The Marine Parade Community Club is organizing a dental talk for the public which will take place on Saturday, 4^th September, from 1.30pm to 4.30pm at the Marine Parade Community Club Theatrette.

Specialist Dental Group is supporting this worthwhile event as part of our community outreach activities. Members of our dental team will be present to share their knowledge on the latest developments in dentistry and educate the community on how oral health is closely linked to their overall health.

Dr. Helena Lee, our Periodontist, will be speaking on “The Mouth and Body Connection”. Most people do not know that diabetes, heart disease, lung infection, miscarriage and pre-term child birth can be detected early by just looking at the patients’ gums. If you want to find out more, do not miss the opportunity to listen to her presentation.

Another topic that will be covered is “Solutions for Missing Teeth.” This is a joint Mandarin presentation by our Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon, Dr. Ho Kok Sen, and our Prosthodontist, Dr. Elvin Leong. For those particularly with missing teeth, you may want to set aside some time to attend this presentation and discover various methods to replace your missing teeth and restore their functional and aesthetical aspect.

To register, you may contact Ms. Lynn Tan at (65) 6346 4900 – free registration exclusively for PAssion Card Members.

For more information, you can also go to: http://bit.ly/bme108

Posted By Specialist Dental Group at August 30th, 2010 3:08 PM   0 Comment

Specialist Dental Group has launched an on-going series of blog posts by our individual dental specialists. All views provided are the dentist’s own opinions and are posted on this blog as part of our on-going efforts to educate the public about dental issues and other matters of interest relating to dentistry and healthcare.

I have always counted my blessings in life – I was raised in a vibrant city at a rather prosperous period of time. I have parents who encouraged and supported my siblings and I to get a meaningful education – All four of us graduated from the University of Hong Kong, something which was rare in the 1980s. As kids, we never starved and never needed to worry about a shelter over our heads although my parents came from humble backgrounds.

If it were not because we had great teachers all along, life would have been very different. My father is a one-of-a-kind thinker/philosopher/businessman/teacher. I attended the St Louis School, a Catholic high school with unusual teachers, including a reptile scientist/national class soccer player who was an excellent biology teacher.

The time that I spent at Northwestern University, Chicago and UCLA during my post-graduate dental training was absolutely life-changing too. I credit this to my 2 ‘Johns’. My early exposure to my prosthodontics specialty under Northwestern’s post-graduate program director, Dr. John Chai, was nicely complemented when I went on to study maxillofacial prosthodontics under the world famous professor, Dr. John Beumer at UCLA.

I still remember trying to assess my odds of getting into UCLA and my conclusion was that the odds were very low. Yet, with the help of Dr. Michael Engleman, I ended up as one of three maxillofacial prosthodontics residents at UCLA in 1992 – my co-residents included a chair professor from Korea (Dr Hong Soon-Ho) and a sought after opinion leader in prosthodontics from the mid-west, USA (Dr Robert Faulkner). What impressed me was that both of my 2 ‘Johns’ are super high IQ human beings – I can still remember the great feeling of enlightenment when I listened to them.

Dr. John Beumer and his lovely wife, Jan, were in Singapore recently. John gave a fabulous two-day course with the Prosthodontic Society of Singapore.

Hearing him in his lectures again after so many years reminded me how lucky I was that he was my teacher 18 years ago… and he is now a friend. It was also wonderful to see that my two little girls, aged 6 and 7, had so much fun shaking hands with the numero uno in maxillofacial prosthodontics and a giant in implant dentistry.

I am currently active in teaching as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Faculty of Dentistry, and also with the NUS Graduate Diploma in Dental Implantology. Why do I teach? Besides enjoying the interaction with the students and fellow dentists, I do it because I owe it to all my great teachers along the way.

                                                                   

               Happy Teachers Day!!!

   

 

  

Dr. Ansgar C. Cheng is a Dental Specialist in Prosthodontics (Teeth Replacement) with Specialist Dental Group™. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor with the National University of Singapore.  He has a special interest in dental implants, cosmetic dentistry and treatment of  medically compromised patients, including cancer patients. For more information about Dr. Cheng, click here

Posted By Specialist Dental Group at August 28th, 2010 10:08 PM   2 Comments

She had a tumour successfully removed from her jaw but Meena was left with a severely collapsed cheek. Requiring expertise not available in her native India, she decided to come to Singapore.

