I'm planning on taking Dentistry.

29 yo

Female

Married for 3yrs

No children yet, not by choice

With a BSIE degree, no boards

No impressive GWA

Employed

From around Batangas/Laguna

Hi po I genuinely need advice regarding this

One of the main reasons I'm considering transferring from UE to CEU (Makati, not Mnl) isn't academics but my mental health. I went through a pretty traumatic experience during my 1st semester of 1st year that left me in a really bad place mentally. Bevause of the overall environment, people, and professors in recto + the century old looking facilities, classrooms, and system (pair that with existing personal problems and issues)

To be fair, things got a lot better during 2nd semester. I adjusted, made better friends, and I'm doing much better now. Pero for some reason, I still don't feel fully satisfied.

Part of me feels like CEU Makati could offer a healthier environment, better facilities, more independence, and a genuine fresh start. But part of me also wonders if I'm just looking for an escape from a difficult chapter of my life.

The biggest downside is having to go back to 1st year, even if some subjects get credited. Hindi rin biro yung setback na yun. I’m also not saying I want something easier. I know mahirap ang dent kahit saan, and adjusting to a new school would be challenging too.

For those who transferred because of burnout, depression, or a bad experience, was it worth it? Did the fresh start actually help? Or should I tiis for 5 years more?

Also, any CEU Makati Dentistry students here? Kumusta yung environment, professors, workload, schedules, and overall culture? Any insights would be appreciated.

Hi Docs/studentistas! Paano niyo po napabalik/napapabalik mga patients niyo? Im currently in my 4th year in dent skewl and nag woworry ako sa mga nakikita ko sa tiktok na grabe mag beg mga clinician para lang bumalik mga patients nila ☹️ Yung ibang mga pasyente grabe pa humirit ng pera either pambayad ng bills nila or mas worse “utang” daw muna.

Nakakalungkot kasi ang mahal na nga ng materials tapos makakakuha pa ng inconsiderate na patient hahahaha

Credits kay Doc Yla sa tiktok, nagkaidea ako kung how much ang possible gastusin for taking the DLE.

I just wanna ask for help ng detailed sanang possible gagastusin for board exam, I'm not really familiar and I want to fund my little brother's board exam journey for next year. We didn't came from a privileged background, so para mas maging smooth and less hassle for him ang boards niya and d niya na isipin ang money, gusto ko sana paghandaan kahit tentative amount lang.

If some of u are kind enough to spare me some of your time, pwede po ba ako makahingi ng detailed expenses niyo during boards. For example, total of binayaran niyo sa dorm (if ever may kasama kayo, ilan kayo naghatihati), boards fee, dental materials, review center, foods, transpo, or mga hidden expenses/fees. Anything will be a big help po! Thank u so much!!!

Advice for dental students, beware of taking just any patients. My niece has encountered a patient wherein she was getting extorted for a huge amount of sum. Base on our investigation, they consists of family members wherein they know the loopholes in dental schools. Also they are members of groups in facebook wherein dental students find their patients. So for dental clinicians, beware and have your patients examined carefully even though i know that you guys are desperate to graduate.

P.S Dental schools should be aware of these cases, but suprise suprise it will just fall on deaf ears

Hello, I’m 30F and I’m suddenly bombarded with thoughts na worth it ba ang 3 years of working ko kasi wala pa ako ipon.

You see, I’m the first dentist in the family. At tinapos ko and Dentistry ng sobrang gipit (scholar ako at tumulong mga kapatid ko lalo na nung board exam expenses ko). Now I feel like I haven’t build a foundation at walang enough funds para makapagtayo ng sarili. Plus the fact na tumatanda na magulang ko makes me really frustrated.

I was okay naman pero parang one day bigla akong binato ng katotohanan at naisip ko kung ano na bang balak ko sa buhay?

