Looking For A Good Dentist?

[Dave Hounddriver]

This is the forum approved dentist:

http://www.cebudentalservices.com/

I did not go to him because my Western school of thought was that if he could afford to advertise then he would be charging too much as he had additional expenses. so I went to another dentist, recommended by a good friend. She was good, but when checking around to see who would have done a better job at a better price I kept being referred back to the man in this link. He has been at forum sponsored events before so its possible some will have met him. Don't make the same mistake as me and assume he is more expensive.

[samatm]

This is the forum approved dentist:

http://www.cebudentalservices.com/

I did not go to him because my Western school of thought was that if he could afford to advertise then he would be charging too much as he had additional expenses. so I went to another dentist, recommended by a good friend. She was good, but when checking around to see who would have done a better job at a better price I kept being referred back to the man in this link. He has been at forum sponsored events before so its possible some will have met him. Don't make the same mistake as me and assume he is more expensive.

I used Doc Sucalit as in the link to get a Crown done 2 years ago. Very good work. He made sure it fit perfectly and matched just right. offices are right over the McDoo on Fuente . I understand he is a leading implant specialist in CEBU pioneering the practice. He also does charitable work with dental missions to the masa. Seems a right decent doc.

[T.Monk]

I recently went to a Dr.

Debra Occena-Sablada (in Davao City)

at Davao Doctors Hospital Medical Arts Building. I had nothing wrong but have a mouthful of veneers from due to a somewhat misspent youth and wanted to make contact with a dentist who was familiar with cosmetic and other complicated dentistry should I need work. Dr. Occena-Sablada was VERY good, and I went to the very best in the US with which to compare. In some ways she was better than my US dentists b/c she took more time with the exam, rather than relying on a dental hygienist to tip her off. Cost was fair--of course since they don't have insurance companies insulating patients from costs here so much-- the charge was low vs. the US. This Dr does a lot of oral surgery (I've been told) as well. Her office was clean and more modern than I expected for Davao City. She communicates well, too. There was hardly any waiting at appointment time.

[joeatmanila]

It so happens that i am undergoing a dental treatment at the moment.

3 teeth filling

heavy cleaning of all my teeth

Jacket with 3 new teeth (i do not know how is called in the western world, it is an addition of 3 porcelane teeth supported on two other existing teeth, permanent and not a removal denture)

Extraction of one tooth

Total cost 14500p= approx 350USD.

I do not know how much this would cost me in the western world but judging a root canal of 800$ in US 6 years ago...i believe way much more!!!

All done to my local area dentist, his place looks as any dentistry i ever visited in the west, good job, no complains.

Plus the first day he did something called pulpotomy (or something as such), he temporary filled the tooth and i left. During the night i was in pain, i called him, he offered me or he opens his office now and continues what needs to be done tomorrow or i pass by his house he gives me prescription for a strong pain killer, sleep and tomorrow he will fix everything. I took the second option.

I have to say, he did not charge me for the pulpotomy he did because i pained, he did not charge me for disturbing him at his house at 9pm...Try it in our western world!!!!!

[clickypen]

This thread came up on Google when I was searching after chipping one of my fillings recently. I went to Green Apple so I thought I'd join the forum, necromance this thread and post up my experience.

Firstly to the two posters who say this clinic is the same standard as the best in Australia are incorrect. Of course, they would know what their experience in Australia is, but I can say it's leagues below the standard I receive in my dental clinic in Sydney.

The first telltales:

1.) no eye protection for patient or dentist

2.) no conditioned power (that I could see, open to being corrected on this)

3.) single room for 3 patients (separated by opaque glass but every dentist I've been to in Australia the patient is the only patient in the room, this may be different state to state or city vs country or whatever but still)

My filling was quite a simple job but upon putting the filling in and baking it the dentist turned the light off and declared she was done.

I've had this particular filling spot done about 8 times (long story) in Australia- all of them checked with articulating paper to ensure bite. I was a bit dubious but I could feel with my tongue that it wasn't even polished at the back, felt like it had a big hole and most importantly I couldn't close my mouth all the way (simply, it hit). There is absolutely no reasonable way any dentist of repute would finish a filling without polishing it down.

I told her this.

So the light goes back on and she does a bit of polishing. I still can't close my mouth all the way. We do this about 3-4 times, at which point I mention to her that when I've had it done before the articulating paper seemed to come in handy. She said "I have some here actually" and goes about using it. Why she needed my suggestion I'm not sure.

I know in Australia many of the dentists use the techniques where you close your mouth and pull it a bit so the ink (or whatever) gets on your teeth. She wasn't familiar with the technique so the procedure took ages. (like another 5+ goes).

Anyway, she ground down the wrong part too much and within 8 hours a quarter of the filling had chipped off. Granted it's not easy as it needs to be thin enough that I can bite properly but as thick as possible to retain strength. To be fair, one dentist in Australia made it too thin but that still lasted a year. Most of them lasted 2 years, one lasted 5-6 years and the last one was going strong till I accidentally destroyed it.

Anyway - I'm not going back - I could forgive the rest but the thing that bothered me the most was she kept switching the drill on and off. This varies the speed at which it's spinning. Sorry but in Australia people just turn it on, they regulate the speed elsewhere. Either her technique or equipment wasn't up to par but either way this is not the standard where I go in Australia. If anyone has operated power equipment before they'd know what effect on accuracy turning the speed up and down with the on/off button has.

I double checked my last dentist in Sydney and I have to admit that a.) they're all graduates of USyd (one has hons), b.) they're about 10-20% more expensive than other dentists in Australia c.) they've consistently performed really good work for me.

Anyway, one of my ex-pat colleagues recommended this same clinic, but maybe they had a different dentist. One of my local friends said that they wouldn't expect it to be a good clinic. Funny the difference in opinion.

Anyway, I'm hoping to find another dentist and get the chipped part ground down a little, look like a punk for a while and fly back to Australia to get my guys to fix me up. I'd rather spend $3k to fix it than $50 and have some cowboy in my mouth with power tools.

If anyone has further recommendations please indicate the procedure you have and what you base your quality claims on. This would help people searching to make up their own minds.

Good luck to you all !

[Dave Hounddriver]

I hear what you are saying and I don't know why anyone would equate dental work done here with dental work in any first world country except in exaggeration All the other Philippine dentists I have experience with are similar in many ways to what you have described (even the ones that are highly recommended on this forum) and I suspect it is because this is a third world country.

[Classic Dry]

You're upsetting me ! ! !

I've been having some work done by a very expensive, highly recommended dentist here in Australia.

He's good, no doubt, but the cost is ridiculous.

I ducked out, intending to get the work finished in Cebu.

I think I'm worried !

I need reassurance .......NOW ! :th_unfair:

Edited January 11, 2013 by Classic Dry

[Bundy]

The dentist i saw at Green Apple was Sandie Me Rodriguez-Bayutas.

I was given eye protection

She also wore eye protection

I was in an extremely clean and modern room as the ONLY patient.

It was airconditioned.

As i said in my post, i had work done in Bundaberg before i left last july, and it is now THAT work which is giving me problems.

I will be going back to Sandie to get her to fix what they did in Bundaberg.

What more can i say?

[OnMyWay]

eye protection

I have never had eye protection at a dentist in the U.S. Is this something new?

We took the 8 year old to Green Apple at Ayala while we were in Cebu. Very nice modern office. The dentist was a young lady with braces and she seemed thorough but otherwise I can't comment on her skills because it was just a quick exam. I did happen to note that she had very nice legs! :)

[Classic Dry]

I did happen to note that she had very nice legs! :)

That's not the reassurance I'm looking for :bash: