I paid a pretty reasonable amount, and it has definitely been inconvenient for my daily life. But honestly, it’s been a lot of hard work, and I’m seeing improvement little by little.

I’m sharing this to give you a heads-up about the challenges you might face during the first six months of your braces journey.

Getting Braces in Baguio, Philippines [Introduction]

This is the second part of our series on Baguio hospitals, and today we're talking about dental clinics.You know, t

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Cost, treatment, frequency of visits

I’ll give a quick review of my braces experience.

I’ve got wire braces, which is the most common method. They attach metal wires to the surface of the teeth.

Here in the Philippines, wire braces are pretty much the only option.

At first, the dentist said I should go for two years, but since I didn’t know how long I’d be in Baguio, I decided to go for one year.

The fee was 50,000 pesos plus more for each visit.

Here are the x-rays taken before the orthodontic treatment. The issues are “alignment of teeth” and “buried canine teeth”.

I go to the clinic once every three weeks for adjustments (tightening and adjusting the wires)

If I need to do any other treatment, I’ll consult and pay for it on each visit.

Record: 0-1 month

Regular diet is the biggest challenge.

The first month was tough…. The first thing I struggled with was not being able to use my front teeth.

My teeth are held in place by wires, and my front teeth in particular hurt just by touching food.

So, I cut the food into bite-sized pieces and then carefully put them in my mouth and chewed them. I had no choice but to eat that way.

This was further exacerbated by the Filipino food.

Here in the Philippines, many dishes are made with chicken.

Because of its elasticity, it is very difficult to finely chop and chew. …. It took me almost twice as long to eat as it did before my braces.

As if to add to the problem, I also began to feel a sense of discomfort in my mouth.

It was like something was always stuck in the gap between my teeth. It is just a wire, but the discomfort does not go away….

It was very stressful and frustrating not to be able to identify the cause.

Bracket came off…

After about five days of having a hard time eating, something hard suddenly appeared in my mouth.

It was the bracket that holds the wire in place. Normally, they are attached to the surface of the teeth with adhesive and cannot be removed.

Naturally, the doctor had told me that they rarely came off, but after only a few days, they fell off….

When they fall off, the wire floats in the air, which is annoying and can stick in the gums.

This happened so often that I found myself going to the clinic every week instead of the original schedule of once every three weeks.

Record: 1-2 month

Brackets kept coming off

The brackets continued to come off after one month.

They kept coming off in the same place every time, and the one in the back right part of my mouth didn’t last very long.

It seems that my original habit of biting was the cause.

It looks like years of chewing with my braces in the wrong position created a strange habit that was putting pressure on the bracket, which shouldn’t touch during chewing.

Looking back on my life up to now, it has been as long as 20 years since my teeth changed from baby teeth to permanent teeth.

I have never been conscious of the correct way to chew, and now that I am here, I am reminded of the strange habits I had.

And every time a bracket comes off, I have to pay a follow-up fee.

It costs 500 pesos to reattach it, and 800 pesos to lose the unit.

There was no additional charge for the weekly visits, but the cost of the additional bracket eventually added up to about 2,000 pesos.

Getting used to the discomfort in my mouth.

Regarding the discomfort in the mouth that I suffered in the first month, I finally got used to it here in the second month.

It’s a simple method, but it works.

One day, after using a toothpick and a stand mirror, the discomfort was gone.

I still use a toothpick and a stand mirror after meals, and I really don’t think I could do without it.I didn’t used to use toothpicks after meals, and I didn’t think of this idea easily.

Toothpicks are also available in Baguio.I found one with Japanese packaging at a store like DAISO in Japan.

It was 22 pesos for 400 toothpicks, which is reasonable.

First wire adjustment

First wire adjustmentIt’s been a month since I last adjusted the wire. It’s pretty straightforward.

It’s just untie the wire holding the teeth down and then tighten it again.

This adjusts the teeth to their ideal position and orientation.

Then comes the pain and discomfort of getting used to the new position again. It was tough at first, but I got used to it within the first week this time.

