All About Dental
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mrswongtuition:
A) Actually Braces or Orthodontic brackets can cause ulcers especially in the initial stage of orthodontic treatment.Ulcers should not be occuring with braces. I did not have ulcers at all when I had braces.
1. If there's something uncomfy, let the orthodontist know immediately. If it can't be fixed, they will provide wax to offer protection.
2. Must use mouthwash daily. It helps to reduce the occurence of ulcers.
This is because when the oral epithelium rubs against the wires and brackets, it will create a break in the epithelium and result in inflammation around a necrotic centre or what is know as an ulcer.
After a period of time, when you have gotten used to the \"braces\", there may be fewer occurrences of ulcers experienced.
B) It depends on which type of mouth wash you are referring to. It is a common misconception that mouth wash is a all-in-one miracle cure. Actually its simply an adjunct to twice daily flossing and brushing. Fluoridated mouthwash's main function is simply to prevent caries or tooth decay.
The mouthwash that can help promote the healing of ulcers is known as \"Chlorohexidine\" and it is considered an anti-septic. It can be bought at any Guardian or Watsons Pharmacy. However, dentists will recommended that you used it for not more than 2 weeks due to some side effects as increased calculus, and staining of teeth to name a few.
Personally, i would think that gargling with warm salty water when required is enough to aid healing of ulcers caused by orthodontic brackets.
Yours
Zhou Shicai -
RRMummy:
There are 2 types of tooth staining.
Meaning build enamel can make it white?mrswongtuition:
Teeth whitening damages the enamel. My dentist refused to do it for me.
He just told me to brush regularly, alternating with Colgate Whitening and Sensodyne (he says it contains something to build the enamel).
Intrinsic Staining (Within the enamel or dentine)
Extrinsic Staining (On the surface of the enamel)
You must see a dentist to determine what type of staining you have.
What commercial tooth whitening toothpastes does is it removes a very very thin layer of enamel from the surface of the tooth over a period of time through the use of abrasives within the toothpaste. So essentially what you are doing is removing the thin layer of stained enamel (the extrinsic stain) and (hopefully) expose the unstained enamel underneath. However this is of course quite destructive as whatever enamel you take away can't be put back. However, using fluorinated toothpaste will help re-mineralize and strengthen the newly exposed enamel.
Other more stubborn extrinsic staining and all intrinsic stains will require a visit to a dentist where he will custom make a treatment plan to whiten your teeth, usually using a \"bleaching\" agent (usually hydrogen peroxide).
Please note that there have been reports of Spas and other health outlets (i know there was one at Cathay Cineleisure that my former prof told us about) that offer teeth whitening without dentist supervision. Please do not be tempted by their cheap rates and go to them. Teeth whitening if done improperly can lead to injury to your gingivia (gums) and even death of the tooth/teeth (which is really quite a painful experience).
Yours
Zhou Shicai -
Anyway just to help give parents some options regarding the 2 main concerns regarding their child’s dental health.
1) There is actually a free dental clinic for all MOE school-going children that takes place at NUS Faculty of Dentistry. Its run by the Dental Paediatrics department. What happens is that 2 or 3 times a week (30 mins to 1 hour per child), Year 3 and Year 4 dental students will treat children who are part of this programme. During my time it was free except you had to pay for the x-rays and any precious metals (if used). Not sure about now. However they DO NOT accept walk-ins but i guess you could request a referral from the child’s school dental clinic as an alternative to HPB School Dental Service. However the waiting list is quite long.
Although students will be treating your child, please note that they would have undergone a rigorous 6 month long training programme on plastic baby teeth and when they are treating your child’s teeth, they would be closely monitored and all work would be checked by dental professors and experienced pediatric dentists. I worked a number of times under Dr Rashid which apparently is a familiar name here.
2) NUS Faculty of Dentistry does provide Subsidized Orthodontic treatment done by the ortho post-grads. The undergrads simply do the screening and diagnosis of the patients (which they have to source for themselves) before referring any cases that require treatment to the post grads. The undergrads will have to do and present the case to the attending professor so you don’t have to worry about any mistakes.