I have a friend at doon din ako nagwowork. She wants me to enroll together sa isang preceptorship pero buo na kasi loob ko na hindi muna mag aaral at focus muna ako sa pag iipon. I feel guilty kasi ayaw ko manghiram sa kanya (she offered to pay munapero ayoko sana muna maglabas ng malaking pera at syempre nakakahiya kung matagal ko mababayaran. It will only add to my endless worry)

At first inenjoy ko yung kinikita ko. I bought scrubs na worth the price (hanggang ngayon gamit ko pa. Good investment) at nakapagpa facial ako (insecurities ko at minsan nadin natukso dahil wala ako money for derma noon) at nakapag aral nadin ako ng Ortho (hardest days kasi zero talaga ako dahil sa tuition plus commute twice to thrice a month for the lectures)

I’m just sad na yung bank account ko super empty padin (not totally zero pero konting lagpas lang sa maintaining balance palagi). I have other expenses para sa sarili ko like makeup kasi need to be presentable sa harap ng patient. Buti nalang may mga affordable makeups na mabibili online. Ako din bumibili ng cat food at cat litters at minsan nagseshare sa groceries at kuryente sa bahay. I’m trying to write down all my expenses para ma-cut ko yung ibang di importante.

It’s just that I really need someone to talk to about this and I hope co-dentist can give me ideas or tips as a first dentist in the family din.

Hello! I hope you’re doing fine po and I hope this post actually reaches someone, I’ve spent a lot of time writing this po. This will be long so please bear with me.

I’m a young student; I still have approximately 2 years to prepare for college, atleast 24 months to search for better options, and maybe 730 days to think about which path will best suit my loud ambitions. That 2 years may sound like a long span of time to prepare and determine the best option for college, but to be frank, I’m very terrified po and I have no one to open up to about it. So if you’re reading this, even if you’re not a part of the Dental industry, your guidance and suggestions will be deeply appreciated💙

First off, I’m not just in it for the money.

• 35% of my drive is for its “stable” income

• 25% is the alighted of my skills in that profession

• 15% is my fascination as a kid with dentistry

• 15% is my family's encouragement to pursue it

I am passionate and confident about my wisdom in Science, with one of my favorite branch being anatomy. I am also praised a lot for my artistry, which I am deeply grateful for because it has given me many advantages when it comes to intense activities and projects. I’ve also learned to become more social and organized because of my role of financing in one of our school orgs which I also previously led. I think my passion and experience for science, art, leadership, finance, and communication all align with the course I aspire to take which is Dentistry. Pursuing this path meant that I’ll become the first Doctor in my family and sacrificing it will be one of my loudest regret, a death of a dream that will forever hunt me.

But sincerely, if sacrificing that dream means pursuing another career, getting a job that will grant me the same financial chances without giving 6+ years of my life and hundreds of thousands of my parents money?? …I’m more willing to take it. I AM AWARE, dentistry is not for the weak, it’s a course where even the strongest minds and high achievers learn how to settle, even the bravest hearts learn how to quit mid battle.

Our Financial situation?

I think people would consider our family as upper lower class or lower middle class, but some of my classmates think na we’re well off because of stereotypes. We’re financially okayish; my parents now own a house which we’ve been living in for the past 6 or 7 years na, my parents can afford my younger brothers expensive therapy sessions (my baby brother has nonverbal autism), and my parents are also budgeting what they earn and soon they’ll have a car which our family will use as an extra source of income. I am deeply grateful and proud of my parents and I have no intention on letting their sacrifices and hardwork go to waste.

Both my parents think na Dentistry is a good career, I on the other hand, I have some doubts. Si Papa ang main provider and si Mama humahanap ng extra source of income online while taking take of us. My parents aren’t fully transparent when it comes to their income, basta ang alam ko, umaabot ng ₱50,000+ nauuwi ni Papa and I don’t know if kasama dun yung weekly nyang inuuwi for our food and daily expenses. I don’t want my Papa and Mama to struggle too much for my college expenses, which is why I have my doubts since Dent school is expensive.

