NOTICE OF TEMPORARY CHANGE TO DENTAL CARE APPOINTMENT AVAILABILTY

Our top priority is the health and well-being of our patients, families, staff and community. In this unprecedented time, we are deeply committed to keeping everyone safe.
In light of the evolving pandemic and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to limit patient treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our clinic is heeding recommendations from PDA(Phil. Dental Association) to voluntarily suspend non-urgent dental care. During this time we are getring equipped and ready for the NEW NORM in handling/treating patients. We believe that this shift will allow us to more effectively evaluate this dynamic situation and assist in following the CDC's guidance on social distancing and prevent the spread of infection.

After more than a month of ECQ we are still continuing to evaluate the situation as it evolves and determine on a weekly basis when it is appropriate for us to return to our normal business hours.
Again, please understand that we are making this decision with the health and well-being of our patients, our families, our team and our community in mind.
We wish all of you continued health and strength during this challenging time.

Thumb Sucking and Dental Braces

Thumb sucking among children has been viewed as a normal habit during their formative years. They do this as a replacement for their feeding bottles whenever it is not available. However, research shows that there is a distinct connection between earlier thumb sucking and the installation of braces during adult life. This is because it has been found out that thumb sucking truly damages the teeth in such a way that the person who usually thumb sucks often end up with major dental problems in the future that will require braces.

• Some major diseases that thumb sucking would cause is having irregularly shaped teeth. This is because thumb sucking tends to stunt the proper growth of the teeth so much, so that it produces rather small or unusually big teeth.
• The problems can also be caused by thumb sucking. This is because the process of thumb sucking tends to weaken the hold of the gums to the teeth because of minor but continuous pressure on the teeth.
• Buck teeth can also be a problem for thumb suckers in the future. Teeth that are pushed far behind the other set of teeth characterize this. This may cause irregularity in the alignment of teeth. If a person experiences this, braces will be the best solution for him or her.

Hence, if you want to prevent this from happening to your child, it is best to prevent him or her from sucking teeth. Although this is a normal reflex, it would be best if you do everything in your power to prevent your child from doing this kind of activity.

This is easier said than done. Thumb sucking is truly a pleasurable experience that children may not be ready to part with just yet. However, if you do this following tips, you might be able to wean them off the unsightly act of thumb sucking.

• The first tip would be having positive reinforcement given to the child. The process of a reward and punishment is very effective in instilling the value of good behavior on to the child. You can give him a prize for every time that he or she does not suck his or her thumb.
• If this does not work, you can try showing him the ill effects of thumb sucking on people. As a parent you can show your child pictures of damaged dental conditions that may persuade the child to let go of the habit all together.
• In addition to this, you can place protective implements on the child’s hands to prevent him or her from sucking his fingers. You can make him put on gloves so that he would not be tempted to do the activity even without your supervision.
• If this still does not work, you can put foul tasting condiments on the fingers so that the child would be forced not to sell his or her thumb. If he finds the activity detestable, the child himself will shun away from the act.
• Lastly, if all else fails you should never hesitate consulting pediatric dentists for advice. Medical professionals will surely be glad to help in any way that they can especially when it comes to the health of the family.

Thumb sucking is just one probable cause of people wearing braces. Given this, you should not dismiss the probability that this could be a possible cause for your children’s future dental problems. Again, it is best to consult your pediatric dentist for you to know how to deal with this kind of activity from your children. Working hand in hand with yourdentist will make it easier to handle your children’s teeth problems.

TMJ/TMD

TMJ/TMD

TMJ refers to the TemporoMandibular Joint itself and TMD refers to TemporoMandibular Disorders. It is probably related to the surgery but this type of thing happens in many people who have had no surgery. 

The jaw joint (Temporomandibular Joint AKA TMJ) is a rather complicated joint. There is a fibrous disc between the two bones and this disc can slip in and out of position resulting in a loud pop or click.

The jaw can also get locked open or closed because the jawbone can be forced into normal depressions in the base of the skull. Because you have these joint noises you are more likely to develop pain and discomfort of the joint or jaw muscles due to regular strain/ stress on these structures.

However, you may never developed pain. So, don’t worry about it if it does not hurt. If it does hurt, you should see a dentist

. DagonJonesThe following is a general list of recommendations for jaw pain (TMJ/TMD):

**Wear your bite plate (night guard) every night during sleep. Your bite plate is designed to reduce clenching and grinding as well as position your jaw in its most relaxed and stable position.

(Bite plates are made for people with chronic TMJ pain)Use alternating hot and cold compresses on the affected muscles or joint when you experience discomfort.

Alternate hot and cold every 3 minutes and end with cold.

Ice wrapped in a washcloth can be used for a cold pack. A sock filled with rice and micro waved for 1-3 minutes can be used as a hot pack.

Take Ibuprofen 800mg (4x200 mg tablets) every 8 hours (three times a day) for 1 week.

This dose will reduce inflammation in the muscles and joint. (use this dose for moderate to severe pain, this is a prescription strength dose and should only be used under supervision of a physician or dentist.)

Take Ibuprofen 400-800mg as needed for pain. (mild to moderate pain, doses above 400mg are prescription doses and should only be used under the supervision of a health care practitioner.)

Avoid hard or chewy foods. Avoid any activity that can overwork the jaw muscles such as chewing gum or prolonged talking.

Reduce and manage stress in your life. Stress often increases habits such as nighttime clenching or grinding of teeth, which can make jaw pain worse. 

Are Damon braces really better than regular braces?

