[MERGED] Need A Good Orthodontist (All about Braces)

[powerpuff]

hi! do you guys know an ortho na ok? how much and what area? since i'll be paying for it, yung pwede mag down muna then every visit, magbibigay ako. hulugan ba. thanks!

[smilewarrior]

Looking for orthodontists? Please direct your browser to the webpage of the Association of Philippine Orthodontists.

In its members directory, you will find a listing of names, clinic addresses, landline numbers, mobile numbers and e-mail addresses listed as to location e. g. manila, zamboanga, batangas, etc.

[bushi_princess]

question ko lang po sa mga dentist... magkano o ba ang ceramix na braces? katulad po s mga artista? sa tingin nio *** magkano paki estimate po? kasi po im planning to have one...

[smilewarrior]

Orthodontists can charge as much as twice their regular fees for ceramic or tooth colored brackets. These brackets are more expensive than the metal brackets and require greater precision in placement. Intended or accidental removal of these brackets leads to their breakage, repositioning them is not an option. This means the patient should really pay close attention in watching what they eat and the orthodontist has to make sure that they are placed in the correct height and position.

Ceramic brackets work just as efficiently as metal brackets. However, they require greater care on the part of both the orthodontist and the patient.

[dudelish]

i'm 22 and i'm thinking of finally involving an orthodontist with my teeth problems. i have an overbite and crooked teeth. but by no means less cute. hehehe.

anyway, i need details about this method. is there anyone else who's on INVISALIGN? thanks!

[Misa Hayase]

Shouting out to smilewarrior! Yung ortho dito! Hehehe.

hi dudeish..overbite is normal. It depends kung "deep" yung overbite Tama ka, nasa pagdadala ang pagiging cute.
I'll ask around if may kilala akong invisalign-certified. Not sure if the technology is actually in the Phils.

[dudelish]

yep, but mine's pretty deep. i have a weak chin because of it. plus i have david letterman teeth. but again, let me stress out, i'm still hot by all accounts.

no, i'm actually in the states, kaso all the people that i know who are on it are the ones on the tv commercial. kaya i need a subjective first hand account of their experience with invisalign.

[smilewarrior]

Hello Misa

Dudelish, the invisalign system makes use of several clear plastic aligners, fabricated from computerized projections of orthodontic correction of your teeth. Some orthodontic practitioners are very skeptical about its effectivity, but their are american orthodontists who use it.

What the dentist does is make a mold of your teeth. He then sends the mold to the invisalign company, which fabricates several sets of aligners.

The company claims that invisalign is very comfortable to use since you can remove it when you eat, when you need to brush and floss your teeth and when you need to speak.

It can supposedly correct very mild tooth malpositions.

For malpositioned teeth of the moderate to severe variety, braces may still be needed, and used together with invisalign.

An american orthodontist who uses invisalign visited the Philippines several months ago. His name is Dr. Sugiyama. I think he is or he was affiliated with Loma Linda University. I'm not sure if he is a current examiner or a former examiner of the American Board of Orthodontics.

He has a website you can visit, I think it's sugiyama.com, not sure though. Perhaps you can contact him and have a consultation appointment set or ask him for any invisalign users near your area.

Good luck.

P.S. Invisalign was featured in Time Magazine. I forgot what year and what issue.

[anghel]

Hello doc ira!

sorrY the searCh fuNctIoN IS not working...anyhow, i just need an experts' advice....

i need a very good orthodontist, sana who is practicing in medical city coz its nearer in our place>

i realized kasi na yung ipin ko sa me right side ng bagang eh parang lumulubog sa gums. I am scared baka operahan or anything.

thaNKs!

[Misa Hayase]

Gum recession? Maybe you need a periodontist, though crooked teeth may also be a factor. A general practioner may also refer you to a specialist once he/she can tell where the root of your gum recession lies.

Smilewarrior, one of our Pexers, is a good orthodontist, he'll be able to answer your questions

[smilewarrior]

Hello Misa

Anghel, I'm not Dr. Ira, but I will try to answer your questions as best I can. Could you please give a more comprehensive description of your problem.

a. Which tooth is involved: is it a front tooth or a back tooth. Is it your wisdom tooth, your canine , molars or premolars?

b. Is the gum tissue covering the tooth bluish red , pinkish red, dark red or pink?

c. Do you have any suspicions as to what caused this? Does the tooth have a large cavity? Where you involved in an accident wherein that part of your face was hit?

d. How long has the condition been present?

Pardon my ignorance, but where is the exact location of the "medical city" you are referring to? Is it in Pasig, Makati, Mandaluyong or Quezon City?

Misa is right in stating that your problem might require consultation with another dental specialist, such as a periodontist or an oral surgeon. If you wish to go to an orthodontist for mere consultation, go ahead. You have nothing to lose.

An orthodontist is a dentist who specializes in moving teeth and redirecting the growth of the lower third of the face . An orthodontist usually does not perform invasive procedures /"operations" , which are done by oral surgeons.

A periodontist is a dentist who specializes in treating gum disease (gingival infections, alveolar bone disease). Keeping the gums and teeth clean is something they are very good at. Some of them are also trained in placing dental implants.

An oral surgeon is a dentist who specilizes in the surgical management of infections, anomalies, deformities and other similar problems.