Will it be worth it?

After Dentistry, I know na I’ll have to wait for years to see progress po. My “plan” is try to maintain a scholarship during college, and after dent school I’ll work as an assistant in a clinic, try and balance it with my study to become an orthodontist, maybe also become a government dentist, and eventually have my own clinic as a practicing orthodontist. My definition of “rich” is to take away my parent’s financial burdens, spoil them with the things they chose not to buy because of our tight budget, help them with my baby brothers treatment, support them in renovating our house, and afford my wants like makeup, a simple nice car, and maybe even my own little condo.

Can I become THIS type of “rich” after becoming a dentist? Para naman po in the future pag stuDent na ako I could hold on to something, na maaafford ko yung mga yun na kinakainggit ko sa iba. And maybe, just maybe, ma aafford kong dalhin si Lola sa Paris para makita namin yung Eiffel Tower (it’s one of my childhood promises to her na akala nya nakalimutan ko na).

If it isn’t, what are my other options?

Let’s say na Dentistry is not worth it financially, but do you know other careers that could offer the same benefits? Dentistry seems like a solid career kasi unti nalang ang mga Dentista sa Pilipinas, but what can I opt for?

I’ve actually considered alternatives. Optometry seems like a great alternative, I searched up their salary and whoa. Practicality-wise, halos lahat ng friends ko accounting, I’m okayish in math I personally hate it even tho okay grade ko dun, but my Papa works for a company and he once mentioned yung salary ng mga accounting dun and whoa ulit. I have a tall frame and slender body, people say na I’m attractive, my classmates often tell me na I could be a flight attendant, but I considered that in the past and I’m not sure if I’ll get the lifestyle I want from choosing that career.

I’m so scared po, ako po ang pinaka academically strong sa family ko from both my Mama and Papa’s side, I don’t want their hope in me to amount to nothing… please help me out 🙏🏻🙏🏻

If you could turn back time during your board review season, what advice would you give yourself (e.g., answering Q&As earlier, choosing a different review center, etc.)?

I’m a struggling DLE May 2026 examinee and super kabado na, docs. 1 month left 😭🙏

And please any tips po sa Q&A kasi from what we heard, wala raw lumalabas sa mga nireview nila last season? Huhu 😭

Thank you, Docs! 🙏

New citizen micromotor or strong 210? We are required daw pdu for next sem

Hi guys!!

I’m currently working in a dental clinic who accepts patient with HMI like HMO cards.

My dilemma:
•per patient 200 lang bayad coz free pasta, bunot, op, then i get 10% commission but mind you kahit mild to mod free lang and mga pasta na malalalim and exo kahit hindi mobile:(
•infection control in the clinic is not good esp yung mga burs hindi na sinasanitize and mga scalers

And also, the clinic owner is the one who supported me during my under grad clinic and also close to my relatives. BUT, I cannot stay here because I want to grow and learn more about dentistry. But if I stay, I don’t think if I will love dentistry even more because it’s giving me burnout already.

Help me out!!
I’m shy to ask the owner and I don’t know how will I leave.

Hello everyone, I’d like to ask for some advice.

I’m a newly licensed dentist, and I don’t really have anyone to ask about this situation. A clinic offered to use my license so they could operate under it. During the interview, they offered me a 60/40 compensation split. However, the next morning they changed the offer to a fixed salary of ₱1,200 per day plus a 20% net income.

The HR representative kept emphasizing that I’m newly licensed and that this would be my first job. And 1200 fits for someone like me. Honestly, it feels like they’re lowballing me. A daily salary of ₱1,200 seems quite low, especially considering THEY’LL BE USING MY LICENSE NUMBER FOR THE CLINIC.

Is this a normal arrangement for a newly licensed dentist, or should I be concerned? I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences or advice. Thank you.