BRACES, YOU SEARCHED FOR IT ... | DAMON BRACES, METAL BRACES, REGULAR BRACES, SELF-LIGATING BRACES

“is damon braces really better than regular braces” this was the actual phrase in one of our visitor’s search. The fast answer: YES they are better. Before I list again the benefits of having Damon braces, please read the 2 articles that detail how the 2 orthondontic systems work:

• Metal braces – with ligatures
• Damon braces – metal self-ligating brackets

And now let’s see why I was so fast with telling you Damon is better. The Damon braces do cost more than the regular braces and in some cases the dental insurance might not cover this difference. Still you are lucky .. in my country no orthodontic treatment is covered by the insurance, but this is something different, so I need not digress.

In order for a doctor to be able to work with Damon, he/she needs to be accredited. This would be another small set-back since some orthodontists are not licensed to use this. Most top doctors do have the certification so it’s not such a huge deal in the end.

And now back to the subject at hand: why the Damon braces are better than the regular ones.

1. No ligatures, smaller brackets – the self-ligating system on the brackets make Damon better. You don’t need ligatures on your brackets and the brackets themselves are smaller. Some are already partially “clear” so it makes them even harder to see. More discreet braces help with the aesthetics too.
2. Some patients don’t need extractions - there are cases when the the Damon system can solve the problem without extractions. Sure, even if they do advertise this, it does depend on the patient. The thing is that when regular braces required extractions, Damon might solve this without them. Still there are patients with problems that can’t be solved other than having extractions. I was such a case. Damon was able to solve my huge problems (rotating teeth, teeth that were mispositioned not only misaligned), but still needed the space to work (since I do have big teeth).
3. Faster treatment - some claim Damon works in half the time. I read about patients with regular braces and they needed over 20 months in treatment for complex cases. Even 3 years. If I wanted Damon only, my problems would have gotten solved in 14 months. I saw HUGE progress in just weeks. After 3 times in the treatment my teeth looked amazing already. Damon is a very serious system and the braces “don’t play”, they work.
4. Overall Damon is not as hard to wear. After solving some sores in my mouth and getting pass the first painful days (all braces do this, the pain means the treatment is working), I really liked it. I know it might sound like I am a “masochist”, but it’s not that hard. The braces weren’t too big and I was able to have almost a normal life. And the Damon braces do look nice. I was scared at first for having a metal mouth (the reason I chose to wear Invisalign for my front teeth, after the lateral ones were getting straightened with Damon) and I regretted this decision after seeing some patients who wore full Damon. They looked pretty nice, as if they had some silver jewels on their teeth.

Damon braces are considered to be the “new generation” braces. My orthodontist doesn’t use the regular ones for some years already. He’s using Damon, ceramics, Incognito and Invisalign. I wore Damon 3 braces and so did many of his patients. The Damon braces use the ideas that made the regular ones work nice for years, but offer faster results, with less “equipment” needed (not ligatures on the brackets), with a better aspect and more discreet brackets.

If you can afford Damon, I do advise you to go on this route. Regular braces do work nicely, but Damon does work BETTER.

DAMON SYSTEM BRACES via DSB DENTAL CLINIC

DSB Dental Clinic is a 

full-service general, orthodontic, and cosmetic dentistry clinic, providing  patients with expertise, technology and a convenient location, right in the  heart of Metro Manila, Philippines.My goal is to provide each and every patients  with an incredible experience that changes their expectations of what a dental  clinic is like.The World Loves a Smile, and a beautiful smile can give our  patients a lifetime of happiness. We strive to make DSB Dental Clinic unique by  providing the highest level of dentistry, outstanding customer service, the  latest dental technology and equipment, all in a convenient atmosphere that is  warm, friendly and relaxed. The DSB Dental Clinic  provides high quality, low cost dental services and preventive dental care to  people, whose families have very limited or no resources for dentistry.

Our primary services are:

Dental check-ups

Cleanings

Fillings

Dental Education

Our Mission

The mission of the DSB Dental Clinic is to restore, protect, and improve the  oral health of uninsured, low-income, working people and their children.

The clinic’s goals are:

• To offer affordable dental care. 

• To improve patients’  self-esteem by restoring their appearance 

• To increase  employability and work attendance by lessening pain and improving appearance. 

• To educate patients  about oral hygiene and nutrition to break the cycle of tooth decay in their  families. 

The clinic cost are kept to a minimum per visit for standard check-ups,  cleanings and fillings. For some extensive dental procedures (such as root  canals and crowns), additonal fees (at substancially reduced rates) will apply.

Instructions for Patients 

Call
(+632) 9962942 

(+63919) 99-TOOTH(86684) 

(+63922) 846-3100 

to schedule an appointment.

We are unable to accept  walk-ins. The clinic does not bill insurance. If your child cannot make a  scheduled appointment, call the clinic at least 2 days in advance to reschedule  so the dentist can use the appointment time for another child. Take care of your kids’  teeth. They should last a lifetime!

ANOTHER JOB WELL DONE... DAMON SYSTEM PATIENT

 PRE-TREATMENT PHOTO

note: Patient has anterior and posterior X-bite (right)

Crowding on the Upper Arch

X-ray shows a Shorter right Mandibular Condyle

Patients Complain:

TMD

Unable to chew properly

28 MONTHS LATER PHOTO

note: Anterior and Posterior X-bite Corrected

Crowding of Upper arch Corrected

Extraction of 4 3rd Molars was done

Can now eat and chew properly

TMD Treated

LATEST PATIENT USING DAMON 3MX

PRE-TREATMENT PHOTO (OPENBITE PATIENT WITH POSTERIOR CROSSBITE)

POST TREATMENT PHOTO