Dentistry in the Philippines

In Isabela, Basilan, at the Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines on May 29, 2006: A tooth extraction technique being employed by Filipino military male dentist to a patient was being observed by US Col. and USNS Mercy Dental Officer Jeffery Swartz of Smithtown, New Jersey, USA.
Filipino woman dentist Irma Villeta (left) and US Naval Reserve Dental Technician 1st Class Aimee Arnold (right) providing dental treatment to a patient during the medical assistance phase of Exercise Balikatan 2004 in Ivana, Batanes, Philippines on March 3, 2004.

Dentistry in the Philippines can be divided into five periods of dental practice. Using the timeline of Philippine history as a template, they are: the Pre-Spanish era (from the Prehistoric period to the Classical period), the Spanish era, the American era, the Japanese occupation era (during World War II) and the independent Philippine-Republics era.