POSTED UNDER Dental Crown REVIEWS
Dental Holiday to the Philippines. Liking the Results ^_^ - Makati, Manila, PH
ORIGINAL POST
I've hated my smile...my whole life. I've always...
$4,000
I've hated my smile...my whole life. I've always had tiny teeth and big gums. My mom had the exact same problem when she was younger and had most of her upper teeth replaced with crowns before she started modeling (in the 80s haha). I got braces when I was in middle school. It pulled the gaps together but my teeth were still small. At the time, my parents couldn't afford to get me a proper retainer and the gaps just opened back up again. :( I've been so embarrassed about my teeth for so long, so after getting married in December, my husband was totally down for me getting the teeth I'd always wanted. Unfortunately we couldn't afford the 15,000 usd it would cost to do it in Korea (where we live) ...and Korea is like 30-40% cheaper than the States. So I decided to head to Manila (a quick 3 hour flight).
I wasn't scared about getting my teeth done in the Philippines. I live abroad, so the idea of getting dental work abroad didn't and still doesn't scare me. HOWEVER, since I didn't have a chance to meet this dentist before arriving, I was a little bit scared about his skill level. I read all the reviews on whatsclinic and did as much research as I could before coming, but of course, you never know.
Luckily, the clinic was fine. I can't say 100% how things will turn out, as I've only had the perms in for a day, BUT for the most part, I felt comfortable with the way things were done.
I will however say that the clinic I went to wasn't the best at communicating. They were very loving and kind and I always felt like a valued customer, BUT they didn't really explain things to me that well before doing them. I mean, they gave me a plan and everything, but I just really like to be walked through things... Maybe this was just because they had such a short time to get everything done...not sure...but that was my only big gripe.
OH and those stupid temps. I had my gums reduced so they were sore anyway, but those stupid temps were just rubbing up against them non stop (it started 2 days after being placed). It was horrible. The only reason I didn't go back to them to fix it was because I was getting them off in 2 days anyway. They were also really yellow which was kind of embarrassing...and they looked HUGE. I was so scared hahaha. I thought my perms my look like that. Luckily, the perms were quite beautiful.
Lastly, I didn't actually see the main doctor that often. He came in and out to check on the dentist/technician (I'm actually not really sure) as she worked away. He did double check her work, and she was super sweet and very detailed, but I wish I'd been told about this arrangement beforehand. It was unsettling at first. He was around...it's not like he left the building or anything, but he really wasn't the one working on me. It did, however, seem like he had his team well managed. Everyone was polite and the ceramist was on site and did a great job. The driver (that picked me up and dropped me of at my hotel everyday) was also super friendly.
Overall, I'm pleased. Is it perfect? No. It's not. There are things I would have changed if I'd had more time here. There's a tiny gap between the front two teeth..I'm not sure if that will go away as my gums heal or not, but it does bother me a little. However, coming here I knew I wouldn't get perfection. That's not even possible in a week haha...but I got near perfection and that's good enough. I'd definitely suggest going to the Philippines (or at least to Estetico Manila). I'm sure there are better, more modern clinics but those will undoubtedly be more expensive and I still felt that EM took good care of me. I'll update if I experience any problems.
Thing I got done:
6 all ceramic crowns (front teeth)
2 4-unit bridges PFM (back teeth)
1 PFM crown on one of my lower molars
Crown Lengthening (all of my upper teeth)
I wasn't scared about getting my teeth done in the Philippines. I live abroad, so the idea of getting dental work abroad didn't and still doesn't scare me. HOWEVER, since I didn't have a chance to meet this dentist before arriving, I was a little bit scared about his skill level. I read all the reviews on whatsclinic and did as much research as I could before coming, but of course, you never know.
Luckily, the clinic was fine. I can't say 100% how things will turn out, as I've only had the perms in for a day, BUT for the most part, I felt comfortable with the way things were done.
I will however say that the clinic I went to wasn't the best at communicating. They were very loving and kind and I always felt like a valued customer, BUT they didn't really explain things to me that well before doing them. I mean, they gave me a plan and everything, but I just really like to be walked through things... Maybe this was just because they had such a short time to get everything done...not sure...but that was my only big gripe.
OH and those stupid temps. I had my gums reduced so they were sore anyway, but those stupid temps were just rubbing up against them non stop (it started 2 days after being placed). It was horrible. The only reason I didn't go back to them to fix it was because I was getting them off in 2 days anyway. They were also really yellow which was kind of embarrassing...and they looked HUGE. I was so scared hahaha. I thought my perms my look like that. Luckily, the perms were quite beautiful.
Lastly, I didn't actually see the main doctor that often. He came in and out to check on the dentist/technician (I'm actually not really sure) as she worked away. He did double check her work, and she was super sweet and very detailed, but I wish I'd been told about this arrangement beforehand. It was unsettling at first. He was around...it's not like he left the building or anything, but he really wasn't the one working on me. It did, however, seem like he had his team well managed. Everyone was polite and the ceramist was on site and did a great job. The driver (that picked me up and dropped me of at my hotel everyday) was also super friendly.
Overall, I'm pleased. Is it perfect? No. It's not. There are things I would have changed if I'd had more time here. There's a tiny gap between the front two teeth..I'm not sure if that will go away as my gums heal or not, but it does bother me a little. However, coming here I knew I wouldn't get perfection. That's not even possible in a week haha...but I got near perfection and that's good enough. I'd definitely suggest going to the Philippines (or at least to Estetico Manila). I'm sure there are better, more modern clinics but those will undoubtedly be more expensive and I still felt that EM took good care of me. I'll update if I experience any problems.
Thing I got done:
6 all ceramic crowns (front teeth)
2 4-unit bridges PFM (back teeth)
1 PFM crown on one of my lower molars
Crown Lengthening (all of my upper teeth)
Jynyou's provider
Replies (17)
October 23, 2014
They honestly look amazing! Definitely an example of what I'm hoping for when my braces are off and I can start the reshaping process to have bigger teeth. Yours are beautiful!
January 9, 2015
Oh ok ig thats a good thing . Im having a hard time getting use to my dang composite resigh they put on my ffront tooth i hate it :-(
UPDATED FROM Jynyou
5 months post
love my smile!!!
So it's been about five months and I'm still loving my smile. The swelling has gone down in my gums but I really need a waterpik because they I have slight bleeding when I brush. The sensitivity is also gone. Overall I'm so happy and I can't believe how little I paid for what I got. Totally satisfied!
Replies (1)
December 31, 2015
Your beautiful and happy smile says it all--you are gorgeous! And you look like you were born with this smile, that's how natural it looks. Thanks for all the details in your review--very helpful.
The good thing about tiny teeth is they make you look really young :D. But your new smile is very beautiful, and I cannot believe the price you paid--$4000! I don't see the gap at all, but that could be picture quality. Still, it can't be too big, or I'd definitely see it. Do you think people would notice it when they talk to you in person? And your gums don't show at all anymore! My daughter has a gummy smile so I'm always interested in gum lift reviews. What was the pain like for that?
I'm so happy to hear that you had a good experience! Do you speak Tagalog or did they work with you in English? Also, how did you hear about this particular clinic? And what were the bridges for exactly? I assume your teeth were prepped for all of these, and that crowns were chosen instead of veneers because your original teeth were too small? Also, how long did the entire process take, from getting an initial appointment to perms?