Portland orthodontist

Baker Orthodontics Reopening – Safety First!

The time has come for our office to reopen beginning May 19^th. You may be wondering what precautions we are taking to ensure your safety. While the appointment process may look a little different, don’t worry, we have always been on the front lines of preventing the spread of diseases. From the disinfection of the waiting room and treatment area, to the strict use of personal protective equipment (PPE), the safety of patients and team members continues to be of utmost importance.

During the COVID-19 crisis and beyond, the safety of patients and our team continues to be a top priority.

 Before, during and after treatment:

When it comes to preventing the spread of disease, rest assured that Baker Orthodontics has always been strict on universal precautions. Precautions have always included the use of masks, glasses, gloves, sterile instruments and devices as well as clean and disinfected environmental surfaces.

Additionally, frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, chairs, desks and bathrooms are cleaned and disinfected often. Other objects that may be difficult to disinfect, such as magazines, patient computer station, and our refreshment station, have been removed all together for the time being. We also ask that you brush your teeth at home before coming to the office as our tooth brushing stations are shut down.

The process may look a little different:

While your check-in may involve a few extra steps, this will help ensure the safety of patients and our team. For instance, our initial call for scheduling your appointment will include screening and triage questions, upon arrival, waiting in your vehicle versus the waiting room, checking your temperature or asking that you follow social distancing and infection control etiquette. We also recommend against bringing companions to appointments, unless necessary. If companions do accompany patients, they will also be screened during patient check-in. We also ask that if you have a mask that you bring and wear it while at the office.

The Scheduling Process:

Rest assured we will be following any recommended precautions to treat all orthodontic patients safely and making adjustments as needed with any new CDC recommendations as they arise.

Please be aware that due to the limited flow of patient care to accommodate the new social distancing guidelines and CDC recommendations we are asking for your patience while we ramp up our schedule to see everyone in a timely matter. We will start calling patients to schedule starting with those that were due when the COVID-19 shut down started mid-March. If you are have any questions or are experiencing an orthodontic emergency please give us a call.

Thank you for your understanding through these unprecedented times and we are eager to see you all soon!

At Baker Orthodontic in Vancouver and Portland we want you to have every advantage to keeping your teeth sparkling clean!

Recently, a new study published in the April 2019 American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics found that adolescents who used an interactive power toothbrush had significantly GREATER plaque removal versus a manual toothbrush. Visit this link to see a demonstration of how to properly brush your braces with an electric/power toothbrush

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-whHtLmahYY

[caption id="attachment_166" align="alignnone" width="206"] Dr.Baker(right) with Dr.Hamby(left) who was his coresident during their orthodontic residency in Washington D.C.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_165" align="alignnone" width="209"] Dr.Larry Andrews speaking on The Six Elements. Dr. Andrews is one of the most influential orthodontist in the history of orthodontics.[/caption]

Dr. Baker is in Washington D.C. this weekend at the American Association of Orthodontists meeting soaking up the latest and greatest in orthodontics to pass on to help our wonderful family of patients! Thank you Dr. Baker!

We are very proud to be able to sponsor such a great event for the 5th graders at Woodburn Elementary School in Camas. This is such a wonderful movie and can really help spread awareness of craniofacial syndromes. When Dr.Baker and his wife saw the permission slip their daughter brought home they instantly knew this was something they wanted to help with.  That evening they emailed their daughter's teacher who immediately help organize and let all the 5th grade classes, teachers, students and parents know that Baker Orthodontics would be making sure every single 5th grader had a seat and opportunity to see the movie Wonder. Dr.Baker has treated children with cleft-palate and craniofacial syndromes like the ones seen in the movie since 2003 and is very passionate about helping children. He is part of the Portland Shriners Hospital Cleft-Palate & Craniofacial Team and continues to help wherever he can in the community.  THANK YOU WOODBURN!! WHAT A GREAT EVENT!

Congratulations to Emmy for winning our iPad mini contest!! We are so excited for you. Keeping your teeth clean, being on time, and not breaking any of your braces really paid off! We hope you enjoy your new iPad! From all of us at Baker Orthodontics, Keep Smiling!

Maintaining good oral health may help older adults prevent a variety of health problems and disabilities. However, the effect of tooth loss on physical or cognitive health and well-being is unknown.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers explored this connection. To do so, they examined information from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) project.

In their study, the research team examined information from more than 60,000 community-dwelling people aged 65 and older who did not meet the Japanese criteria for needing long-term care.

The participants were given questionnaires to complete. They answered a number of questions, including providing information about:

How many teeth they had
Their medical and mental health history
How many falls they had over the last year
Whether they smoked or drank alcohol
Their body weight
How well they were able to perform common activities of daily life
The researchers learned older adults who have significant tooth loss are less functional when compared with people who lose fewer teeth.

The research team suggested that it is essential that older adults receive the support they need to maintain good oral health self-care practices, and that they receive adequate dental care.

Dr. Baker can help you by figuring out what options you may have to get your teeth and smile on track so that you can have the healthiest future possible!

As the premier Camas Orthodontist and Portland Orthodontist, Dr.Baker offers a complimentary initial orthodontic consultation. Give us a call today to make an appointment.
Vancouver (360) 891-6500
Portland (503) 292-9291

At Baker Orthodontics we not only care about your smile, we care about your overall long term health. There has been an increase in tooth decay from the increased frequent use of sports drinks. Gatorade is a widely used sports drink that has some very harmful effects not only on the body but on your teeth as well. Berkeley researchers say the sugar in sports drinks may be contributing to the child obesity epidemic by increasing their caloric intake. This also increases the risk and incidence of tooth enamel decay.

Want to learn more? Click here

Need electrolytes? Try these easy-to-make healthy alternatives.

If you are looking for other ways to become healthier, give Baker Orthodontics a call to schedule your complimentary consultation with Dr. David Baker! We specialize in evaluating your facial balance, air way, jaw joints, bite, and teeth! This ensures that Dr. Baker can give you the most comprehensive orthodontic treatment approach possible. We are conveniently located and do braces in Portland and Vancouver!