 By Keith G Emuang (keithg@emuang.org)

“My mouth was a warzone! I couldn’t chew, swallow or speak properly at all. It was distressing,” recalls Meena, a 62-year old homemaker from New Delhi.

This was after she had surgery in June 2007 to remove a malignant tumour in the left side of her jaw. Meena had to undergo two months of chemo-radiation therapy thereafter. Although she had won the battle with cancer, there was a casualty – her upper jaw bone – or precisely the 25 per cent of what was left of it.

Even though the initial promise of oral rehabilitation had lifted her spirits somewhat, several months later, it became clear that her recovery was not progressing as she had expected. In fact, it had not progressed at all.

“My mouth was simply useless and I told my husband that this cannot go on. He agreed and that’s when we decided to do something about it.”

Only the best

Meena’s husband, a medical doctor, decided to speak to his colleagues whilst combing through several renowned medical journals. After a studious search, he identified the specific dental expertise that his wife required. However, the challenge was finding it.    

He shares, “There are many prosthodontists but not many have a super-speciality in maxillofacial prosthodontics. Moreover, we wanted a specialist with experience and who was recognised in the field.”

Prosthodontists are dental specialists who are skilled in the replacement of missing teeth and the restoration of natural teeth. Maxillofacial prosthodontists, on the other hand, treat patients who have defects of the head and neck (maxillofacial) region due to cancer, surgery, trauma, and/or birth defects.

Eventually, a shortlist of five maxillofacial prosthodontists was made and following an exchange of email and phone queries, he settled on one from Singapore. 

“Dr Cheng was very prompt with his replies and they were good responses too. Besides, his work had been published in several journals which mattered to me,” Meena’s husband says.

In late November 2009, the couple arrived in Singapore to meet Dr Ansgar Cheng, a Prosthodontist at Specialist Dental Group.

Straight to work

“Meena was distraught when I first met her. Although the combination of surgery and chemo-radiation therapy was effective in treating her cancer, there was not much meaningful work done to restore function to her mouth. Even the denture prosthesis she was given did not fit well,” outlines Dr Cheng.

According to him, Meena only had five functional teeth in her upper jaw. The rest, many of which had root canals done on them, were badly decayed as a result of the cancer therapy. Moreover, the dental bone on her upper jaw was completely gone, leading to another major concern.

“She was missing a seal between her nasal and oral cavity and this caused the accumulation of secretions which was hampering her speech and swallowing abilities. We had to give her a new platform to support the reconstruction of that seal, and new teeth too,” explains Dr Cheng.

A day after she arrived, Dr Cheng began work on restoring Meena’s mouth. By the time he was done in early December, some 17 days later, she had a functional rehabilitation on her upper jaw, five teeth reinforced by titanium posts, three root canals redone and 10 Zirconia crowns for protection and good aesthetic effect.

Meena also had a palatal obturator fitted which covered the hole in the roof of her mouth that leads to the nasal cavity. This obturator replaced the missing 75% upper jaw bone and the missing teeth.

A new beginning  

Dr Cheng remarks, “She was not just missing teeth. Meena was literally handicapped when she came in and her speech was unintelligible. Fortunately, we have managed to give her back significant function to her jaw and teeth, and within a reasonable time frame.

For almost two years, Meena had not been in the right state of mind to enjoy most things. Unable to bite and speak properly, her social life was affected. Today, she is a different woman and is quick to point out where her gratitude lies.   

“I was apprehensive when I first met Dr Cheng but his calm and patient demeanor put me at ease very quickly. By the second day, I had put my full trust in him.”

Dr Cheng adds, “The trust between doctor and patient is vital. So when a patient trusts in their doctor, it makes it very easy for the doctor to carry out treatment.”

According to him, Meena is expected to recover well. He even suggested she put her new jaw and teeth to the ultimate test, which Meena gladly complied. A day and a few pieces of chicken later, she was reassured.

On 16 December 2009, Meena flew back to India – definitely more confident, clearly more excited and audibly more vocal than when she first arrived. Her mouth had been restored and judging by her future plans once she gets home, so too was her lifestyle. 

