I met Doc Marion Hazel Isip thru our friend, Isa. She asked me to make a website for her and her team, and eventually referred me to create one for Doc Marion. So after a meeting and a few email exchanges, I started creating a website for Winning Smiles Dental Clinic. Oh, and I even made a logo for her! 😀

ws-jan1916

Anyway, so much for the website development part. Doc Marion told me months ago that my husband and I should come over and she’ll do our teeth cleaning. Prophylaxis normally goes for P1,500. My husband had his teeth cleaned last January and it was P2,500! Jusmiyo.

We finally scheduled an appointment and what better way to do it than to test the appointment feature on the website that I made. Haha!
To book an appointment, just go to the APPOINTMENT tab, select the service that you want on the dropdown, and select Doc Marion’s name. Well, by default it goes to her, but they do have other dentists in the clinic. Select the date that you plan to visit. Light blue means that the date has passed, pink means the schedule is taken, and green is free. Doc Marion will then receive the email on her end and you will get an email once she confirms your schedule. I’m quite impressed with this thing that I made. Hahaha!

Winning Smiles Dental Clinic is perfectly situated on the 6th Floor of Medical Towers along Rufino Street in Makati. There are a lot of dental clinics in that building (which is weird because the name is Medical Towers), but don’t go there. Go to Doc Marion. Haha!

That’s Doc Marion manning the reception. Hello, yaya! Wait ka lang dyan. 😀 Yaya, Taglet, and Jeff in the reception area.
I must admit, I’m afraid of dentists. I just went because Jeff told me he feels like he needs to have his teeth cleaned again. So I let him go first. Haha! Which is also why this blog post is full of his photos. 😀

 

 

Doc Marion started by telling us the process of how they sterilize their tools. She mentioned that they put it inside a pouch and sterilize them in the machine (that looks like a microwave oven haha!), then they keep it afterwards. I remember the tools in our dentist’s clinic before was just in a canister on the table. Eeep! She also showed me the infrared sterilizing machine that they have. So cool! Everything was also covered in plastic, especially those that gets in contact with the hand. Hygiene is an understatement in her clinic.

You will see on the far left of the table, the tools are inside the pouch. They don’t touch it until it gets opened again for the next patient. That round machine is the infrared sterilizer. Covered in plastic. It’s fantastic! (weh, kinanta mo noh?)
So she started cleaning Jeff’s teeth and I started taking photos. Haha! The session lasted for about 30 minutes or so.
It was my turn after Jeff. It’s been quite a while since I had my teeth cleaned, so I thought it would be bloody, painful, and would take long. My teeth are very sensitive so I thought there’d be so much ngilo, but surprisingly, nothing! (Believe me I even googled the English term for ngilo, but apparently, there’s no direct translation. It’s just ‘teeth sensitivity’.) This by far would be one of the few pleasant dental appointments that I’ve had in my life. (Trust me I’ve had some dental horror stories like when I had a botched root canal and my face swelled up a week before my college graduation. A WEEK BEFORE MY COLLEGE GRADUATION! My dad almost sued and punched that dentist in Antipolo, who I won’t name haha!)

Doc Marion is the head dentist in Winning Smiles Dental Clinic, together with Dr. Lallaine Lucas-Gogna, Dr. Melanie Karganilla-Frange, and Dr. Greg Doronila. They specialize in cosmetic dentistry and dental implants. I also heard that they do make great veneers. If only I were rich, I’d to veneers haha!

It looks like I’ll have a series of appointments with her again because I asked her to fix some of my dental problems. We started with teeth whitening, which I am now doing here at home. She gave me the Oral B 3D White Whitestrips that I should do for 14 days. It’s the cheaper version since I can’t afford the P20k-ish bleaching hahahaha!

Winning Smiles Dental Clinic

Unit 607-608 Medical Towers, Rufino Street, Makati City

(02) 892 8189

Originally Posted at http://www.misistagle.com/that-winning-smile/

 

When you’re a young adult, the last four permanent teeth to appear in your mouth are the third molars, also known as wisdom teeth. But rather than giving us the wisdom we would like, they often become problematic – even for those of us who have the best oral health. When wisdom teeth problems arise, dentists often recommend removing them, and there are a few reasons this may be the smartest thing to do.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth could be as useful as any of your other teeth, but because they are in the very back of the mouth, they often don’t have enough room to grow in. It’s not unusual for wisdom teeth to be positioned crooked or sideways in the jaw, keeping them from erupting into the mouth properly. This is referred to as an “impacted” tooth, and according to the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), nine out of 10 patients have at least one.

Why Remove Them?

There are four unhealthy circumstances that might prompt your dentist to recommend removing your impacted wisdom teeth:

• Healthy teeth can be damaged as impacted wisdom teeth push against your neighboring second molars.
• Impacted wisdom teeth often become decayed or infected because they’re hard to reach with your toothbrush.
• Bacteria around the impacted tooth can lead to gum disease and enter your bloodstream, adversely affecting your heart and other organs of your body.
• Fluid-filled cysts or tumors occasionally form around the bottom of an impacted wisdom tooth, causing damage to the jawbone, nerves in the area and nearby teeth.