Record: 2-3 month

Putting the ring over the teeth

The bracket was coming off all the time, but it got a bit more stable in the second month.

It was coming off about once every three weeks, but it did get more stable. Sometimes it would come off a few hours after.

I put it back in.After a while, the doctor said I should wear a ring on my teeth.

The idea was to put a metal ring around the tooth and tie a wire to it, as you can see in the photo.

At first, this seems like a very outlandish idea, but it used to be a common practice in the past.

We decided to try whatever we could do, so we immediately introduced it.

As it turned out, the situation was better, and I quickly got used to the discomfort.

I’ve had it in my mouth since I put it on, and I still have it now.

The stress of eating is reduced.

As I wrote, the daily eating part was really stressful.

When I couldn’t chew all the way through, I was swallowing more and more often, and the shape stayed the same.

This put a lot of pressure on my digestive organs, like my stomach, esophagus, and intestines.

After a while, my chewing ability came back.

By the second or third month, I was eating the same amount of food in one bite and chewing the same amount as before my braces.

However, it was a process. My front teeth took the longest to get used to it, and it hurt when I put too much pressure on them. I’m still struggling with foods that have sticks attached, like hamburgers and ice cream, and grilled chicken skewers.

Record: 2-3 month

Extraction of upper teeth

So far, we’ve only talked about the wire braces. Now, let’s talk about a new treatment, “tooth extraction“.

When your jaws are small, it’s hard to get your teeth in the right place. So, I had to pull out the teeth that are in the way.

In the photo, you can see the two teeth we’re going to pull.

I’ve got another reason for getting them taken out, though.

The tooth on the right (the canine) is buried in my gums because there’s not enough space, and I’ve got to pull that one.

To be honest, I’d rather not pull that tooth if I can help it. It’ll definitely hurt, and it’s in the Philippines.

But it was the only time I could do it, and I was prepared to do it.

If you’re not into the whole painful topic, skip to the 4th or 5th month.

[Caution] Tooth extraction

First, they gave me partial anesthesia, which involves putting a liquid anesthetic on your gums to numb them.

Then, when that’s taking effect, they inject a second anesthetic.

While it definitely hurts, it’s more of a dull ache than a sharp pain. Luckily, it wasn’t as intense as I thought it’d be.Once the anesthesia wore off, it was time to pull the tooth.

The doctor pulled out a pair of pliers.

He held the tooth tightly and started to pull it out by rocking it back and forth, like pulling out a nail.

After a minute or two of being squeezed, the tooth was out of my mouth in no time.

I didn’t feel any pain, but I did feel a strong sense of loss, as if everything that had been there was suddenly gone.

バギオでの歯科矯正生活1か月目🦷

ついに矯正に伴う抜歯の日。人生を振り返ってみても、今まで経験したことない気がする…。

麻酔ブスリ、歯ゴリゴリな感じと思うと、恐々としていましたが、思った以上に痛くなかった。

良いドクターに出会えたようで良かった…！(抜歯1本、1000ペソ) pic.twitter.com/CWZtWWpwGm

— 🇵🇭はふた | バギオ留学 | 30歳脱サラ(仮) (@haveto_nainani) August 8, 2024

The two extractions took about 45 minutes.

This time, the doctor was very skillful, and I was able to finish without any pain after the procedure except for the moment of anesthesia injection.

はふた

Even the teeth that were supposed to be used for the rest of my life, they fell out more easily than I thought, huh?

I was left with only a slightly naïve feeling in my heart.

Record: 2-3 month

Hospital visits to once every three weeks.

I was going in once a week, but after three months, the brackets stopped coming off, so I could go in once every three weeks, as planned.

The more visits I made, the more improvement I saw, and the more I couldn’t wait for the next procedure.

I was nervous about the pain in my back right tooth that seemed to be acting on a nerve.

It was a weird sensation, like a tingle and a swoosh, especially when I ate, brushed my teeth, or did anything that involved my teeth.

