Lakeside Smile Dental Project
- The cost of dental care is far beyond the reach of most poor families in this area.
- A Dental clinic provides basic dental care to local poor families for free. CSRC covers the cost of materials including the anesthesia.
- Patients are initially selected by Dr. Miguel through documents required by the state. Chapala Sunrise Rotary Club will then review the individuals domicile address, job status and other indicators of financial status to determine need of support.
- There is an anomaly in lakeside children that Dr. Miguel Villasenior Cavallo has noticed. These are called supernumeraries- errant teeth found throughout the oral cavity. The doctor has removed up to seventeen from one boy. In other cases, Dr. Miguel moves a tooth from its’ location, tractions it to the appropriate spot, creates an opening for it to fit into the jaw, and locates it in the dental arrangement. The process takes usually three months with weekly adjustments. Dr. Miguel also corrects severe over and under bite and jaw placement issues.
- One surgery that Dr. Miguel was told couldn’t be done was videotaped by a team of dentists from Australia. Dr. Miguel surgically entered the patients nasal cavity, attached traction and moved a fully formed tooth from the nasal cavity and after three months, to its’ appropriate location. For seniors he does extractions, prosthetics, bridges and dentures.
- The doctor schedules between eight and eighteen patients a day and regularly has an equal number of emergency patients. He works in the Six Corners, Ajijic clinic, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
- More extensive care, such as braces is $1800 pesos for materials only. ($100US at 18 pesos (Mx) to $1US)
- To date we have helped close to 150 children and adults receive much needed dental care.
- We are seeking additional partners on this project for this necessary work to continue.
Case 1: Patient with a Canine Tooth growing through the palate of the mouth, in the upper left quadrant.
Case 2: Patient with severe Periodontal Disease, located in the upper gums. First restored with a temporary, and then a final prosthetic is inserted.
