Guide to Dental Care in the Philippines

The Philippines is one country where expats find dental problems a non-issue. This is because dental care comes cheap yet excellent by international standards.

The Philippines boasts of highly skilled and licensed dental practitioners who offer a variety of services ranging from the most basic oral cleaning procedures to the most high-tech techniques in cosmetic surgery. Indeed, in the Philippines, an expat enjoys a combination of first-rate dental care and affordability that is a rather rare combination these days.

To visit a dentist, one can rely on referrals from Filipino colleagues, neighbors or acquaintances who will be very glad to give a referral or two. There are some clinics where one needs to set an appointment before coming in to see a dentist. However, there are others that may admit walk-in patients. Those with international health insurance should also confirm if coverage is possible. 

The country's health service program called PhilHealth does not include dental in the coverage. However, expats may take out international health insurance that particularly includes dental services in the package. Public dental clinics are rare, and people often rely on private practitioners for their dental treatments. Everybody pays in cash and those with private health insurance can simply file for reimbursement.

Most clinics in major areas come complete with some of the most advanced dental equipment which, on top of dentists' skills and the affordability of their services, makes another reason why expats will love it here in the Philippines.