by Robbie Pangilinan

Before, Filipinos would have most or all of their teeth replaced with dentures. Today, dentists do all they can to save a patient’s teeth, with extraction as the last and final resort when all else fails.

Dr. Farzaneh Shamsi, co-founder and co-owner of Fashion Smile Dental Health and Wellness, a premium one stop dental, aesthetics, facial and skin care center with Persian spa wellness, describes herself a conservative dentist in this aspect.

“I want to 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,” explains the half-Persian half-Filipino dental doctor.

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. Dr. Far says that while dental implants are the best replacement for missing teeth and is recommended for anyone who has a missing tooth and needs to replace it, a patient still needs to undergo a series of tests and examinations to make sure it is an option for them.

“The level of difficulty of the procedure actually depends on the condition of the patient and the area that needs the procedure,” adds Dr. Far, who came to the Philippines to study and decided to stay when she saw an opportunity to help enhance and elevate the dental industry. She also noticed a big need in promoting dental health.

Dr. Far and business partner Dr. Shideh Nikbin 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,” says Dr. Far.