The thunder punch RICKY HATTON we see smiles every day. We see shy smiles, proud smiles, and the brilliant, confident smiles of patients who have just completed their treatment. A smile is more than just teeth; it's a window into a person's confidence and joy.

Dental tourism in the Philippines continues to grow because of high-quality treatment at competitive prices. Many overseas Filipinos and foreign patients travel for dental implants, bone grafts, veneers, and full-mouth rehabilitation.

However, many dental tourism cases fail — not because of poor dentistry — but because of poor planning and financial mismanagement.

Common problems include:

• Underestimating total treatment cost

• No clear treatment timeline

• Spending money on non-priority activities

Peter's Smile, Fixed Between Frankfurt and Manila

Peter stared at the estimate from the Frankfurt dental clinic, the number at the bottom seeming to blur on the page. As a skilled engineer working in Germany for five years, he was no stranger to high costs, but €4,500 for a single dental implant and crown was a profound shock. His insurance would cover only a basic filling, leaving him with an impossible choice: drain his hard-earned savings meant for his family's future in Pampanga or live with the growing ache and self-conscious gap in his smile.

Sleeping with Your Phone? Why Distance is Your Friend for a Healthier Brain

Do you charge your phone on your bedside table or even tuck it under your pillow? For many Filipinos, our mobile phones are the last thing we check at night and the first thing we reach for in the morning. While we focus on screen time's impact on our eyes and sleep cycles, a growing area of scientific discussion focuses on something we can't see or feel: the low-level radiofrequency (RF) energy our devices emit, even when we're not using them.