Part Doctor. Part Hero. All Heart. Meet Dr. Mario Guiang Jr. The Dentist who is going Viral

They say Life begins at forty.

Though I think the more appropriate quote should be;“The first forty years of life give us the text: the next thirty supply the commentary.”

And for Dr. Mario Guiang Jr. he’s letting his actions do all the talking.

I met Doc Mario (or Doc Jun as his close friends and patients fondly call him) one rainy afternoon over coffee.  He was introduced to me by a friend as he wanted to share his advocacy against Dental DIY, but as I would later find out, his advocacy is just one of the many reasons why this dentist is putting a smile on a lot of people’s faces.

I already did a bit of research on him so I had an idea of how he looked like—and I even asked my friend Bobby, if he really was a dentist since he looked more like one of those Century SuperBods Ageless contestants. To call him buff would be a bit of an understatement, as he looked more like a gym instructor than the scrawny or pudgy stereotypes we have of medical practitioners. No wonder a lot of heads turned as he approached our table for our chat. “Model ba yun?” I even heard one of the diners comment as he went to get our coffee.

He was wearing a tight fitting shirt that showed of his tattooed biceps—“its still a work in progress he adds.” something we’d talk about in detail later in our conversation.

THE DANGERS OF DENTAL DIY

As I knew we were going to talk about a lot of stuff, I wanted to get our main topic out of the way, so I asked him about his advocacy.

Doc Mario, who has a clinic in Tarlac, said he joined the 2,000-strong Dentists Against Dental Do-It-Yourself (DADD) practice, when one of his patients became a victim of the illegal practice.

This advocacy began last last year and he’s made it his mission to go after fake dentists and expose them so they can stop making money from clueless victims.

“Would you put chicken wire use Mighty Bond as adhesive for your dental braces?”

The answer might be an easy NO. But apparently a lot of people continue to wear them (whether they are aware or not)  as there are people who pass themselves as “dentists” even if they have no license from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

“Last year, I had one charity patient who usually went to me for free dental care.  One time, she went back to me to have her gums checked. I found out she was already wearing braces and she paid only P5,000.

“Her gums were swollen and I had to extract some of her teeth. She had wires in her teeth that were already rusty. She told me the one who did it was an HRM (Hotel and Restaurant Management) student.

“So, I reported my patient’s case to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Tarlac and they did an entrapment. It was a clear violation of the Dental Act. Until now, we’re still doing court hearings. Even if you do home service, dental care should be with a professional and licensed dentist.”

Some of these fake “dentists” are still dental students, those who didn’t pass the dental board and there are those really fake ones who don’t have any professional license.

Even worse– some do it themselves.

“They think just because they watched a DIY video on YouTube and could easily buy materials from online stores, that they could easily make their own braces—or even dentures,” he said.

“There are those who use a nailcutter to cut the wires, they use home tools! And they buy their materials on Facebook! Remember there’s no such thing as fashion braces and you are putting these inside your mouth which is very very dangerous.”

In another interview, Doc Mario explained. “I help in the rehabilitation of patients. I raise awareness about illegal dentistry. Not every dentist will attend hearings. To me, it’s a personal advocacy. My only goal was to treat my patients and give justice to the patient. It’s my social responsibility as a dentist and citizen of this country, that I need to do something about any illegal dental practice.”

WHO IS DOC MARIO?

Dr. Mario F. Guiang Jr. graduated from Centro Escolar University Manila Philippines in 1996. He is currently finishing his Msc. Periodontics in the same university. He underwent series of continuing education in the (University of Illinois college of Dentistry USA ) Europe and Asia.

Dr. Guiang underwent further training under the preceptorship of Carl Henley DDS. A renowned cosmetic and neuromuscular dentist Chicago USA. He also underwent training under Dr. Charles Kennedy in Rome Italy a periodontist and Past President of American dental society of Europe.

He is the only Filipino lecturer for the Academy of Laser Dentistry USA in 2015 and 2016. His clinical expertise in Neuromuscular Dentistry and Laser Dentistry was chosen among best of the best in the Philippines, USA, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates. He lectures locally and internationally. He is an active member of Academy of Laser Dentistry USA, International association for Orthodontics, International congress of oral implantologist, Philippine Academy of Implant dentistry, Philippine society of Periodontology, Philippine Dental Association, Tarlac Dental Chapter.

 

His impressive resume reflects how dedicated he is to his chosen profession. The funny thing is Doc Mario originally wanted to become a lawyer when he was younger. But because his mother wanted him to pursue dentistry he went on to fulfill the desire of his mom.

The third child in a brood of four, he said his parents were both overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Italy who raised their kids with hard-earned money.

“I knew my parents had to sacrifice a lot to send us to these good schools and I wanted to let them know how much I appreciated their hard work so I studied real hard to make them proud.”

In 2010, Doc Mario moved to Rome to join his parents. Two years later, he went back to the Philippines and was already doing highly specialized dentistry – periodontics (gum specialization and treatment), cosmetic dentistry and implantology.

TURNING FORTYFAB

Like I said in our intro, everything changed when Doc Mario turned 40.

“When I came back I was overweight and all I could think of was my dental practice. But when I turned 40, I realized that there was still a lot of things I wanted to do.

“I was proud of my accomplishments, but felt I could do more besides being a dentist.”

His first task was to become a better version of himself.

“I am a single dad and have an eight-year-old son. I wanted to set a good example for him. So I decided to live healthier.”

To lose weight, he began to change his diet and enroll in a gym. Eventually going to the gym became more of routine and he began to work out even more and if you’re one of his 100,000 plus followers on Facebook, you know how good that turned out to be.

“I also wanted to break the stereotype of dentists. That more than just being a professional, you also need to look good and hopefully be an inspiration to your patients. You wouldn’t trust a doctor who looks worse than you right?

FROM SOCIAL MEDIA TO SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

As he continued gain more followers and became more popular on Facebook and Instagram, Doc Mario felt he could also use the platform to inspire people to do more for society.

In one of his most had recent posts Doc Mario joined the sand bagging operations in Tarlac to protect residents from flash floods and other hazards brought about by natural calamities.

He posted:  “My father was employed as government driver in 1972 (DSWD)
Department of Solcial welfare and Development…..
with so little but much loved and respect , we as siblings vivid memories can recall how simple and hard life had been… iam thankful that now my brother continue his legacy as a public servant giving himself wholeheartedly without any repercussions.. I have so much questions in the knowledge of my wisdom that i myself can only do much….
My beloved Province of Tarlac suffered the effects of the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) as enhanced by TY Henry, Inday and Josie beginning July 17, 2018 to July 23, 2018
Water rise scoured the right portion of the downstream river dike slope of Brgy. Balanti , Tarlac City approximately 100 meters in lenght and 30 meters in wide of erosion from retaining wall..
Sanbagging operations to protect the residents from flash-flood and other hazards is still on going… To all of you Tarlac city DRRMO, Tarlac PDRRMC , Police and Military personnel’, … You are the true HEROES.

Even his tattoos he said had a meaning—The Samoan inspired body art depicts an eagle—“It symbolizes my dream. To soar high and achieve your dreams even if they seem unreachable, even if it seems impossible.”

What’s next for Doc Mario? Follow him on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MAJORHERODMD  and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/majorherodmd/