Jakarta dentists 2024, and general quality question

[xplorsky89]

Just arrived in Indonesia for about 1.5 months, and my tooth filling broke. I can try to wait until I back to the US, but I would strongly prefer to fix it asap to avoid further damage. I see a number of dentists were recommended on this forum a few years ago. Just wanted to make sure those recommendations are still current.

Understandably I’d like to get care at the same level as from my trusted dentist in the US, and it sounds like Stephanie Dental would be a solid choice based on the recommendations here. A related question, should I have any second thoughts about filling materials they use. In the US I always take it for granted that whatever the dentist recommends is a safe material (a composite of some kind) given stronger medical regulations. Here I just don’t know if they may be ordering fillings from local producers or China which have little oversight on toxicity etc. Is there a particular choice of the filling material l should be asking for to be on the safe side. I know I maybe overthinking...when it comes to my medical care I always do... I’m not going to put this question like that to the dentist to avoid seeming like I don’t trust their safety, so better I come in with information in advance. Thanks!

 

[Ruserious]

A note on the materials that they use: My insurance (one of the worlds largest) refused some of my dental claims because of a better material was used for a crown. I presume they block this because that material costs more but here it was only a matter of 10 bucks more and my claim for several hundred was rejected because of it.

Im sure you are safe with any filling material from Stephanies. The dentists there are all overseas trained and they have a lot of high end clients. Oh and another alternative to Stephanie is Escalade in Mega Kunignan.

 

[marcus]

... my tooth filling broke .... Is there a particular choice of the filling material l should be asking for to be on the safe side ...

Coincidentally I had the same problem few days ago .
I usually go to the second biggest hospital (considered good) in my big city (as I assume their professionals are probably not bad) , and the dentist just fixed it without giving me any option . She used a near white colored filling .
Except for this one , all my other fixed teeth are with amalgam fillings (from my dentist in my country - he told me that its the best filling he knows and don't think there is a health risk issue) .
I have been using some 5 of the amalgam fillings for around 55 years without feeling any symptoms of mercury poisoning .

From https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices...mation-patients-about-dental-amalgam-fillings

Dental amalgam, sometimes called a “silver-filling” due to its appearance, is a mixture of mercury, silver, copper, tin and zinc ...

Certain people, including women who are pregnant or who are planning to become pregnant, nursing mothers, children (especially those under the age of six), people with a known allergy to mercury, and people with neurological impairment or kidney dysfunction, may be more susceptible to the effects of exposure to mercury from dental amalgam ... As such, if you are a person who is in one of the high-risk populations identified and need a new filling, the FDA recommends you avoid dental amalgam if possible and appropriate.

... Studies on people with dental amalgam do not show conclusive evidence that dental amalgam causes harmful health effects in the general population ...

 

[xplorsky89]

Thanks for your replies. This would be my first time getting dental treatment outside of the US, so it's good to know Stephanie Dental doctors are western-trained.

About amalgam fillings - I'm pretty sure it's will not be offered at most clinics anymore. None of my US dentists has ever offered that to me. I think the common standard for a long time has been some kind of composite resin.

 

[pantaiema]

Thanks for your replies. This would be my first time getting dental treatment outside of the US, so it's good to know Stephanie Dental doctors are western-trained.

About amalgam fillings - I'm pretty sure it's will not be offered at most clinics anymore. None of my US dentists has ever offered that to me. I think the common standard for a long time has been some kind of composite resin.

If you visit any dentist in major cities across Indonesia, I doubt you will find amalgam fillings being used nowadays, as in Indonesia they are already prohibited by law.

Updated: Global Dental Amalgam Tracker | EnvMed Network

Global Overview of Countries Phasing Out Dental Amalgam: According to the Minamata Conventions Full National Reports 2021, the MIAs, or other official documents, the global transition to a mercury-free dentistry is fully underway...

environmentalmedicine.eu

Even if they weren’t banned, I doubt anyone would choose to use them, considering there’s a safer and better alternative available with only a minimal price difference.

 

[Hawk256]

If you visit any dentist in major cities across Indonesia, I doubt you will find amalgam fillings being used nowadays, as in Indonesia they are already prohibited by law.