[LodRose]

hi smilewarrior,

i'm not anghel but i'm in a similar situation.

could u give me the range of the consultation fee for these specialists? ballpark figure lang. if u can't put it here paki-pm ****.

thanks

[anghel]

thanks smilewarrior

i just noticed it lately lang. wala namang accidents whatsoever...i noticed lang na nakalubog yung teeth ko sa back ng right side ko. just the regular gum tulad ng sa ibang teeth ko...nagkataon lang na parang nakabaon sya.

maybe nga from your description, i'll be needing a periodontist. but do i need a surgery? oh, my gosH, i Am rEALly SCARED aS hEll!!!

sobrang sakit ba yun? HOW lonG DoES iT TAKe FOR RECOVERY? CAN I GO BACK TO WORK in A CouplE of DAys?

and importantly, how much po kaya?

btw, MEDICAL City is located in lourdes street in mandaluyong. it is near sm megamall and shangri-la hotel.

sorry for many questions....i am clueless lang eh.

[anghel]

hey sorry, i look at the mirror again ang medyo kinapa ko.

di sya nakalubog in a sense na cover ng gum. actually, nakalitaw pa din ang almost half ng tooth pero i noticed yung part na yun nakahiwalay sa the rest ng ibang ipin na papuntang front...sorry di ko alam i-differentiate kung ano ang tawag sa mga ipin pardon my ignorance. thanks..

kung medyo malabo, refer me nalang to a good periodontist...and smilewarrior pm me nalang your clinic and sked...and how much din kaya ang magagastos ko for this..thanks..sowi ha di kasi ako rich heheheh

[smilewarrior]

Sorry anghel, I can't give you my clinic location and schedule.

I am a licensed dentist who has been practising for 5 years, but at the moment I work full time at a government institution and cannot entertain any private work. Besides, I don't think Dor Ira would be very happy if I did that.

What clearly needs to be done is for you to have an x-ray taken of the tooth in question. The x-ray needs to be evaluated by either a periodontist or an oral surgeon.

I can't say for certain whether you will need an operation or not as to do that, i would need to physically be able to examine you and view your x-ray. I also cannot rule out whether or not you would need orthodontic treatment.

If you are on a very tight budget, may I suggest you have yourself evaluated at a dental school, such as the University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry , the University of the East College of Dentistry or the Centro Escolar University College of Dentistry. At the moment, UP is having its semestral break meaning the clinics are closed. It will re-open in November.

In a dental school, you would be treated by dental students under the supervision of a licensed dentist, who serve as the faculty. The Faculty members each have their area of expertise. Its like having many specialists all in one roof.

Prices are definitely cheaper, as only a fraction of the private dental is charged.

If you can't wait till November, you could try visiting the Hospital dentistry section of the Out Patient Department, Philippine General Hospital. Its open monday to friday, halfdays on wednesday. Only surgical procedures are performed there. The dentists who work their are all licensed.


Good Luck.

[President]

check out Dra. Felisa Cua. she's been an ortho for more than 20 yrs. member of American Association of Orthodontists.

[Fifi]

can u give me an estimate how much Dr. Felisa Cua charges pag magpapa-braces ako?

[smilewarrior]

If you are interested in looking up Dr. Felisa Cua's credentials, you can look it up at the Quezon City Section of the directory of the Association of Philippine Orthodontists (APO).

You can use any search engine to locate the website of the Association of Philippine Orthodontists (APO). One section of the website is a directory of all practising orthodontists in the philippines, sorted according to area of practise. Information stated are the orthodontist's address, clinic location, contact numbers, dental school and where they got their orthodontic training.

[gracias98]

to dr. smilewarrior: maki-singit na'ko in this thread. in lieu of the topic, i'd like to know what are the chances that my being overbite be corrected thru braces, coz i have jacket crowns(porcelain) on my upper front teeth. di ba mas mahirap i-move yun teeth considering the crown? i'm 26 yrs old na rin and ive read somewhere that for patients above 20's, alignment will take longer coz mas mahirap nang mag-move ng teeth. and di ba pwedeng hindi sabay ang bracket placement on both upper and lower teeth, i mean ortho treatment for both considering budget constraints?

[smilewarrior]

To gracias98, the good news is braces can be placed on porcelain crowns.

One thing to consider though is whether the porcelain crowns on your upper front teeth are connected to each other or are they separate from each other.

If the crowns are not connected to each other, all the orthodontist needs to do is to use a porcelain primer to help in sticking the orthodontic brackets to the crowns.

If what you have is a bridge ( meaning the crowns are connected to each other) sad to say it would have to either be cut (more difficult and muich more expensive ) or be removed (your bridge would most likely be PERMANENTLY DESTROYED). The crowns would then be replaced with Acrylic (Plastic crowns) to which brackets can be placed. After orthodontic treatment , the acrylic crowns would then be replaced with NEW PORCELAIN CROWNS.

The term "OVERBITE" refers to how the upper and lower teeth overlap in a vertical direction. One could either have an OPEN BITE (their is a big space between the upper and lower teeth, the teeth do not overlap),a normal overbite or a DEEP BITE (their is too much overlap between the upper and lower teeth , it is almost as if the upper teeth completely cover the lower teeth).
Whichever problem you possess, you would most likely need to have brackets placed on your upper and lower teeth.

It is only possible to have braces placed on either your upper teeth only or lower teeth only if the other arch has perfect alignment (this is rarely seen).

If you have a very deep bite, it is possible that it would be your upper teeth that would have orthodontic brackets placed first. Sometime later, your lower teeth would then have to have brackets placed.