Convenient Access from San Marcos
San Marcos and Escondido share a border, and the drive from San Marcos City Hall to Citracado Dental Group takes about 9 minutes without touching a freeway. Students, young families and longtime residents comparing options for a dentist in San Marcos, CA often find that a short hop east puts eight dentists within reach. Our office is in neighboring Escondido, and the practice has been family-owned since 1980.
From City Hall at 1 Civic Center Drive, next door to the San Marcos Library, turn right onto East San Marcos Boulevard and then right again onto East Mission Road. After about 0.7 mile, turn left on Mulberry Drive and right on Borden Road, which you follow for roughly 1.3 miles until it becomes West El Norte Parkway. Continue east about 2 miles to South Iris Lane and our office at 500 W El Norte Pkwy, Escondido, CA 92026. The whole trip covers about 4.7 miles on surface streets, with no tolls and no merging onto SR-78.
That route keeps you off the freeway entirely. Pull up Citracado Dental Group on Google Maps to start from your own street. We also welcome patients from Lake San Marcos and San Elijo Hills, just to the south and west.
Why San Marcos Households Choose a Practice Next Door
San Marcos is an incorporated city of San Diego County, home to 94,833 people in the 2020 census. Its name comes from Los Vallecitos de San Marcos, the "Little Valleys of Saint Mark," and it became a city on January 28, 1963. Today it blends established neighborhoods with newer planned communities, all linked by SR-78 and the SPRINTER rail line.
Two campuses give the city much of its energy. California State University San Marcos opened in 1989 as the 21st campus of the CSU system, and Palomar College, founded in 1946, has its main campus here. Add a 20-school district, and school calendars shape much of daily life here.
Those households often need flexible timing. Our office is open Saturday mornings from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM, which lets a student keep a full class schedule or a parent avoid pulling children out of school. Weekday visits are easy too, because the office is less than 5 miles from the civic center.
Our ties to the city run deeper than geography, as the team section below explains.
Protecting Teeth Through Semesters, School Years and Beyond
Busy semesters are hard on teeth. Late-night studying tends to bring coffee, energy drinks and snacking, and each sip of a sweetened drink feeds the bacteria that cause cavities. Rinsing with water afterward and keeping regular six-month checkups catches small problems before exam week turns them into toothaches.
Students who move away from a family dentist sometimes go years without a cleaning. A comprehensive exam with a full set of x-rays gives a clear baseline, and our intraoral scanners capture detailed images you can review with the dentist. Seeing your own teeth on screen makes it much easier to understand why a recommendation matters.
Young families have their own priorities: first checkups, tooth-friendly lunchbox habits, and quick help when a child takes a tumble. Older residents, meanwhile, focus on keeping natural teeth healthy for decades. Our dentists see all of these patients in one office, so a grandparent, a parent and a teenager can share the same dental home.
Crooked or crowded teeth often bother young adults once they start interviewing for jobs. Clear aligners are a popular answer because they come out for meals and photos. Dr. Julie Kangas has been a certified Invisalign provider for more than 15 years, and treatment planning begins with an iTero digital scan rather than impression trays. You can read more about Invisalign clear aligners before your consultation.
Nervous about the chair? Plenty of adults are. New patients talk with the dentist before anything clinical happens, can tour the office, and are free to pause and ask questions at any time. Nitrous oxide wears off quickly, while oral sedation is a prescribed pill for patients who can bring someone to drive them home.
Clenching and grinding are another common thread, especially during stressful stretches of work or school. Worn edges, sore jaw muscles and morning headaches are clues worth mentioning at your next visit. Spotting wear early lets the dentist protect enamel before a tooth cracks.
Care from a Dentist in San Marcos, CA Neighbors Trust
Family Dentistry
Cleanings, exams and x-rays for every age keep the whole household on one schedule. Parents can book their own checkups on the same morning as their children's.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Graduations, job interviews and weddings put smiles in front of a camera. Our dentists focus on shade, shape and balance, and Opalescence teeth whitening brightens natural enamel after a quick check of teeth and gums.
Emergency Dentistry
A cracked tooth before finals or a sports injury at practice needs fast attention. Emergency callers can almost always be seen the same day or the next day, and walk-ins are accepted, though calling ahead is encouraged.
Restorative Dentistry
Fillings, crowns and bridges repair teeth damaged by decay or wear. With CEREC in the office, some restorations can be completed in a single visit when it makes clinical sense, which suits a student with limited free time.
Meet Your Escondido Dental Team
Practice owner Dr. William Jungman graduated from San Diego State University and USC dental school, and he serves as a consulting dentist for the Escondido and San Marcos senior centers. Dr. Nick Jungman earned his biochemistry degree at CSU San Marcos before his DDS at USC, and he speaks Spanish with patients of all ages.
Insurance & Financing
Most dental insurance plans are accepted here, and our business team handles the benefit paperwork for you. New patients with a dental emergency can use the $89 emergency exam and x-ray. We take cash, checks, most major credit cards and CareCredit financing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Citracado Dental Group from San Marcos, and how do I get there?
San Marcos City Hall is about 4.7 miles from our office, around a 9-minute drive. The route follows East Mission Road, Mulberry Drive and Borden Road, which turns into West El Norte Parkway. For residents who want a dentist in San Marcos, CA with no freeway driving, it is one of the simplest trips in North County.
Can students book a cleaning on a Saturday morning?
Yes. We are open on Saturdays from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM, so students can keep weekday classes and labs free. A short Saturday visit also leaves the rest of Saturday free for study, work shifts or family time.
Which teeth whitening system do you use?
We use Opalescence teeth whitening. Before starting, the dentist checks for cavities, worn enamel or gum irritation, since those should be treated first. Whitening only lightens natural enamel, so crowns, veneers or tooth-colored fillings will not change shade. If you have visible dental work, your dentist can plan the order of treatment so everything matches.
Should college students have their wisdom teeth checked?
Yes. The late teens and early twenties are when wisdom teeth usually try to come in. X-rays taken at a comprehensive exam can show whether they have room, are coming in at an angle, or are crowding the teeth in front. If there is a problem, the dentist explains your options and the timing that makes sense.
Do energy drinks damage your teeth?
Yes, they can. Most energy drinks combine sugar with acid, which softens enamel and feeds cavity-causing bacteria. Sipping one slowly through a long study session is harder on teeth than drinking it quickly. Rinse with water afterward and wait a while before brushing, since brushing right after an acidic drink can wear softened enamel.
Schedule Your Visit from San Marcos
A dentist in San Marcos, CA families can reach in minutes is waiting just across the city line. Call 760-498-2846 to set up a visit, see every community on our areas we serve list, or explore the Dentist Escondido, CA homepage for more about our practice.