The Best Time to Remove Them

Whenever your dentist detects problems or feels that your wisdom teeth have the potential to create complications in your mouth, he will most likely suggest that you have one or all of your wisdom teeth removed – even if they aren’t causing you problems at the moment. Wisdom teeth are also easier to remove when you’re younger than when you are older, according to the AAOMS, because the roots are not completely developed and the bone around the teeth isn’t as dense. This means there is a slimmer chance of damaging surrounding nerves, teeth or bone during removal.

Keeping Them

You may be lucky enough to have a “big mouth,” which allows your wisdom teeth to fully erupt without interfering with your other teeth. But before you’re in the clear to keep them, your dentist will want to make sure that they are functional and not affecting your bite. They should also be cavity-free, surrounded by healthy gum tissue and not causing you any pain.

However, to keep your wisdom teeth for the long haul, you’ll need to focus on good oral care at home – flossing and toothbrushing regularly with fluoride toothpaste and getting your toothbrush back far enough to clean thoroughly. It can also help to use an antibacterial mouthwash like Colgate^® Total Advanced Pro-Shield^™, which can reduce lingering bacteria in your mouth.

To help you avoid wisdom teeth problems, your dentist will want to monitor these four teeth for any changes, by taking x-rays during regular checkup appointments. So, if you have reached “the age of wisdom” and are wondering “should they stay or should they go,” you can rest assured there are options that can lead to a smart solution.

ORIGINALLY POSTED HERE:

http://www.colgate.com/en/us/oc/oral-health/conditions/wisdom-teeth/article/common-wisdom-teeth-problems-and-smart-solutions-1014?thumbparam=wisdom-teeth/184997958

Porcelain veneers are becoming popular as more and more people are becoming conscious of how they look. With the advent of selfies, people realize how having whiter and evenly proportioned teeth can make a smile more beautiful.

WHAT EXACTLY ARE VENEERS?

Porcelain veneers are thin pieces of porcelain that can be applied on the surface of the teeth to make slight position alterations, or to change tooth shape, size, and/or color. It recreates natural looking teeth, while providing strength. It can enhance your look by providing evenly shaped and coloured teeth.

DO I NEED VENEERS?

Porcelain laminate veneers consist of a compilation of several thin ceramic layers which replace original tooth enamel, and an adhesive layer. A thin amount of the labial tooth enamel is removed to create room for the porcelain veneer to fit within the mouth and accurately restore tooth function while creating an even better appearance than the original tooth.

The veneer is cemented using a dual cure cement that creates a bond between the teeth and the undersurface of the veneer.

Porcelain Veneers are a very successful option in situations where the original teeth have gaps, slight malposition, poor color, fracture or minor bite-related problems. It is also the best option to permanently whiten teeth.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES?

Since veneers are individually sculpted for each patient, it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a veneer and a natural tooth. Unlike natural teeth, custom-made veneers resist coffee and tea stains, and cigarette smoke because they are made of high-tech materials.

With veneers—as opposed to crowns—your natural teeth remain largely intact with only a minimal amount being altered to fit the veneer.

For teeth that resist whitening, veneers can make even the darkest teeth appear bright white.

Dentists may also recommend veneers to quickly fix minor twists, overlaps, and small gaps.

ARE THERE DISADVANTAGES?

Once veneer is placed on the teeth, the process is irreversible because the surface of the teeth will be reduced to accommodate the veneer. Although adjustments and even new veneers can be made, you cannot return to the original condition of the tooth.

Porcelain veneers are fabricated in the laboratory. Hence, it would take at least 7-10 days before it can be installed.

Some patients may experience sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures after veneer installation. This is perfectly normal as a thin layer of enamel was removed during the process. This typically disappears within a few days. In a healthy mouth properly treated with porcelain veneers—and where destructive forces are minimized or eliminated—a patient should be able to use porcelain veneers like his or her own teeth. Although they’re very strong, veneers are also brittle. You should avoid the same excessive stresses you would avoid with non-veneered teeth: don’t bite your fingernails, chew ice, or open beer bottles with your veneers!

HOW DO I MAINTAIN THEM?

Maintaining porcelain veneers is actually quite simple: Treat them as you would your original teeth, with routine brushing and flossing. Using non-abrasive fluoride toothpaste is best.

A post-operative follow up is scheduled so the dentist can check and evaluate how your mouth is reacting to the veneers. Adjustment may also be made to correct minor bite problems. If you have a habit of grinding or clenching your teeth, your dentist may ask you to wear a night guard so you do not damage your veneers.

Regular dental visit twice a year is recommended so the dentist can do scaling and polishing and check for any sign of potential failure.

Porcelain Veneers are available at Winning Smiles Dental Clinic. Be one of our many patients who can’t stop smiling because of their whiter, nicer teeth.