Isumbong ang mga Pekeng Dentista


Ang (PDA) Philippine Dental Association ay ang tanging kinikilala at pangunahing organisasyon o lupon ng mga lisensyadong dentista sa Pilipinas. Isa sa mga layunin ng organisasyong ito ay mabigyan ng proteksyon hindi lamang ang karapatan ng mga miyembro nitong propesyonal, kundi pati na rin ang pagsasaalang-alang sa ikabubuti ng mga mamamayang pinagsisilbihan at binibigyang serbisyo ng mga dentistang ito. Responsibilidad ng organisasyon na tulungan ang ating nga dentista na panatilihing nasa tama ang kalidad ng serbisyo na ibinibigay at pati na rin ang kagustuhang maitaas ang antas ng serbisyong propesyonal at pagaalaga na ibinibigay ng mga dentista sa kanilang mga pasyente.

Tumulong sa pagpuksa sa illegal practice at sa mga nagkukunwaring dentista, kasama na ang mga nagkakabit ng mga DIY Do-it-yourself Braces. Ito po ay ipinagbabawal ng batas at may kaukulang parusa.  
Isumbong ang mga Pekeng Dentista para sa proteksyon at kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan na nangangailangan ng tamang pangangalaga at treatment ng ngipin at bibig.  Ang mga lisensyadong dentista lang po ang pinagkalooban ng batas ng karapatang makapagbigay ng kaukulang treatment at paggamot sa ngipin at bibig dahil sa kanilang anim na taon at mahigit, na pag-aaral at pagsasanay.
Dahil sa pagpapagamot sa isang peke o hindi lisensyadong dentista, ipinagsasawalang bahala ng isang tao ang kanyang kalusugan at maaarin nya itong maipahamak ang kanyang sarili.  
Tumulong sa Philippine Dental Association PDA sa pagpuksa ng Illegal practice at upang maipakulong ang mga pekeng dentista na ito.

The (PDA) Philippine Dental Association is the only recognized mother organization of  registered/certified dentists in the country.  The organization has been very active in making the general public aware of the increasing number of illegally practicing "fake" dentists in the Philippines nowadays.  Illegal dental practitioners are those who are treating dental patients but are not board certified to perform any procedure or treatment in the areas of the mouth and teeth. Even if a dentist has graduated from a recognized dental school in the country, he/she is still not allowed to treat any patient unless he/she has been certified by the Professional Regulations Commision (PRC).  In other words, the dentist must first pass the Board Exams for Dentistry before he/she can practice the profession. 

Republic Act 9484 (Philippine Dental Law of 2007) states that ONLY DULY LICENSED DENTISTS are authorized to practice Dentistry in the Philippines.

If you want to verify if a certain dentist is board certified, you may contact the PRC through their website at  www.prc.gov.ph and find their contact information there. 

Being treated by a "non-board certified" dentist may be very risky and therefore it is important for any patient to know if his/her dentist is qualified to perform any dental procedure or treatment.  Although not the most effective way, one simple precaution that any prospective patient can take prior to any treatment is to first check the credentials/certifications of the dentist.  The primary certification that should be clearly observed in any dental office is the Certificate of Registration from the PRC. 

The law requires all dentists to ensure that these certificates can be easily seen by patients and therefore are posted commonly in the reception area or inside the treatment room.  This certificate must have a genuine PRC seal, and must be signed by all the members of the Board of Dentistry.  Another credential that you can also look for is the Dental School Diploma.  Although it may be quite difficult to verify the authenticity of these documents, not being able to see them would atleast  raise a few questions in one's mind.

There are also those who have not been able to finish dental school, or even worse, those who have not even attended any formal dentist training at all.  Some of these "fake dentists" may inckude dental laboratory  technicians who have been trained (whether formally or informally) ONLY in the technical aspects of denture construction. It is important to understand that the biological or health aspects of denture designing and fabrication is an essential part of any dental treatment. Technicians have not been trained to understand the health requirements of any dental service.  The consequences and risks involved are extremely high.  

Another form of illegal practice are those who provide the DIY Do It Yourself braces.  This is very dangerous since braces or brackets are cemented on teeth and so are considered fixed, therefore the damage that this can cause is truly severe.  There have been cases reported wherin the entire set of teeth had to be extracted because of the extent of the destruction and damage caused by this.

There have been countless cases of treatment failures and complications that have been documented and this should serve as a warning to all prospective patients who plan to avail of their services.  

Presidential Decree 1542 EO 2008 - states that DENTAL TECHNICIANS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED to handle patients and that dental laboratories should also secure a permit from the Department of Health before they operate their businesses.  Patients should only seek dental service to a certified and qualified dentist and must not go directly to a any technician for any form of treatmen.

As responsible citizens, we are required by law to report illegally practicing dentists and technicians so as to prevent any possible harm that they might commit to any prospective patient requiring dental services.  This can be done by reporting these "fake dentists" to the nearest law enforcement stations in your area to help you reach the PDA Task Force Illegal Practice.

The Philippine dental community needs your help.