that the message you want to send when you smile? Even with excellent oral hygiene, teeth can discolor. Professional whitening is the safe, effective way to restore (and improve upon) natural luster. Since 1986, Dr. Mark Cruz has been helping patients in the Dana Point, CA area love their smiles. He shares this helpful information about the advantages of teeth whitening. Understanding teeth whitening While the terms whitening and bleaching are often used interchangeably with regard to dental care, there is actually a distinction. … Read Full Article
The acronyms TMJ and TMD are often used interchangeably to describe a disorder of the joint of the jawbones. They are abbreviations for temporomandibular joint, the hinge connecting the jaw and the temporal bones of the skull, just in front of the ears, and temporomandibular disorders, the medical condition that affects the movement of the jaw from side to side or up and down. Temporomandibular disorder can affect men or women, most commonly occurring in patients between 20 and 40 years of age. For many years, the cause of TMD was vague; however, scientific research has shown that a primary … Read Full Article
Few restorative decisions are clearly black and white. The patient has a right to choose a cosmetic outcome at the expense of durability, so long as he or she is fully informed and intelligently accepts the risks of that alternative, and the dentist is also comfortable with the decision. No cosmetic restoration, including cast gold technique, is advisable without the patient’s understanding of the short- and long-term risks. Think about the future of gold for a society who may not aware of its benefits – biocompatibility, comfort, longevity, and physiologic wear – and whose focus is solely superficial. Then, consider … Read Full Article
Over 40 years ago, a survey of 60 beauty pageant finalists between the ages of 15 and 17 concluded that when most of these young women asked their dentists for treatment advice related to cosmetics, the response was “it is not important” or “you look good enough.” Today these answers would be considered inappropriate and insensitive. But has the pendulum swung too far toward cosmetically-driven dental treatment at the expense of function and longevity? Must these values be mutually exclusive? How much has the manufacturer influenced cosmetically-driven dental care? How much has cosmetic dental treatment resulted in unnecessary health care … Read Full Article