However the waiting list of the post grad orthodontic treatment is VERY long but it’s subsidized (it was about $2-3K during my time) and you get great professional treatment done under the supervision of dental orthodontic profs.
The undergrads will be very desperate for cases to screen (because my faculty works on a requirements system which you must fulfill before taking a competency and passing that particular module) so you just need to find one who is willing to take on your case. Don’t ask me… i don’t really know the juniors that well. What i did during my time was to set up a Dental Thread to not only answer dental related questions at Hardwarezone but also to get patients to practice on!
I hope this was helpful
Yours
Zhou Shicai -
While looking for an orthodontist for my dd last yr, I brought her to a dental clinic where the receptionist claimed that there are 2 orthodontists. After that, I found out that the dentist only has a basic dental degree, and no orthodontist training. My question is whether it is legal for a dentist to do braces for patients even though they do not have the required training. So I brought my girl to a qualified orthodontist at another clinic, and I’m very pleased to see some movement in the teeth already.
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sall:
While looking for an orthodontist for my dd last yr, I brought her to a dental clinic where the receptionist claimed that there are 2 orthodontists. After that, I found out that the dentist only has a basic dental degree, and no orthodontist training. My question is whether it is legal for a dentist to do braces for patients even though they do not have the required training. So I brought my girl to a qualified orthodontist at another clinic, and I'm very pleased to see some movement in the teeth already.
May I know where , checking for my DD..
Thanks -
sall:
While looking for an orthodontist for my dd last yr, I brought her to a dental clinic where the receptionist claimed that there are 2 orthodontists. After that, I found out that the dentist only has a basic dental degree, and no orthodontist training. My question is whether it is legal for a dentist to do braces for patients even though they do not have the required training. So I brought my girl to a qualified orthodontist at another clinic, and I'm very pleased to see some movement in the teeth already.
Well, to provide some background, the NUS Undergraduate Dental Programme in Singapore trains the students to provide diagnosis for orthodontic problems, draw up a treatment plan (but not to carry out orthodontic treatment or do braces for patients) and make/adjust retainers. But what some dentists do is that they go for a post grad diploma or certification in orthodontics after they graduate (which can range from a few weeks to a few months in length). Legally, these dentists who would have a basic degree and a post grad diploma / certification, can carry out orthodontic treatment IF they feel that they are competent to do so.
To call oneself an Orthodontic Specialist, a dentist with a basic Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree must undergo a Post-Graduate Masters programme in Orthodontics (a 3 year course) at a University which must be recognized by Singapore Dental Council. These specialist are qualified to carry out the whole range of orthodontic treatments in the most optimal manner and manage any complications that arises from treatment.
I would recommend, when looking for orthodontists for your child, not to base your judgement on the price but rather the dentists's qualifications and recommendations if available. The best option is to go for a Orthodontics specialist rather than a General Dentist.
Yours
Zhou Shicai -
Hi, thanks for your explanation. This will benefit parents looking for dental treatment for their kids.
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Anyone has experience with Pre-Orthodontic Trainer http://www.myoresearch.nl/t4k_abt.html or has any idea where to get this in Singapore?
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BigDevil:
Anyone has experience with Pre-Orthodontic Trainer http://www.myoresearch.nl/t4k_abt.html or has any idea where to get this in Singapore?
I have heard of this product but as i was not trained in its usage or application, i would not be able to comment on its efficacy and application value to your child's malocclusion.
I think it would be best to consult a pediatric dentist or an orthodontist as to whether this product can help your child's malocclusion or if another treatment plan would be a better alternative.
Yours
Zhou Shicai -
Hi, thanks for the reply. Would you know if this is available in Singapore at all?
A friend bought this for her daughter in Jakarta and he commented that it did wonders aligning her DD’s teeth. That’s why I’m asking about its availability here.
If it’s really able to do what it claims in a mere 1 hour a day, then it beats prolonged wearing of braces in the future.
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