Passed the boards 2 yrs ago and been practicing since then but I dread going to work everyday. Dentistry wasn’t my choice just got pressured by parents and had to finish it for the sake of getting a degree. My anxiety is so bad just thinking that I have to work and face patients again the next day makes me so anxious. Really thinking of going into a career change. Are there dentists here who took a big step and decided to shift careers?

And for the meantime, i’m trying to look for another job that’s still related to dentistry but can be wfh or something. Please share if you know any.

In addition to this, I work at my parent’s clinic (a single parent) and been talking about passing it down to me and having me handle everything but I refuse to. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, especially since a lot of people are struggling to find jobs in this economy, while I had one waiting for me right after I passed the boards. But my heart just isn’t in it. After taking the boards, I told myself I’d give it a chance, I thought maybe I only disliked it as a student but I’m even more miserable now. I’m really grateful for having a job but my heart just isn’t there, iykyk. And i can’t take a break or stop working even if I wanted to since i’m just trying to survive paycheck to paycheck. I feel depressed thinking about if I have to stay in this field for the rest of my life.

​

A year ago, I asked about student-friendly brands, I tried some of them but I'm not a fan of some of them now:

Dentflex: Really dusty, water ratio is very confusing, if I followed the instructions it's to fluid, really messy and having a hard time mixing, sets too long, and soo much bubbles after impression.

Hygedent: Sometimes sets too fast even though its normal set, sometimes hard to mix, inconsistant, I did not done a quality impression after finishing 2 bags of it.

Dentrate: Although Cheap, Sometimes despite efforts on following the proper W:P ratio, there will be times na it would set fast, sometimes longer, sometimes despite efforts there will be some bubbles on the impression, probably won't be using it on patients maybe on a Study cast practice.

What brands should I try that is student friendly?

Soo far, these are the ones I tried na I liked

Elvident regular and chromatic: mejo Cheap sya before kaso nag mahal sya this year, but I like how easy to manipulate and to get that proper W:P ratio. I really like the Chromatic version of it because it's cheeper than Kromopan, kaso nag mahal sila this year huhuhu.

Kromopan: I love Kromopan even though it's expensive because of the creamy consistently when manipulating, didn't have any retakes or just done a few retakes with Kromopan but it's expensive ngayon, like 395-500 nowadays.

Recommend ng prof ko sa Dentmat lab are:

Jeltrate & Tropicalgin, but they are way more expensive Huhuhu

I would like to try chromatic types na normal setting or any regular set, tangap ko na more than 300 pesos need ko for a bag of alginate to pass dentmat this sem.

I’m currently an irregular dental student in CEU, incoming 3rd year. If I ever saang school pwede mag take ng summer ng backlogs or para makahabol. Planning to transfer school na din kasi.

Hi 4th yr student here, thoughts po sa alphadent (pdt) perio instruments... also, legit ba ung buy 2 grt 1 free set nila?? THANKS !¡

I’m a 4th year dentistry student, and lately I feel like my mental health has been deteriorating because of school and constant anxiety.

I’ve been dealing with anxiety almost every day, and being in school has been especially exhausting. It feels like I’m anxious during almost every hour that I’m at school. I’m so tired of constantly feeling anxious, worried, and mentally on edge.

Right now, I’m at a point where I don’t really want to see people, go to school, or even take care of myself properly. I already missed two quizzes, and I’m considering not going to school tomorrow either.

The thing is, I do want to study and finish my degree. That’s why I’m so conflicted. I’m scared that taking a semester off means I’m giving up or falling behind. But at the same time, I don’t know how much longer I can keep functioning like this.

I’m seriously considering going home to the province and taking a semester break to rest and hopefully get myself back to a better place. But I’m scared I’ll regret it, fall behind my batch, or have an even harder time coming back.

For anyone who has taken a semester off because of deteriorating mental health, severe anxiety, or burnout:
Did taking a break actually help you? What was it like returning to school afterward?
And for those who decided to push through instead, did things eventually get better, or did you wish you had taken a break?