It felt like a cavity, but I wasn’t sure.

I was kind of worried about how long it would last, but by the fourth month, I didn’t feel it at all.

It was probably just temporary, happening when the tooth was trying to move.

Could it be a cavity? I almost thought it was a cavity, but I was relieved when the pain went away.

Expander introduced.

After getting a tooth pulled last month, a new tool was used this time. This time, an expander was used.

It’s a kind of mouthpiece. When we think of braces, we tend to think of something that pulls the teeth inward from the outside, such as correcting protruding teeth, but this one is designed to expand the teeth outward from the inside.

My lower teeth seem to be tilted inward, so I need to make them wider. To do that, I need to have it made for myself, which cost 1,500 pesos. He asked me to wear it every day for about following one months.

When I’m actually wearing the device, there’s no particular “pain or suffering.” But it’s still pretty uncomfortable. I also couldn’t put my tongue against my lower teeth, and my speech got all slurred. The doctor told me to wear it every day, as much as possible, but I had to take it off when I spend a lot of time talking at work.

Record: 5-6 month

Back to the nomal days

Since I started braces, I’ve been trying new things, and now that I’m at six months, I can live my life without any restrictions.The brackets don’t come off, and I don’t feel any nerve pain in my teeth.

Right now, I’m working on getting the right dentition through adjustments every three weeks. Happy to say that I’m slowly but surely getting the hang of eating with my front teeth. Now, can eat “hamburgers” and “ice cream sticks,” which were a no-go for me at first!

Was the braces effective?

I hope I’ve made it clear how tricky the correction was, but what matters is whether it worked. I’d like to show you how much better it is, but don’t have many clear pictures. I found a photo where you can see the obvious difference, so post it here.

歯列矯正の経過。[閲覧注意]

バギオで歯列矯正を始めて約3か月、目に見えて変化がありました。

上の歯は2本抜歯。
下の歯は外側に押し広げるマウスピース的なのを着けてます。

慣れましたが、不便ですね…。(本音)
慣れましたが、早く外したいですね…。(本音) pic.twitter.com/MyLRn6WKBR

— 🇵🇭はふた | バギオ留学 | 30歳脱サラ(仮) (@haveto_nainani) October 6, 2024

Before braces, the lower teeth were kind of uneven, but after less than six months, they were all nice and straight. And the canine teeth, which had been hiding under the gums, have also improved. They’ve come down to the same height as the other teeth.

The goal is to balance out the space created by the tooth extraction.Then, I’ll make sure the teeth are aligned properly.

Conclusion

In this issue, I’ve given you an update on my recent start with braces in Baguio, Philippines.
It’s been a busy time, with a new challenge every month.
Looking back, I was pretty anxious about whether I’d be able to make it through the first month or two. Now, six months later, there’s nothing to be afraid of, and I don’t feel stressed.

Getting Braces in Baguio, Philippines [Introduction]

This is the second part of our series on Baguio hospitals, and today we're talking about dental clinics.You know, t

haveto blog

However. I’ll still need to take care of myself every day. I’m really looking forward to the day when I can live my life without wearing anything. I think there will be fewer big changes and events in the future, but let you know if I experience any changes.

See you soon!

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!

Getting Braces in Baguio, Philippines [1-6 Months Progress Report]

フィリピン、バギオで歯列矯正を始めたのが2024年7月。あれから半年が経過しました。大変なことばかりですが、改善が見られつつあることが唯一の救いです。そんな私の歯列矯正の奮闘記について【6か月目】までを備忘録としてここに残します。

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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.

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.

はふた

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.

ドクター

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.

Getting Braces in Baguio, Philippines [1-6 Months Progress Report]

フィリピン、バギオで歯列矯正を始めたのが2024年7月。あれから半年が経過しました。大変なことばかりですが、改善が見られつつあることが唯一の救いです。そんな私の歯列矯正の奮闘記について【6か月目】までを備忘録としてここに残します。

haveto blog

I hear it takes a month or two to get used to it, so I look forward to that time.