DR. DON Magadia is one of three Philippine-based local dentists who are members of the prestigious Academy of Laser Dentistry in the USA. Photo by Bobot Meru
Cosmetic dentistry comes of age By Marge C. Enriquez Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 23:42:00 10/02/2008
MANILA, Philippines—When veteran hairdresser and TV host Ricky Reyes saw himself on television recently, he noticed he could hardly see his teeth, especially the lower part. He was worried because teeth is an indicator of age. He immediately made an appointment for cosmetic dentistry, a complete oral care that enhances dental health and beautifies your smile.
"He's kinda young. It's just the wear and tear. Time erodes a big chunk of your enamel. Ricky's teeth are smaller on the lower part. He also wanted to lengthen his upper teeth," says his dentist, Don Magadia of Beverly Hills 6750 Multi-specialty Aesthetic Institute.
"More teeth translate into a more youthful look. In youth, teeth are long. As we get older, we wear out two to three millimeters on the upper and lower teeth," he adds.
Bonding
Reyes wanted more bulk to make his lips fuller and lighter. So Magadia employed cosmetic bonding, a procedure in which a dental composite material resembling enamel is put on a tooth's surface, formed into shape by a high-intensity light, hardened and then polished. It can fill cavities and repair tooth decay without the scary drills or mechanical undercuts of conventional dentistry, shape the teeth and lighten the color.
"Cosmetic bonding is like placing a paper-thin layer on the front of the teeth to mask what is inside. It can be done through composite resins or porcelain laminates, depending on the patient's budget. We can extend teeth through composite resin that's like a filling or restoration. We can also lengthen teeth through porcelain crowns or porcelain laminates," says Magadia.
He then used porcelain crowns and covered the dark portions of the teeth with composite laminate. Dental crowns are applied to broken teeth, very large cavities and gaps between teeth. After all, who wants a mouth full of ghastly silver fillings?
Since porcelain crowns resemble natural healthy teeth, they are done best by a cosmetic dentist.
Magadia adds that only two percent of dentists worldwide create their own dental crowns. Like a doctor partnering with the anesthesiologist, the cosmetic dentist collaborates with a ceramicist.
"To produce one crown would take you the whole morning. You have to invest in the machine. That crown would not be produced without the initial tooth preparation and the instruction of dentist," he says.
Proud of the dental makeover, Reyes said on television that if he could have hair, nail and lash extensions, he could also avail of teeth extensions.
"I feel so confident. When I look at myself in the morning and smile at the mirror, everything goes well throughout the day," he gushes.
"I was hesitant at first about Ricky's requests for bulky teeth. But his teeth came out very well. In the first place, he's got nice lips that would make the teeth look good," says Magadia.
Popular service
Bleaching or teeth whitening is still the most popular service in cosmetic dentistry.
"It's very conservative. You don't have to grind the teeth. You just use bleaching agent, subject it to light, then let it do its work. Voila! The teeth are at least six shades lighter," says Magadia. Beverly Hills 6750 applies a special bleaching agent and utilizes a machine also used on Hollywood actors.
Magadia clarifies that the clinic uses halide lamps, which come from the family of ultra-violet lamps, to bleach the teeth since lasers can be too uncomfortable for patients with sensitive teeth. Bleaching is only recommended for people with "virgin teeth" or generally healthy teeth with very minimal cavities or fillings.
To conceal discolored teeth that have a lot of damage, to bridge gaps, or to make durable fillings, veneers are an alternative. They are fine custom-made laminates that adhere directly to the teeth.
Composite veneers are made inside the mouth and subjected to light. Porcelain veneers are more expensive since they are made from the mold of the patient, set for a few days and fitted to the patient.
One of the newest procedures is gum depigmentation or gum bleaching, which eliminates dark patches caused by excessive melanin deposits. The laser restores the gums to the pink of health.
What is the price of a beautiful smile? By industry rates, the laser whitening costs P20,000 to P35,000 for the upper and lower teeth. The two-hour procedure includes preparation and the actual light immersion.
Porcelain veneers fetch P15,000 to P30,000 per tooth, while the composite costs P4,000 to P6,000 each. The dentist normally applies eight porcelain veneers on the upper teeth and eight on the lower teeth on the front.
"Some would have veneers on the front, crowns on the back and certain molars. That's 28 teeth times the price of a veneer. That would be translated to 72 hours in the dental chair. You can't do it in one sitting," says Magadia.
Flourishing business
Despite the tough times, business has been flourishing since the clinic caters to upscale clients and foreigners. Cosmetic dentistry appeals to people from the entertainment industry and those who want to improve their self-esteem.
"The mouth is one-third of your face. You may have a nice smile, but if you have ugly teeth, the aesthetics are spoiled," says Magadia.
A patient, an English hairdresser, had stopped socializing because he was so conscious of his bad teeth. When he hailed a cab, he would cover his mouth. The crowns made in England were bulky and caught food when he ate. "Doctor, half of my life is dead," said the patient.
Magadia did cosmetic bonding, and the patient's experience helped remove his fear of dentists. That same procedure worked on the crowded teeth of a model, lengthened a tooth of a girl that was broken after she fell from a bike, and improved the appearance of a top-ranking expat banker who had chipped his tooth enamel whenever he would would grind his teeth at night.
Likewise, a winner of the Miss Ugly-No-More contest, Beverly Hills' makeover competition last year, had missing teeth and was given dentures without metal. The winner now works at the reception desk of the Beverly Hills 6750 clinic, greeting visitors with a beautiful smile.
The clinic walks its talk.
Copyright 2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
To
subscribe to the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper in the Philippines,
call +63 2 896-6000 for Metro Manila and Metro Cebu or email your subscription request here.
Factual errors? Contact the
Philippine Daily Inquirer's day desk.
Believe this article violates journalistic ethics?
Contact the
Inquirer's Reader's Advocate.
Or write The Readers' Advocate:
c/o
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Chino RocesAvenue corner Yague and Mascardo Streets,
Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Or fax nos. +63 2 8974793 to 94
![Zoom Image](javascript:popwin("http://images.inquirer.net/media/showbizandstyle/lifestyle/lifestyle/images/pic-10030457380057.jpg", 640, 480))
Zoom
![Zoom Image](javascript:popwin("http://images.inquirer.net/media/showbizandstyle/lifestyle/lifestyle/images/pic-10030457540135.jpg", 640, 480))
Zoom
![Zoom Image](javascript:popwin("http://images.inquirer.net/media/showbizandstyle/lifestyle/lifestyle/images/pic-10030458160912.jpg", 640, 480))
Zoom
