David's Story

Hello, my name is David Stuart and this is my Dental Story
I never wanted to go overseas for my dental restoration. Believe me, I would have been quite happy to have my teeth restored at home but years were flying by and not only were my teeth deteriorating rapidly, the pain was becoming a constant infringement on my quality of life. I suppose I could put up with the physical pain to a certain extent but the one pain I found difficult to deal with was the psychological kind.

It's funny looking back on the strange little habits I picked up once deciding my teeth should never again see the light of day. Open laughing is to be avoided at all costs so I developed the closed smiling mouth/smiling eyes technique This works quite well until you meet someone really funny and you burst out laughing while silently cursing/liking them. Unfortunately this method also accelerates the crows feet around ones eyes.

Around five years ago I developed severe gum disease although I add, not for the first time. So it was back to my dentist for another round of high priced treatment that neither he nor I were very enthusiastic about. My teeth were crowded, painfully sensitive, worn down, decayed and cracking. The only thing that would save them was an extensive restoration that I knew and my dentist knew, I just couldn't afford. So it was just more patch-up dentistry until my magic money tree managed to cough up forty five thousand dollars.

Two years further on and I'd had enough. I was just plain tired of it all. I used to be a happy person who laughed and smiled often, but I just didn't feel like me anymore. In short, I was depressed and my self-esteem was taking a battering. My breath became so bad I started avoiding crowds or anywhere I'd have to stand close to people. I had a constant taste of blood and decay in my mouth and pain and bloating in the stomach from not being able to chew my food properly. I could also no longer drink or eat anything that wasn't room temperature as my teeth were so worn down that the roots were reacting to even the slightest temperature variation. I'm sure some reading this will relate to the fun of it all.

Desparation was setting in and I came within an inch of having all of my teeth extracted and replaced with dentures.. That, I could just about afford !

I don't exactly know where the idea came from to go overseas for treatment. I'd just heard somewhere that it was cheaper. When I first seriously looked at the idea there wasn't much information around. It was a matter of working from the ground up and gathering as many facts as possible regarding SE Asian dentistry.

My mission was to find a good reputable dentist who could restore my teeth and give me back my smile, confidence and self esteem.

I researched dental clinics for over twelve months with dozens of X-rays and dental plans going back and forth from the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and India. I was looking for ease of communication, exceptional skills and high qualifications in all aspects of dentistry.The only way to do this was to ask a lot of questions and examine the results. I basically formulated a check- list with scores awarded under different criteria. checked the sterilisation methods of each clinic, confirmed dental degrees with relevant universities, and for the clinic to provide genuine patient before and after shots.

After an exhausting and at times frustrating search, I found the the clinic I'd been searching for. The communication was sharp and the staff spoke excellent English (as do most of the population in Manila). They were quick to forward details of qualifications, experience, sterilisation methods and importantly, a treatment and expense outline for my restoration. While excited with having reached this decision I was still apprehensive about taking the trip. In fact I procrastinated for another three months until finally deciding to just go for it!

I arrived in Manila with the mind set that if the clinic looked dirty or if things were not as they seemed I would walk away. As hard as that would have been to do, my health was the most important thing.

Well in short I'm rather glad I went.

The clinic itself sparkled with hygiene and everything appeared modern and state of the art.

And as for the staff. Well, let me say in all my years of patch up dentistry I had never come across such a gentle, caring, and thoroughly dedicated dental team. Neither had I ever felt so important as a patient. Every possible care was taken with my comfort and every step of the procedure was explained to me on request. After the first appointment I can honestly say I felt in pretty good hands and after traveling so far and researching so long I was quite relieved. The dentist really listened to my concerns regarding my treatment and pathetically low pain threshold. She presented some further treatment options and advice where applicable. At no stage did I ever feel rushed or harassed - everything was done at my pace.

The dental team created a full smile restoration consisting of decay treatment, root canals to help align the front teeth, porcelain crowns (all porcelain on the fronts and porcelain fused to metal on the backs), fixed Porcelain bridges to replace missing back teeth, and a gum lift. The cost? Under $12,000 including airfare and accommodation.

Now I'm not going to suggest to the reader that it was all easy and plain sailing because at times it wasn't. Three weeks worth of dentistry (In my case) requires some commitment and a will to see it through to it's rewarding end

Did I mention loving the result? My smile was now aesthetically pleasing and I was pain free for the first time in years. My digestive system also powered along since I'd stopped sending it poorly chewed lumps of food. Gone were the nightly digestive cramps and bloating as well as the excess gas (sorry if that's too much information!). With the decay and gum disease vanquished my mouth tasted really fresh and healthy.

So much has changed since my dental tourism adventure. The obvious being I smile and laugh a lot more frequently and of coarse my confidence and self-esteem have also improved. That in itself wasn't a sudden or dramatic change but rather a gradual improvement which I could only really explain by saying I felt more comfortable in my own skin.

My broadest smiles were saved for those who were quite skeptical and dubious of my decision to go. Some friends and family were outspoken and actively tried to talk me out of taking the step into the great unknown either convinced the work would be shoddy or I'd end up a victim of crime. Neither could have been further from the truth. I found it a little amusing that those who were most skeptical had the best teeth and therefore had no real idea what it's like to have serious dental issues.

Two years later I joined the clinic and now take care of global marketing and patient liaison. You may have seen us recently on the 'Today Show' along with numerous magazine and newspaper articles. I'm trying to spread the word that there is a real alternative. A first class dental clinic available in the Philippines that can give you back your quality of life without breaking the bank. A clinic who's all female dental team are dedicated to their craft and patient welfare and who along the way have won numerous awards and recognition from their peers.

The testimonies and before and after photographs found on this website and dental forum are not fictional but come unsolicited from genuine patients who have experienced our clinic and were so delighted with the result they felt compelled to write. Chances are that if you're reading this then you're looking for some real and cost effective solutions to your dental problems. I wish you all the very best with your research and sincerely hope you find a clinic that you're comfortable with. And more importantly, that you have the courage and motivation to follow it through for a successful and life changing result.