Posts Tagged ‘root canal’

The Marcos Ortega DDS Guide To Dental X-Rays

Friday, November 25th, 2011

The Marcos Ortega DDS Guide To Dental X-Rays

Don’t know a periapical from a bitewing? Today’s San Diego dental blog takes a look at cosmetic dental x-rays.

Panoramic
If you have ever stood in a huge camera apparatus and struggled to stay motionless while an automated camera made one slow pass around your head, then you have had a panoramic x-ray taken of your mouth. These pictures help dentists see everything in one image: the complete upper and lower jaw. These are often taken during a patient’s first visit to Marcos Ortega DDS. They are also very helpful for evaluating jaw injuries and seeing emerging teeth in children.

Bitewing
Bitewing x-rays help Dr. Ortega see what’s going on between teeth–something that is impossible with a visual exam. They also help your dentist evaluate the jaw bone.

Periapical
These are similar to bite wings but they can get a clearer picture of the tooth roots and bone. These are often used to help diagnose absences in the root of a tooth, as well as root canal needs.

Full-Mouth Series
This is a combination of periapical and bitewing x-rays that gives a comprehensive picture of all the teeth and surrounding bone structure.

If you are a patient of Marcos Ortega DDS and are worried about the safety of dental x-rays, we invite you to discuss your concerns with our very comfortable and friendly staff. We can explain all the precautions that we take to reduce radiation exposure and answer any questions you may have.

If you are pregnant and need a dental x-ray at Marcos Ortega DDS, it is important to let Marcos Ortega know this before x-rays are taken. X-rays are not necessarily dangerous for pregnant women, but they are often postponed until after delivery as a precaution. If you are pregnant but have a dental emergency, call our office right away. We can be reached at 619-717-8459.

We hope you have learned a little bit about dental x-rays, one of Marcos Ortega’s indispensable tools in providing unsurpassed dental care in San Diego. Check back often for more information about dentistry at Marcos Ortega DDS.

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Cosmetic Dental Solutions in San Diego

Friday, October 21st, 2011

Cosmetic Dental Solutions in San Diego San Diego cosmetic dentists use dental crowns to solve a number of dental dilemmas. A dental crown is a strong, natural-looking permanent tooth restoration that covers the top of the damaged tooth.

San Diego family dentists recommend crowns to remedy the following problems:

  • A broken tooth with decay
  • An ill-fitting existing crown
  • A decayed tooth that has lost significant tooth structure
  • A tooth that has had a root canal
  • A tooth that is too small or misshapen
  • A tooth that causes a bite problem

Before your San Diego dentist can attach the crown to your tooth, we must prepare the tooth. Family dentists often apply a local anesthetic so you won’t feel pain during the prepping. Your dentist will remove decay, if any, and shape the tooth to receive the crown. Then a mold is taken of the prepped tooth and surrounding teeth.

A temporary crown is then placed on the tooth to protect it until you return to your San Diego cosmetic dentistry office to receive the permanent restoration. The patient needs to be careful while wearing the temporary crown. Vigorous brushing or flossing can displace the crown or damage the exposed soft tissue. The San Diego dental crown patient should also refrain from eating extremely hard foods like nuts or sticky candy.

The mold of your teeth is sent to a San Diego dental lab where your crown is built. Dental crowns are fabricated in three varieties: tooth colored crowns made of resin or porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, and solid metal crowns. Each type has its pros and cons. Your San Diego cosmetic dentist Dr. Marcos Ortega DDS will choose the best crown material for your particular tooth.

What if you need a permanent dental restoration for both the top and root of your tooth? A dental implant is your answer.

For more information about complete dental restorations and other cosmetic dental solutions, call Marcos Ortega DDS at 619-717-8459 today.

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San Diego Endodontics

Friday, March 25th, 2011

San Diego Endodontics Have you ever heard the phrase ‘I’d rather have a root canal’ to describe something painful or unpleasant? At Marcos Ortega DDS, we perform root canal (endodontic) therapy routinely for our San Diego dentistry patients and many report minimal discomfort. San Diego root canal procedures have advanced significantly in recent years. For many California root canal patients, the procedure is no worse than getting a filling from your Marcos Ortega DDS dental professional.

At Marcos Ortega DDS, our goal is to help our Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Mission Valley, and Bankers Hill root canal patients avoid the necessity of California endodontic treatment by providing skilled dental care. However, if root canal therapy is necessary to preserve a tooth for one of our greater San Diego area root canal patients, we provide the most advanced San Diego endodontic treatment in California

How do you know if you need a San Diego root canal? See your Marcos Ortega DDS dental professional immediately if you experience tenderness or pain, hot or cold sensitivity, tooth discoloration, tooth injury, gum swelling, gum pain, or lymph node tenderness or drainage. However, for some San Diego endodontic patients, there are no symptoms. That is why it is crucial to visit your local San Diego cosmetic dentist regularly for a thorough San Diego dental examination.  We offer sedation dentistry for anxious patients.

Call Marcos Ortega DDS, at 619-717-8459 to schedule an appointment.

Achieving Health and Beauty with Modern Dentistry

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California Dentist: Calming Root Canal Fears

Monday, January 12th, 2009

California Dentist Calms Root Canal Fears In San Diego, California a dentist’s office is sometimes seen as a painful and scary place. Marcos Ortega DDS located at 306 Walnut Ave., Suite 25 San Diego, California 92103 tries to discourage that image with a very comfortable and friendly staff and a qualified dentist. However, endodontic therapy, a dental procedure commonly known as a root canal, still carries a strong association with pain that sometimes keeps people from regularly visiting the dentist and tending optimally to their oral health.

When a tooth becomes badly infected or decayed, a qualified dentist in California can clean the inside of the tooth by removing the bacteria, soft tissue (called pulp), decayed nerve tissue, and any debris that may be causing the tooth infection from the inside of the tooth. Your qualified dentist will then seal the tooth to prevent further decay and finish by applying a crown or filling. This is the process and purpose of a root canal. The process can be completed, typically, in just a few visits to your California dental practice. In many cases, a root canal procedure is a better option than removing the infected tooth since it allows you to keep your natural tooth.

Teeth that are more prone to requiring a root canal procedure in the state of California are cracked or chipped, have received repeated dental procedures, have been damaged by trauma to the face, or are suffering from deep tooth decay. Wearing a mouth guard can help prevent damage sustained to teeth and practicing good oral hygiene habits, such as daily flossing and brushing, coupled with regular dental visits, can reduce the possibility of needing a dental root canal.

Though a root canal can be intimidating or scary, educating yourself and talking to your local dentist in the San Diego, California area can relieve much of your anxiety. Root canals are often not painful, and for many people the pain of the infection experienced beforehand is worse than any pain that might be experienced during the procedure, and the relief is well worth the trouble.

If you are in the California area you can give Marcos Ortega DDS a call at 619-295-4545 to see what we can do for your oral health.

Achieving Health and Beauty with Modern Dentistry

Don’t forget to visit us at our online dentistry website at: http://www.MySanDiegoSmiles.com

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