Greening the practice of cosmetic dentistry

MANILA, Philippines -  Among the growing number of environmentalists in the professional sector, a US-trained Filipino cosmetic dentist is perhaps one of the “greenest” of them all.

Dr. Cecile Infantado has gone totally green, not only in the practice of her profession but also in the way she lives her life.

“I practice green, eat green, live green, and promote green,” says Dr. Cecile of how she wanted to help keep mankind’s green planet green.

Lots of green activities dominate her daily routine all the way to her dental clinic at the third floor of the Dusit Thani Hotel.

Here, Dr. Cecile makes sure that her staff diligently practises professional hygiene and waste segregation. Color-coded plastic bags serve as constant reminders of where to put each of her clinic’s three types of garbage — biodegradable, non-biodegradable (glass, plastics, styropor, etc.), and biologically hazardous or toxic waste.

The clinic also practices the three “Rs” of waste management — reuse, reduce, and recycle — and all other pro-environment measures, which the Dusit Thani Hotel supports and similarly implements in all its facilities.

“Indeed, I’m happy and proud that my clinic and the hotel (Dusit Thani) are in this (environment campaign) together,” Dr. Cecile notes.

Her strong adherence to a green environment is immediately noticeable upon entering her clinic, which is very immaculately clean in its elegant splendor.

The only accent to the clinic’s white interiors of glass and shapely wall and ceiling panels is the orange logo, which depicts a leaf in the subtle shape of a woman’s lip, or vice-versa.

“Even our logo is nature-inspired,” Dr. Cecile points out, saying that it was but natural for her to become pro-environment.

“My job is about cosmetic dentistry, which is essentially about health and beauty, both are characteristically related to the environment and nature.  If you want to succeed in promoting health and beauty, you have to deal with its every aspect, including the environment,” Dr. Cecile explains.

And beauty is what unfolds in the teeth and gums that undergo cosmetic dental treatments at her clinic, which is aptly named “Smiles by Dr. Cecile” (www.smilesbydrcecile.com, telephone numbers 840-4284 and 867-3333 local 3415, or e-mail cecile.1122@gmail.com).

“Cosmetic dentistry isn’t just about the anomalies in one’s teeth but also about their many unsightly effects on one’s face, including the integrity of the facial bones, muscles and joints, the otherwise symmetrical bite, and the resulting distortion in one’s entire facial expression and appearance,” remarks Dr. Cecile, who was trained in Hawaii, educated at the University of California Los Angeles, and a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

“To a certain extent, premature facial aging can also result from some problems like recession of the gums, weakening and erosion of the dental bone, darkening and natural shortening of the teeth because of wear and tear, and improper dental makeovers and use of misaligned dentures that put the lower third portion of the face in disarray, inevitably showing disfigurement,” Dr. Cecile describes.

Unfortunately, any distortion in the vertical or horizontal symmetry of the face because of certain dental problems can create wrinkles around the mouth or both sides of the lips, including the lower part of the cheek that may appear loose and sagging.

“All these happen because of neglect.  And like the environment, restoring health and beauty requires expertise and attention to details that constitute the character of those dedicated to their craft,” Dr. Cecile stresses.

“That dedication to both your profession and the environment, however, isn’t just something that you practise by adopting green technologies.  You live by it and live it,” she adds.