Mark A. Cruz, DDS understands every patient has different needs and goals for treatment. Dr. Cruz and his team are equipped to offer services ranging from customized home or in-office professional whitening for modest stain correction to full-mouth rehabilitation or reconstruction, which combines procedures such as porcelain veneers and dental implant-supported teeth to improve function and comfort as well as the appearance of your smile.

For patients in Orange County and the surrounding areas who are considering services primarily for cosmetic reasons or for functional reasons with a cosmetic benefit, Dr. Cruz also offers the following procedures in addition to the treatments noted above:

Composite resin bonding
Tooth-colored fillings
Lifelike conventional and non-conventional bridges
Porcelain or porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns

Please note: This is only a partial list. Dr. Cruz will discuss options for treatment once he examines your mouth and discusses goals for treatment with you.

Cosmetic dentistry has come a long way, yet some patients may still think of dental procedures as what they were decades ago, prior to advancements in dental materials and techniques. Dr. Cruz is happy to clear up these misconceptions, by answering some commonly-asked questions.

Do dental fillings still look like dark silver or black spots on people’s teeth?

Many materials are available today to fill decayed areas and rebuild tooth structure. These materials include:

Gold
Silver amalgam
Composite
Ceramic
Glass ionomer

Each material has its pros and its cons. A material your family member or friend prefers may not be recommended for you, depending on factors such as the location of the tooth and personal budget. Dr. Cruz makes it a priority to educate each patient on the risks and benefits of all materials.

I’ve heard about inlays and Onlays? What are they exactly?

These types of fillings (or restorations as they are also known) are similar to other types of fillings. The difference is they are fabricated in dental laboratories, which is similar to the approach taken when creating a customized dental crown. Since information about your mouth must be sent to an outside lab, where lab technicians make them, inlays and Onlays require 2 visits:

The first appointment – Tooth preparation and planning, including rendering a mold or model of the tooth and surrounding teeth
The second appointment – Placement of the inlay or Onlay

During the second visit, Dr. Cruz will also check the fit of this structure. If an inlay is what you need, it will lie within the cusps of the chewing surface of the tooth. Onlays are placed on the chewing surface and over the cusps or tips of the teeth. While a more significant alternative to a filling, these approaches are less aggressive than the conventional crown, which is considered full coverage for patients who have more damage to the tooth structure.

Inlays and Onlays, as well as some of the other procedures mentioned here depend on the current state of health of your mouth as well as aesthetic preferences and considerations. Call (949) 661-1006 to schedule an appointment and discuss these concerns with Dr. Cruz.

Full Mouth Rehabilitation Before and After

Diagnostic Wax up Prior to Treatment

Before and After

Final Smile

Silver Filling Replacement Before and After

1-Silver Filling Replacement before & after & side view

1-Silver Filling Replacement BEFORE | 2-Silver Filling Replacement AFTER

1-Removal and clean out of old filling material and crown. | 2-Restoration of 1st molar with ceramic onlay and new porcelain crown on 2nd molar. | 3-Failing composite (tooth colored) filling on lower first molar & decay under existing porcelain crown on 2nd molar

1 – Chipped tooth isolated with rubber dam ready to be restored with cosmetic bonding | 2 – Preparation of chipped tooth for bonding | 3-Initial restoration of chipped tooth with composite bonding