Posted By Specialist Dental Group at August 13th, 2010 9:08 PM   3 Comments

Specialist Dental Group has launched an on-going series of blog posts by our individual dental specialists. All views provided are the dentist’s own opinions and are posted on this blog as part of our on-going efforts to educate the public about dental issues and other matters of interest relating to dentistry and healthcare.

I was in Hong Kong in July to celebrate my dental school reunion. It is hard to believe that it has been 20 years since I graduated from dental school. It was a sizeable gathering of old classmates and their families.  After all, it was a meeting of people with whom we had spent five solid years together during our early adulthood.

We exchanged class notes in those days, and I can still remember clearly how we strived to thrive and survive in that intensive education environment. In contrast, when we see each other nowadays, we exchange notes, trying to see how each other has fared in the journey of life. Some of us have taken the specialist route and have become an expert in our chosen fields, some of us left our home town and settled elsewhere in the name of work and/or love. 

One thing that did not change was that we all became 20-year-old kids again when we had our get together. We reverted to our original common ground – travelers in a life-long professional journey.

It is also true that many of us found that what we are practising clinically nowadays is quite different from what we were taught in dental school. While fundamental principles are still the anchor, it seems that disease patterns, treatment modalities and predictability of treatment outcomes have changed dramatically over the last two decades!

Dental science has advanced leaps and bounds with time and dentistry is arguably one of the disciplines of health science that has seen the most meaningful changes. In the past, people associated pain with dentistry, nowadays it is fair to say that dentistry is no longer painful but rather dentists are there to resolve one’s dental problems.  

 

Dr. Ansgar C. Cheng is a Dental Specialist in Prosthodontics (Teeth Replacement) with Specialist Dental Group™. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor with the National University of Singapore.  He has a special interest in dental implants, cosmetic dentistry and treatment of  medically compromised patients, including cancer patients. For more information about Dr. Cheng, click here

Posted By Specialist Dental Group at August 6th, 2010 11:08 PM   3 Comments

   

 

   Name:             Belle Luer

   Nationality:      Malaysia

   Procedure:      Root Canal Treatment/Crowns

 

 

 

Belle Luer, a Malaysian, had made plans to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s in Cologne, Germany, with her husband’s family. Little did she know that in a matter of days, she would be cutting short her holiday celebrations to fly 10,000 kilometres to Singapore for emergency root canal treatment.

Belle had seen a dentist in Kuala Lumpur for a root canal and crown a few months earlier. However, it turned out that the root canal had been done on the wrong tooth as she had been pregnant at that time, and her obstetrician had recommended that she avoid a dental x-ray. The problematic tooth was left untreated and flared up on Christmas Eve when she was in Europe.  

Saddled with a 9 month old baby and a 6 year old son during the freezing winter, Belle was unable to see a dentist in Germany since the clinics were closed for the Christmas Eve, Christmas and Boxing Day holidays. She was in so much pain that she was on painkillers every couple of hours. She decided to cut short her German vacation and flew to Singapore to see Dr Ansgar Cheng of Specialist Dental Group, her family’s dentist. He opened the clinic to see her on an emergency basis on New Year’s Day.

Belle had a root canal procedure done and was relieved of her agony at the end of the one hour appointment. She was able to return to Kuala Lumpur the next day. Shortly afterwards, Belle returned to Singapore to have a zirconium crown fitted over the root canal treated tooth. She was very satisfied with the results and was amazed at how quickly her tooth healed and the relatively painless procedure.  Dr Cheng also fixed an old crown which was not fitted properly. She was so impressed with Dr. Cheng’s work that she later opted to do all her dental work at Specialist Dental Group, and visited the clinic recently for teeth whitening.

Specialist Dental Group’s comments:

One of the common mistakes in root canal-treated teeth is the failure to provide a well-made dental filling. Research has shown that a reinforced foundation and a well-fitted dental crown are crucial in protecting a root canal-treated tooth and regaining function. We opted to make a CAD-CAM zirconium based dental crown because of its superior precision, excellent hardness and life-like appearance, which we believe is essential for a young lady with a busy work schedule and an active social life.

Root canal treatments are performed using a microscope. Research has shown that clinical outcome improves with high power magnification. Also, the surgical instruments that we use for root canal treatments are all electronically controlled with high precision. A combination of all these clinical aids and clinical expertise results in more predictability in the treatment outcome.

