Steven Chang, D.D.S., is a native of Monterey and obtained his Doctoral of Dental Surgery degree from Loma Linda University in 1991. Following his graduation, Dr. Chang elected to return to Monterey area because of his love for the local community. During his professional education at Loma Linda, Dr. Chang performed volunteer dental and missionary work for the Masai people in Kenya as well as for the Navajo Reservation in the United States.

A member of both the California Dental Association and... read more

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a junction of bones and ligaments located on each side of your head that allows movement of your jaw for speaking and chewing. The name TMJ comes from the two bones that enter its formation, the temporal bone and the mandible (also known as the jawbone). If you position your fingers in front of your ears and slowly open your mouth, you can feel your TMJ and its movement. Try it!

Over time, a patient may experience a disease linked with one or both of their... read more

Root canals get a lot of bad press. Even President Obama, in his first State of the Union address, said that the bank bailout was “as popular as a root canal.” While I’m sure that no one actually looks forward to getting a root canal, they don’t deserve all this negativity. Let’s look at some common myths about root canal therapy to try to separate fact from fiction.

Myth #1: Root Canal Therapy is Painful

The reality is that most root canal treatments are done because a tooth is already painful... read more

Radiographs, or X-rays, are used in every dental office. They are a great way to see the teeth and bones, and they make sure they are healthy. In the past, X-rays were taken using little pieces of covered film. They were placed in the mouth and exposed using an X-ray machine. They always jabbed inside the mouth and seemed to take forever to be processed. Well, those days are now behind us! In the new era of dentistry, dentists are using digital radiography. The same X-ray machine is used to... read more