You, too, can have that winning smile

When I was a child, it was always, "We will bring you to the dentist if you misbehave." I would cower in fear. I confused the dental chair with the electric chair. Our town dentist was a good one especially with kids. He had a good sense of humor. My fear was mine and mine alone; it was not anyone’s fault.

Outside the dentist’s house was plastered a made-to-order board that said Dentistâ. This was common in my hometown. Anybody who was a titulado, meaning titled with a degree would place a karatula outside his house by the door stating the owner’s degree or title. It was a badge of honor. Thus, it was common to see "Atty. At Law," "Certified Public Accountant," "Engineer" and "Teacher."
The only profession I remember not being advertised was the "parteraâ" which in Tagalog means komadrona. To this day, I still wonder why. Ok, a lot of them didn’t finish school but 90 percent of the town’s population were born through their hands!

I did visit our hometown dentist a few times. It was not because I committed a misdemeanor but because I had a decaying tooth that had to be extracted. I would convince myself that I would not feel any pain. I had to tell myself over and over again that being injected with anesthesia was just like being bitten by an ant. But by the time the needle touched my gums, I would scream like I was being devoured by a black, stinking kapre.

It was horrifying, just like that scene from the movie Marathon Man. Dustin Hoffman was bound to a dental chair as Sir Laurence Olivier with a devilish grin asked him, "Is it safe? Is it safe?", and he plunged the pliers mercilessly into Dustin’s mouth. Dustin wailed like a dying deer in the mouth of a hungry tiger. It was a frightening scene.

I thought I would never understand why children today love going to the dentist. I also thought that I will never overcome my fear of dentists until I found the right one. Dr. Irma Cascante treats my dental problems so patiently. (I am an unbelievably psychotic, neurotic patient). She is kind, nice and beautiful. She also said that most of our fears about dentists are imagined. I believe her.

Two weeks ago, I had my gums treated and I’m in the process of having dental implants. This is being done by Dr. Steve Mark Gan, an oral implantologist at the Medical Plaza in Makati. He is the best dental implantologist in this whole wide world. He is both brilliant and compassionate.

How did I find Dr. Mark Gan is a simple case of synchronicity/divine alignment. I brought Nanay to her eye doctor, Dr. Vic Lopez, at the Medical Plaza for consultation. Beside Dr. Lopez’s clinic is Dr. Mark Gan’s clinic. It’s called GAOC-Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center. Kris (Aquino) and James (Yap) happened to be in Dr. Gan’s clinic where Dr. Gerry, their dentist is one of Dr. Gan’s dental partners. They were probably in one of their regular dental visits. Some unseen hands must have pushed me to enter the dental clinic because my natural reaction to a dental office is to flee from it.

There wasn’t fear, it was a connection I experienced. A good vibe. Everyone was smiling, including the sunflowers inside the recovery room. I felt at ease in the death chamber of my imagination.

This is how it started. I sat down for an X-ray because I was complaining of swollen gums but I had to be back the next week as Dr. Gan was not in the office. I even felt better because I actually didn’t have to go back. But I did for six to seven times already. I am in the process of dental implants and slowly I am not afraid anymore. God in His infinite wisdom allowed this experience to happen in a moment where some of the dearest people to me were present – Nanay, Bong, Kris and James. It was simply amazing!

Back to dental implants. They are permanent replacements for dental roots. This treatment is based on a medical phenomenon called osseointegration which means that the implant integrates with the patient’s jawbone. This phenomenon was discovered by Prof. Ingvar Branemark in 1952. Prof. Branemark performed his first implant surgery in 1965.

Since the medical phenomenon of osseointegration has been discovered, more than five million people have been treated with implants from Nobel Biocare. Nobel Biocare is the only company in the dental industry that provides an integrated suite of crowns, bridges and implants for all aspects of advanced and aesthetic tooth reconstruction. It is dedicated to providing optimal solutions to people’s tooth problems.

When I went to Dr. Gan’s office, I was clueless about dental implants until I had one. I have to wait a few more months because the implant will need time to integrate with my jawbone before he places the permanent Procera crown. My tooth is new but it is real and is installed permanently.

Anyone who has one or more missing teeth can avail of dental implants. The implants are made of small pieces of titanium, also considered the lightest metal. Titanium is used in ceramics, aircraft and aerospace industries. And if you want to eat, smile and talk the way you do with your natural teeth, don’t hesitate to have dental implants.

If Vicki Belo is the dermatologist to the stars, Dr. Mark Gan is the dental implantologist to the stars. And like Vicki, Dr. Mark Gan is also a star. Yes, stars and celebrities go to Dr. Mark Gan’s clinic. Don’t be surprised if you bump into some of them at GAOC. They all have great smiles!

You can reach Dr. Gan at the Medical Plaza at 843-9112 or 843-8786. By the way, Dr. Mark Gan opened his new dental paradise still at the Medical Plaza.