Dr. Ortiz's favorite Komet bur is the 8847 diamond with a tapered shoulder and flat end. "The fine-grit diamond has the right size and shape for the kind of preparations I do and is reliable and durable," said Dr. Ortiz.
Background
Dr. Ortiz began his journey into the dental profession in 2002 after graduating from one of the few two-year ADA-accredited programs for dental technology. Over the next eight years, he worked full-time as a dental laboratory technician and studied full-time, earning a Bachelor of Science degree, with honors, in biochemistry from California State University at Los Angeles. He then was recruited to Harvard School of Dental Medicine where he won the Leo Talkoy Award for excellence in clinical dentistry and earned his Doctorate of Dental Medicine, (DMD).
While completing his residency in prosthodontics at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dr. Ortiz reconnected with a mentor who offered him a position in a well-regarded Boston-area dental practice. A surgically trained prosthodontist, he is dedicated to the delivery of high-quality care in a wide range of treatments. A member of the American College of Prosthodontics and the American Dental Association, Dr. Ortiz is a passionate advocate for excellence in prosthodontics as well as implant, cosmetic, and reconstructive dentistry.
As a student, Dr. Ortiz used his skills as a professional photographer to highlight his restorative work and share it with others on social media. His talents led to the renowned “Dr. Miguel A. Ortiz Dental Photography Courses” in dozens of cities throughout North America and around the globe where he guides attendees through intensive, hands-on, one-day dental photography courses. From his success in teaching dental photography, LIT was born. In collaboration with Quintessence Publishing, Dr. Ortiz’s book,
Lit: The Simple Protocol for Dental Photography in the Age of Social Media, was released worldwide in June 2019.
His passion for teaching and advancing dental education led him to found DentLit, an organization dedicated to highlighting best practices where the art and science of dentistry intersect. DentLit is a place where evidence- based dentistry flourishes, allowing users to find answers to common dental questions.
In addition to his courses on dental photography, Dr. Ortiz also leads several annual conferences and conducts dental-related courses of his own. In his popular course, “Adhesive Reconstruction and Tooth Preparations,” he demonstrates his preparation techniques and instruments.
Dr. Ortiz’s passions beyond dental photography also include taking pictures of his favorite subjects, his wife and three sons, and cheering for his favorite soccer team, Estudiantes de la Plata.