This is the second part of our series on Baguio hospitals, and today we’re talking about dental clinics.
You know, treatments for cavities, fillings, and cleanings are pretty common, but this time I’m going to try braces.
I’ll be talking about the cost, how long it’ll take, and how it’ll go. This is the reality of the author’s experience with braces for the first time abroad!
Dental clinics in the Philippines
There are a lot of dental clinics in the Philippines, especially in the more urban areas.
The map below is the result of a Google search for “dental clinic” in Baguio.
As you can see, there are a lot of clinics in the center of the city.
This is also true here in Baguio.
It is not uncommon to see three clinics side by side in one building or mall.
Dental Treatment
Dental treatment is becoming more common in the Philippines. Those costs are much lower than in Japan.
For cavities and fillings, the cost is said to be 700~1,000 pesos per treatment.
However, there have been several cases where fillings were done and then immediately removed.
This is not to say that the skill is necessarily bad. It is better to consider the treatment in the Philippines as an emergency treatment.
It would be wise to wait until you return to your home country for full treatment.
Let’s talk about the main topic of this issue, we can also try braces.
However, the only option would be wire. This is a bit old-fashioned method of attaching metal and wires to the surface of the teeth.
I was offered this price.
Duration: 1.5 years
Cost: 50,000 pesos + α
Considering that the typical price in Japan is 600,000-1,000,000 yen, this is a bargain.
Braces in the Philippines
In Japan, braces have become so common that even junior high school students wear them.
In the Philippines, however, it is not as popular. Approximately 10% of young Filipino wear that.
In some Asian countries, wearing braces is a sign of being able to afford a good life, so it seems that some people get them to show off.
Let’s start with braces!
Now it’s time for the practical part!
To tell the truth, I’m extremely bad at dentists and haven’t even had a check-up in 10 years since I was a student.
Maybe I’ll get caught with a cavity or periodontal disease….
I was scared until right before the appointment.
Appointments
Appointments are made by telephone. The dental clinic I visited this time is a familiar place of my boss.
It is a private clinic with only one doctor, but she understands the situation of international students and had no problem communicating with me in English.
I called for an appointment around 11:00 a.m. on a holiday.
When I told her “I wanted braces”, she told me to come at 1:00 pm and the appointment was made for the same day.
Medical Questionnaire
When I arrived at the hospital, I first had a medical interview.
The most important thing is “how long can I stay? “Fortunately, I had a plan to stay in Japan for a year, so I answered “more than 1 year” and was given the OK.
The truth is that I want to stay for 2 years.
But considering the fact that I am Japanese and studying abroad, she said he would make a plan for 12 to 20 months of treatment.
Fortunately, I had no cavities or gingivitis, and I was able to start wearing my braces the same day.
X-Ray imaging
After the medical interview, the next step was to take X-rays.
The clinic did not have an x-ray machine, so I asked another dentist to take x-rays.
This is the X-ray machine and room of a clinic in a shopping mall.
They gave me a log book to write my name and date of birth in and got me ready to go.
I was made to put on a very heavy metal apron, place my jaw on the x-ray machine, and bite the plastic part with my front teeth.
I followed the automated voice and closed my eyes, and in about 30 seconds the image was complete.
They printed the x-rays on a printer and that was it. The fee was 1,000 pesos.
X-rays may be more expensive in the Philippines compared to the general price in Japan.
The x-rays taken at that time are shown below.
The two problems revealed are as follows
- Misaligned teeth
- Canine teeth buried in the gum
Misaligned teeth
The overall alignment is inconsistent and skewed.
In addition, there is not enough space for the teeth to line up properly due to the small size of the jaw.
Canines buried in the gums
Another tooth that needs improvement is the right canine that is buried in the gum.
This one is also buried without coming out due to lack of space in the jaw.
Also of concern are the wisdom teeth, which are completely rotated sideways.
She also suggested that I have four wisdom teeth removed, but I decided not to have them this time because it would be cheaper to have them done in Japan where they are covered by insurance.
Teeth Cleaning
Before braces are applied, the teeth are cleaned.
A drill that traces the surface of the teeth and a tube that draws in saliva are used to remove plaque and tartar, as is often done in Japan.
The procedure is the same as in Japan, and although it is not painful, the discomfort of having the teeth scraped is obvious….
The cleaning itself took about 30 minutes.
Making a mold of teeth
After the cleaning, a mold was made of my teeth.
The doctor stirred a red pancake batter-like substance with a spatula, and when it was sufficiently mixed, he pressed it against my teeth.
At first it was about the consistency of okonomiyaki, but after about a minute it hardened and came off easily.