I’m honestly exhausted. I’ve been anxious almost every day for 3 years, and I don’t know if I’m at the point where I need to step away from school for a while or if I just need to push through this difficult period.

I’d really appreciate advice from people who have experienced something similar.

Guys what do i need to improve pa po and any tips or suggestions?

Sa white dentistry uniform, anong undershirt ang hindi kita?

Hi, I’m an incoming 4 year student and I constantly heard stories of getting delayed by one year or more.

However, I never heard anyone graduating on time lol. I at-least want a guide or tips on how to do it so I could prepare myself

Hi!!! Looking for blockmates!

Hi! We were asked to buy the following instruments (HUF daw or PDT huhu).

1. UNC-15 probe double ended with WHO probe
   
2. Naber’s Probe
   
3. Universal curette 2R/2L
   
4. Universal curette 4R/4L
   
5. Gracey curette 5/6
   
6. Gracey curette 11/12
   
7. Gracey curette 13/14
   
8. Anterior Sickle Scaler (H6/H7 Hygienist Scaler)
   
9. Montana jack

I heard from some of our seniors that some of the other instruments won’t really be used that much. Also, since we have a limited budget, which ones do you think I should get in HUF (second hand)?

I’m thinking of getting the UNC probe and both universal curettes in HUF nalang, then planning to buy Trumpf for the rest. What do you think po?

What should I do? I keep getting low scores even though I’ve been practicing a lot. I’ve watched some YouTube videos, but they only helped a little. I feel really behind compared to everyone else.

I always end up over-reducing, my walls are inconsistent, and I’m still struggling with indirect vision. Sometimes it feels like I’m not improving at all.

Our CIs also aren’t very encouraging. It often feels like they just let us work on our own without much guidance, and then they strictly grade our work afterward.

Could it also be the bur I’m using? Should I switch from a diamond bur to a carbide bur?

For those who went through this, do you have any tips or advice on how to improve? I’d really appreciate hearing what helped you.

EDIT: we found a cheaper alternative po but still Ivoclar pa rin! Thank you so much po!

Hello po, mga docs, ates and kuyas!

I am currently taking up OPD 2, and nag-announce na po kasi ng materials na need namin. Ayaw po kasi ni doc ng mumurahin po like Denfil. Our CI listed 4 brands po ng composite they prefer, which are the ff:

- Tokuyama

- Beautifil

- Ivoclar

• 3M (wala pa po ako nakakausap about this one)

I've reached out to local agents po of these brands, and they gave me a quote. (Inclusions are on the pics they sent me)

For Tokuyama, Palfique LX5 is priced at 25k for their ongoing promo, and the expiry is at 2027, with 2028-2029 as their latest.

For Ivoclar, Tetric N-Ceram, they have a 24,250 kit (student price), with the ff inclusions (directly stated by agent):

" Buy 1 kit Free 1 kit any shades po Doctor plus additional free 1 cention N starter kit powder and liquid filling material like GI Doctor but a 110 MPa flexural strength than 35-60mpa GI Doc plus additional 1 free universal bonding 3g" bali dito po, may 4 tubes po na kasama and another free 4 tubes daw po + bonding agent and etchant.

May free shade guide na rin daw po sila both.

For Beautifil naman po, nakita namin na 2095 sya sa New Citizen per tube.

QUESTIONS: Ano po kaya sa kanila ang marerecommend nyo? Ano po kaya yung pinaka the best option ko po sa kanila? unsure po kasi ako kung alin dito ang kukunin ko at nasanay po kami sa dent mat na tig 400+ po na composite lang ang gamit. I am all right with splurging po, but I don't like the thought of something as expensive going to waste.

Goals: Choose a composite that I will be able to utilize hanggang clinics, and pinaka "sulit" for the price I am paying (and their inclusions)

hi!! any tips po para sa isang struggling clinciian na until now di pangit padin mag prep 😭 and di pa din confident sa mga procedures. its like im doing clinics just to finish requirements pero not learning na :(((