Life and career in the Philippines

By Dr. Farzaneh Shamsi

Technology is changing the dental industry.

Ultrasonic machines are used to detect fractures and cavities instead of X-rays. Lasers for faster healing. All these new technologies have allowed dentists and patients to discuss treatment planning in detail.

Becoming a dentist is an unavoidable path for me. I literally grew up in the dental clinic of my mother, Dr. Gloria Jimenez, a dental surgeon. My days in that clinic would light up the fire of passion in me to pursue dentistry.

Mom was 24 when she had me, and she said I was so special; that I was a fast learner, walking at 11 months old and speaking straight English at the age of 2 with a wide vocabulary. She said I was very competitive in my schools and tried to always have good grades.

I came to the Philippines to study, completing my Doctorate of Dental Medicine at Centro Escolar University, also known as CEU, and earning my second dental license as Doctor of Dental Surgery in Iran. I decided to stay in the Philippines, as I saw a big opportunity in enhancing and elevating the dental industry, especially in promoting dental health.

I love the Philippines and I love working here, my vision is to improve the quality of the dental industry in the country.

I feel that Filipinos need to be more conscious and aware about their dental and oral health. According to statistics I read early this year, more than 87% suffer from tooth decay, most of this could be the result of unhealthy diet, lack of awareness, or being afraid to visit their dentist. So I teach my clients overall oral hygiene, and how it is connected to the rest of the body and their overall health and well-being.

My passion continued to fire up as I completed numerous continuing education courses in dental surgery, dental implants, and dental cosmetics and aesthetics. In all these, I constantly thought of my patients as I want them to receive the most comprehensive and advanced dental care.

What I enjoy about dentistry is coming up with a treatment plan, especially when it’s about giving a new smile to the patient. The most difficult part I find about dentistry is the physical pain it leaves behind after several hours of work, in my back or sometimes my hands. I strive to keep up with the latest techniques and materials to provide my patients with the safest and most effective dental care and results.

Hundreds of hours of continuing education, including certification in cosmetic dentistry and restorative dentistry, and specialization in surgery and cosmetic dentistry, has brought me to where I am now – co-founder and co-owner of Fashion Smile Dental Health and Wellness, a premium one stop dental, aesthetics, facial and skin care center, complemented by Aramesh Spa and Wellness.

I am a conservative doctor – I work as conservative as possible to preserve as much natural structure as possible. So as early as my first year of practice, I developed an interest in surgery because as of now, the best replacement for missing teeth are dental implants. It is important for me to offer this treatment to my patients as it also helps in slowing down aging and bone loss in the jaws. A dental implant is an artificial tooth root, usually in the form of a screw and made of titanium, that is inserted in the jaw bone.

I am not only passionate about dentistry; I am passionate about life in general. I attend leadership seminars at the Purposeful Stewardship Institute for my personal growth and at the same time to give the best dental service to my patients. I also volunteer for dental missions.

Another passion I have is food! With my Fashion Smile co-founder, Dr. Shahideh Nikbin, we ventured into the food business and established Pizza World, because we believe the Philippines has room for better and more flavorful pizzas, plus pizza is our favorite food.

I don’t really know where I get my knack for business, but I was very interested in business growing up. I also love creating and playing around with recipes. My father, Engineer Mohammad Ali Shamsi, was always all-out in supporting whatever endeavor I undertake.

I also take time to relax and de-stress by meditating, massage therapies, and if I have the time, going on nature vacations. I keep myself fit by always including vegetables and fruits in my daily regulated diet and exercising. I also get facials and facelift massages at Aramesh.

Right now, Dr. Nikbin and I are busy preparing Fashion Smile and Aramesh Wellness for expansion and branching out. We are working on incorporating some tech into the operation to automate some processes, make things faster and more efficient, to be able to manage and run multiple locations.

So far, life has been so good. And I vow to continuously become a better person and a better dentist, as long as I live.