Dr. Stahl Altamera- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

19/09/2025

“Givers Sleep Better at Night”

This morning, I saw a patient. While taking her history, she told me she was actually referred to me way back in July. I thought to myself, “Why only now?”

Then she shared something that humbled me. The first dentist she visited realized she couldn’t afford the trip to see me. So out of her own pocket, she gave her money just so this patient could come. And that’s why she was sitting in my chair today.

Her case wasn’t simple. A large lump on her neck, ulcerations on her palate, possibly maligntant. This is not something routine. And it reminded me of a very important truth:

As dentists, we don’t just deal with teeth. We deal with lives. And if a case is beyond our knowledge or skill, we should know when to refer. Knowing your limits doesn’t make you weak. It means you care enough to put the patient’s life first.

That first dentist may not have done the surgery, but what she gave was far greater. She gave kindness. She gave compassion. And because of that, she safeguarded a life.

At the end of the day, givers really do sleep better at night. God bless you Dr. Araneta

25/07/2025

Meticulous planning is essential in implant dentistry to minimize risks and ensure precise placement.
Here’s a case of a 34-year-old patient with a missing tooth, carefully managed with a fully guided implant

-Dr Stahl Altamera- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

23/07/2025

06/05/2025

Restoring strength and function with a dental implant placed in the molar region.

24/04/2025

Restoring both form and function with a front tooth implant.

01/04/2025

Oral Cancer Month

A patient was referred to me for consult regarding a swelling on the mouth. During my interview it was revealed that they initially went to an establishment that sells herbal products—They were given herbal medicine and told that "natural healing" was all they needed.

For a month, they relied on these remedies, believing they were getting better. But when they finally returned, the condition had worsened. The herbal shop then wrote a letter for a dentist to simply just suture the wound

When i saw the patient, I requested imaging diagnostics, and the results showed lymph node involvement in the neck, tongue and floor of the mouth with potentially malignant features.

Disease doesn’t wait, and proper treatment should come from qualified medical professionals—not from those who claim to heal without the right knowledge or credentials, even if they call themselves doctors.

24/01/2025

The Advantage of a well-studied case. Patient seeking a dental implant was found to have insufficient bone after a CBCT study. We performed an intraoperative bone graft with a membrane to ensure a successful outcome

23/01/2025

Removal of Compound Odontoma

22/01/2025

Management of Cellulitis

07/12/2024