This is done separately on the upper and lower jaws. The one shown later is the one below.
Installing the brackets
First, metal pieces called brackets that hold the wires in place are attached with adhesive.
This must be done carefully. The patient is fitted with a kind of mouthpiece and the mouth is fixed in an open position.
It takes about 45 minutes to finish attaching the upper and lower teeth.
No breaks, non-stop. In other words, the mouth is held open.
However, it is not difficult to endure because there is no pain or suffering.
It’s just a fight against discomfort.
Attaching the wires
Once the brackets are in place, the wires are attached.
From this point on, the pressure I felt from the teeth became stronger. Tie this wire and bracket together with a rubber band to complete the process.
I was also able to choose the color of the rubber band. I recommend blue.
This is because blue is a color that is rarely found in food and makes it easier to clean the mouth, such as removing food particles.
This process takes approximately 30 minutes. Once all the teeth are tied, the wire is cut to the appropriate length and the process is complete.
Precautions
The entire braces process takes about 2 hours to complete.
I had good feeling that the process has finally begun.
There is no pain or bleeding. It just feels very uncomfortable.
At that time, the doctor told me that the pain would continue for the next day or a week and prescribed an ointment.
She also advised me to brush my teeth after every meal and to floss if possible.
It seems that I need to pay more attention to my teeth than ever before in my life.
Amount and Cost of Braces
As mentioned above, the cost of the braces themselves will be 50,000 pesos.
As for future visits, the progress will be monitored and the wires will be adjusted once a month.
He also told me that the initial payment would be 20,000 pesos, after which I would pay 1,500 pesos every month in monthly installments.
I think this means that the process can be completed in about 20 months.
In addition to the above amount of 50,000 pesos, 500 pesos for toothbrush and ointment, 1,000 pesos for the same day cleaning and 1,000 pesos for the x-ray.
The total is 52,500 pesos.
She also explained that the brackets are attached with adhesives and that there is an additional charge every time they come off or get lost.
If it comes off, I have to pay 500 pesos, and if I lose it, I have to pay 800 pesos.
I asked some Filipino staff if that was a fair price and they said it was about the same.
There might be some places that charge a little less. But I myself am satisfied with this price so far.
Life immediately after braces
My orthodontic life is now off to a successful start.
Here is a record of how my daily life has changed since then, while my memory is still fresh.
Day 1 (the day of treatment)
There was no pain, just a feeling of discomfort in my mouth.
On my way home from the hospital, I bought a hamburger, but I couldn’t eat it. When I bite into it, feels pain in his teeth.
Finally, unable to chew with his front teeth, I break it into pieces just big enough to chew with back teeth and takes one bite at a time.
I realized that can’t eat bread.
I had also bought dragon fruit and mango, but the dragon fruit was also a bit hard.
I also realized that it was not suitable during the orthodontic treatment because of the many seeds.
Ripe mangoes were the easiest to eat because I could break them into small pieces without chewing, using only my tongue and upper jaw.
Day 2
Breakfast was a school lunch. The choices were salad, fried meat, pancit, and watermelon.
I cut the food into small pieces and ate it in a size that fit my back teeth, which took twice as long as usual because I was not used to it.
I managed to finish the meal, but was puzzled as to whether the discomfort in my mouth was caused by the wire or the food particles.
The conclusion was that it was both, but it was quite stressful because I couldn’t distinguish between the two.
I also practiced brushing my teeth by watching videos on Youtube.
There are a lot of videos on how to brush your teeth alone that are very informative. In the end, it took me about 1.5 times longer than usual to brush my teeth.
The 3rd day
Three meals were served in the school.
In the Philippines, where meat dishes are the norm, there are many chewy dishes on the menu.
I had a hard time eating, but I couldn’t let my jaw get lazy, so I did my best to eat.
Still, it is difficult to chew completely, so I swallow with less chewing than I ever thought possible in my previous meals.
It’s hard, but it’s still good enough to eat, and I want to eat as much as I can because the school lunches are delicious.
No matter how hard I try to cut his meals into small pieces, I have to rinse his mouth five times to get rid of the pieces.
I always brush teeth after every meal.
I even bought some Listerine and think about my teeth more than ever.
It’s hard work, but strangely, I don’t feel bad about it. I’m fixing something that used to give me an inferiority complex, and I’m doing it for a reasonable price. I can afford to keep doing it, so I will keep doing my best.
Conclusion
This time I shared my experience of getting braces from the dental clinic in Baguio.
Although I have some inconvenience in my daily life, it is quite bearable.
I hear it takes a month or two to get used to it, so I look forward to that time.