Dr. Backstrom was born and raised in Georgia and graduated magna cum laude with a BS degree in Biology from the University of Georgia in 2002. She earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine from Tufts University in Boston in 2007.
Dr. Backstrom is a community leader dedicated to providing comprehensive patient care in a friendly and relaxing environment. Artesa Dental has a growing reputation in Martinez and the surrounding area as an excellent place especially for people who are afraid of dentists. Yes, weve heard that several times, Dr. Backstrom says, with a smile.
Many of our most loyal patients were initially very reluctant to go to a dentist at all due to fear or perhaps a bad experience they may have had long ago, she says. We do our very best to make them comfortable and happy with their dental experience. Technology has certainly changed over the past few years and we always focus on making our patients comfortable and relaxed.
One of the many exclusive, patient-comfort amenities at Artesa Dental include digital, intra-oral cameras that allow the doctors to show and explain the dental procedure on a big screen right in the exam room.
We can explain to the patient exactly what needs to be done while theyre sitting comfortably in the chair. We answer any questions or concerns. Our patients really appreciate being in control of each step of the process and knowing and seeing exactly what needs to be done. Dr. Backstrom explains.
Dr. Cynthia Morford was raised in the beautiful Bay Area and traveled throughout California for her education. She attended UC Berkeley for a BA in Integrative Biology with a special interest in neuroscience and three dimensional art. She then received her dental degree at UCLA while taking advanced elective courses in Dental Occlusion. She then completed an additional 3 years of postgraduate training at UCSF and received her specialty certificate in Prosthodontics.
Dr. Morford has a passion for teaching and is a faculty instructor for the Removable Prosthodontics course at UCSF as well as to students enrolled in an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) local program. She has published her research on Lasers in Dentistry and her presentation on Erbium:YAG Lasers earned her a 1st place award from the Pacific Coast Society for Prosthodontics (PCSP) and a 1st place scholarship from the Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD.)
Dr. Morford loves to get involved with community service activities. While attending UCB she was a volunteer CPR Instructor, yoga assistant for students with disabilities, and helped make sports mouth guards for participants in the Special Olympics, While at UCLA she was a director for The South Central Care weekend community clinic and a co-founder of the dental program for the Salvation Army Transitional Village.
Dr. Cynthia Morford has a sincere interest in healthy living and nutrition, focusing on organic plant based foods and yoga principles. She enjoys sewing, crocheting, gardening, and spending time with her family and their cat.