Updated: Global Dental Amalgam Tracker | EnvMed Network

Global Overview of Countries Phasing Out Dental Amalgam: According to the Minamata Conventions Full National Reports 2021, the MIAs, or other official documents, the global transition to a mercury-free dentistry is fully underway...

environmentalmedicine.eu

Even if they weren’t banned, I doubt anyone would choose to use them, considering there’s a safer and better alternative available with only a minimal price difference.

I still have a couple from back in the day. Lasted much, much longer than any of the newer epoxy stuff. I even have one metal crown in the back. That tooth if now pretty much invincible.

 

[centurion]

Just arrived in Indonesia for about 1.5 months, and my tooth filling broke. I can try to wait until I back to the US, but I would strongly prefer to fix it asap to avoid further damage. I see a number of dentists were recommended on this forum a few years ago. Just wanted to make sure those recommendations are still current.

Understandably I’d like to get care at the same level as from my trusted dentist in the US, and it sounds like Stephanie Dental would be a solid choice based on the recommendations here. A related question, should I have any second thoughts about filling materials they use. In the US I always take it for granted that whatever the dentist recommends is a safe material (a composite of some kind) given stronger medical regulations. Here I just don’t know if they may be ordering fillings from local producers or China which have little oversight on toxicity etc. Is there a particular choice of the filling material l should be asking for to be on the safe side. I know I maybe overthinking...when it comes to my medical care I always do... I’m not going to put this question like that to the dentist to avoid seeming like I don’t trust their safety, so better I come in with information in advance. Thanks!

Stephanie is a disaster. I dod rooth canal there and zircon crown, it was costly and bad. The crown at the end was to big, pressing side teeth, and I got inflamation of the jaw bone with pain after 6-9 months. I did a treatement revision in my country and had to do the rooth canal again and put a new crown.

 

[Dave70]

Stephanie is a disaster. I dod rooth canal there and zircon crown, it was costly and bad. The crown at the end was to big, pressing side teeth, and I got inflamation of the jaw bone with pain after 6-9 months. I did a treatement revision in my country and had to do the rooth canal again and put a new crown.

How old is the dentist? It doesn't matter if she's western-educated, if she's young, then not much work experience. I'll always go for middle-age dentist, not too old and male. Because if too old, his/her hands could be unstable already, and male so have strength to pull tooth if necessary. Know someone with swollen jaw just because the dentist had difficulty pulling out the tooth and she kept pulling and pushing side to side until the tooth come loose.

 

[centurion]

How old is the dentist? It doesn't matter if she's western-educated, if she's young, then not much work experience. I'll always go for middle-age dentist, not too old and male. Because if too old, his/her hands could be unstable already, and male so have strength to pull tooth if necessary. Know someone with swollen jaw just because the dentist had difficulty pulling out the tooth and she kept pulling and pushing side to side until the tooth come loose.

50+, woman, educated in UI. Creme de la creme, you would say. Luckilly in my home country the dentists are pretty good so they could clean the previous mess.

Now my dentist is 73, woman, educated in Netherlands.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

There is one dental office with a German name by Senayan plaza. They also did such a bad job that I had to go back to Europe to get it completely redone. They had a very expensive TV and leather sofas though.

 

[xplorsky89]

Stephanie is a disaster. I dod rooth canal there and zircon crown, it was costly and bad. The crown at the end was to big, pressing side teeth, and I got inflamation of the jaw bone with pain after 6-9 months. I did a treatement revision in my country and had to do the rooth canal again and put a new crown.

Ah, so looks like not a smooth sailing with Stephanie Dental after all.

Can anyone please recommend specific dentists by name, in any of the shops mentioned (Stephanie, Escalade, etc)?

This really worries me because my tooth in question has had multiple filling already. There is a good chance more deep drilling will inflame it permanently and require a root canal (this has happened to another tooth in the past). I really need a very experienced dentist with a careful approach. I absolutely do not want to end up needing an emergency root canal here... I just need a temporary filling that will not inflame the tooth and can last for some time until I get back in the US.