General Questions

How long will my dental treatment take?

Dental procedures are usually short clinic visits. A few visits may be needed for some procedures. To suit your schedule, there are times that multiple short procedures are performed during the same visit to reduce the number of clinic visits. Our clinic always aims at performing predictable procedures in the most time efficient manner.

Do I have to go around without teeth during treatment?

We have a simple motto in our office: ‘No one leaves our premises without teeth!’ All patients are provided with provisional or definitive replacement teeth before leaving our office. We would like you to go back to your normal daily routine as soon as possible.

My teeth are getting loose, but I want to “save” them for as long as possible.

Loose teeth may happen at any age even though it is more common in the later part of our life. Loose teeth may be a result of localized dental problems such as gum disease or dental infection. Loose teeth may also be a reflection of general medical problems such as diabetes or drug interaction. Let us assess the reasons why the teeth are getting mobile. Recent scientific research showed that loose teeth are potential portals for bacteria to enter the blood stream, which may cause or worsen existing medical conditions such as heart conditions and diabetes. Just “hanging on” to loose teeth may not be good for your overall well-being.

How do I know if my bad tooth can be kept or not?

The rules are very simple. Think of a tooth like a house. Similar to a house, as long as the foundation (or the root of a tooth) is sound, it can be saved. However, when the foundation (or the root of a tooth) is badly rotten, no amount of work can predictably save it. Saving a tooth with bad roots is usually futile.

I have bad breath. No matter how I brush my teeth, my breath still smells.

Bad breath is a result of a few conditions:

• Do you brush your teeth and tongue at least twice a day?
• Do you have gum problems?
• Do you have decayed teeth?
• Do you have food stuck on your back teeth on a regular basis?
• Do you have impacted wisdom teeth?
• Do you wear your denture(s) at night?
• Do you drink sufficient amount of fluid regularly?
• Do you consume foods with garlic, spices, onion?
• Do you have diabetes?
• Do you have sinus problems?

If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of the question above, it is time to consult your dental professional.

How come my teeth feel sensitive when I have my dental cleaning?

In our clinic, dental cleaning is commonly performed using piezo-electric ultrasonic equipment. Ultrasonic equipment oscillates at over 60,000 cycles per seconds. This ultra-high frequency effectively removes calculus (tartar) deposits on the tooth surface.

At the fraction-of-a-second moment when the tooth surface is re-juvenated, the tooth reacts with a sensation. Basically, the more calculus deposit is on the tooth, the more the tooth reacts with such a sensation.

In general, teeth with no calculus deposits demonstrate little of such sensations. There are times that dental cleaning may be performed under local anesthesia to make it sensation free.
Why do we have mouth ulcers? What can be done to prevent getting it? What can be done to alleviate the pain?

There are a few common causes of mouth ulcers. Ulcers caused by minor trauma (e.g. burn by hot food) usually occur on the roof of the mouth or the tip of the tongue.

Ulcers that are caused by virus (e.g. herpes virus) commonly occur on the lips and sometimes on the inner side of the lip. Before the onset of herpetic ulcers, the individual may experience flu-like symptoms, such as low energy level and a runny nose. The affected area may feel itchy during that time (itchiness is a form of minor pain sensation). The area will form vesicles and then it will become painful and form an ulcerated area. Approximately 90% of the population carries this virus, and most do not have any symptoms.

Some mouth ulcers are of unknown causes (e.g. apthous ulcer) – they can come in single, or multiple form, in small or big clusters. This form of ulcer happens commonly in younger females even though other age groups and genders are not immune to it.

The good news is that most of these oral ulcers heal by themselves without much medical intervention. Topical ointment can be purchased from most pharmacies without prescription to alleviate the pain. Most of these ointments work by forming a protective layer over the ulcer and/or having a local anaesthetic effect.

Oral ulcers that last more than 10 days may be a result of infected teeth, infected gums or even malignancy. If this happens, please see your dentist for a consultation.

Do I need fluoride supplements?

If you live in a place where there is fluoride added in the tap water (such as Singapore, most European and North American Cities), you do not need any fluoride supplement. However, many South-East Asian countries do not have a standard practice of water fluoridation. If you are from those countries, you may consider having fluoride supplements. Please ask our friendly staff about this.

What is your sterilization protocol?

We adopt the ‘Universal protocol’ for sterilization. This essentially means that all our equipment is sterilized using the latest internationally accepted methods. Our autoclave sterilizer is constantly maintained by qualified professionals specializing in the area. Our autoclave is replaced regularly. All our sealed instruments carry an indicator tab to ensure proper sterilization procedures are carried out before they are used in our clinic. All our instruments and equipment are periodically upgraded and replaced with newer, better models. More information about this ‘Universal sterilization protocol’ may be found using any major search engine on the internet.

Why do doctors look at our tongue before diagnosing our illnesses?

In conventional medicine, doctors are trained to examine the tongue as part of the physical examination for patients. The doctor can detect certain abnormalities in the general functioning of the bodily systems from looking at the tongue. For example, cyanosis or a lack of oxygen in the blood can be detected by inspecting the colour of the tongue. In addition, looking at the coating on the surface of the tongue can also suggest the state of one’s oral hygiene, nutrition, recent use of medications and general health status. Examining the tongue is also part of the examination of the mouth and oral cavity so that abnormalities such as tumours and infection can be detected.

The motion of sticking out one´s tongue and saying ‘ah’ would allow the doctor to have a chance to inspect the condition of the throat and the tonsils. The presence of swelling, plaque, change of colour, or dehydration also indicates diseases of various types. A quick inspection of the oral cavity may also reveal any dental condition that may cause systemic symptoms (e.g. fever due to a dental infection).

In addition, inspection of the tongue can give a quick overview of a person´s general health. Conditions such as diabetes may show up as dryness of the oral cavity and certain forms of bad breath (e.g. ketosis). Nasal sinus infections may also show up as bad breath. Deviation of the colour and contour of the tongue may also reveal certain dietary insufficiencies such as Vitamin B, iron, or folic acid.

Recently scientific evidence also showed that bacteria that stays in the oral cavity is related to other system conditions such as heart disease.

Is there any cure for “malfunctioning” taste buds? A few years ago I accidentally “burnt” my tongue with some concentrated mouth wash. After some time, I have only regained about 60% of my tasting ability.

There are generally 2 types of commercially available mouth rinses – alcohol-based and specific chemical based. Different mouth rinses have slightly different functions but they are generally used to maintain oral health and hygiene. Being fluid-based, mouth rinses would seldom burn the tongue too badly. However, it is not uncommon for some people, after using certain types of mouth rinses for a long period of time, to experience taste changes. This is usually a temporary phenomenon and the person will usually fully recover after discontinuing usage of the mouth rinse, since the mouth rinse only affects the superficial layer of the tongue/taste buds. The taste buds usually recover quickly and the nerve supply (taste sensation) of the taste buds is not affected by the mouth rinse in the long run.