Posted By Specialist Dental Group at August 3rd, 2010 12:08 AM   0 Comment

In recent years, the words “medical tourism” and “dental tourism” have become a popular buzzword, particularly on the internet. According to Wikipedia, the phrases above refer to individuals who are seeking medical or dental care outside their local healthcare systems.

It may surprise people to know that dental tourism is not a new phenomenon in Singapore. In fact, Specialist Dental Group, formerly known as Henry Lee Dental Surgery, has been seeing international patients for over 30 years. Most of our foreign patients in those days were from the neighboring countries of Indonesia and Malaysia. 

Why do people travel for dental services?

There are generally several reasons that patients would travel out of their home countries for dental treatment in another country:

1)      Access to more advanced facilities/equipment or specialists that can manage complex cases; or

2)      Quicker access to treatment, i.e. longer waiting list in their home country;

3)       Lower cost of treatment in another country; or

4)       A combination of the above factors.

While Singapore may not top the list for being the lowest in fees for medical or dental care, Singapore has a solid reputation for excellent healthcare facilities and expertise with complex procedures in the Asian region.

In some countries, it is not uncommon for a patient to shuttle from one clinic to another to see several types of dentists during the course of a particular procedure. This inevitably leads to a longer treatment period and time spent travelling from one location to another. In other countries, there is a waiting list before much needed dental treatment can be received.

At our clinic, it may be possible for patients who have undergone their initial consultation on their suitability for a procedure, to start off the procedure during the same visit…. as long as there are no outstanding dental treatment that needs to be done ahead of time, e.g. gum treatment or extractions.

It is also possible for patients to access different types of specialists with one appointment, if the appointment booking is made ahead of time – this is a savings of time and costs for patients. For example, a patient with gum problems who also had missing teeth, could have an appointment with a gum specialist (periodontist), prosthodontist (teeth replacement specialist) and oral surgeon during the same visit.  In the same way, a patient who need a consultation for crooked teeth and a protruding jawline could see both the orthodontist (braces specialist) and oral maxillofacial surgeon) at the same visit.

Why has dental tourism become popular?

Dental tourism has seen a surge in growth in recent years due to several reasons:

1)      Increased number of budget airlines making it affordable to travel overseas for dental treatment;

2)      Increased access to the internet  – more people are able to use the internet to search for healthcare providers via internet cafes, mobile internet access, etc

3)      Increased media coverage of medical tourism and dental tourism – with more news stories on people who have travelled to another country to obtain medical and dental treatment, the interest (and demand) in becoming a dental tourist has also increased

4)      More advertising and online marketing by healthcare providers as well as online word of mouth referrals /reviews by patients and their families

Considerations for dental travelers/dental tourists

If you are considering scheduling in a dental makeover on your next vacation / business trip, do your research ahead of time.  Most clinics will have a website with information on the services provided and qualifications of their dentist.   

• what is the standard of dental care in the country you are thinking of having your dental work done?
• Do you know anyone who has had dental work done there? How did it turn out?
• What is the qualification of the dentist who will be performing the procedure? Is the training/qualification recognized in your home country?
• Is he or she a specialist dentist or a general dentist? A dental specialist may charge more for a procedure but he or she also has had more extensive training/experience in a particular area, and will be more equipped to handle complex or difficult cases.
• Where was he or she trained, and how much experience does he or she have with the procedure in question?
• What methods of communication are available with the clinic/dentist – e.g. email? Telephone? How prompt is the response?
• How detailed is the clinic about the cost of the procedure and what to expect? Do you feel comfortable about the amount of information that has been provided?

 Once the research has been done, the tickets booked and the bags packed, bring out the sunglasses and enjoy your dental vacation. You will find that it is a life changing experience !!!

Posted By Specialist Dental Group at July 30th, 2010 10:07 AM   0 Comment

Specialist Dental Group is recruiting – if you are an experienced dental hygienist, read more to see if you are our ideal candidate:

• training and qualification as a dental hygienist (or equivalent)
• several years of experience working as a hygienist
• experience working with international patients, or work experience in another jurisdiction would be an advantage
• excellent clinical skills and communication skills
• ability to work as part of a team
• patient centred with a customer service focus

Our clinic opens 5 1/2 days a week and offers the opportunity to work with a great team of people.

To apply, click on our application form.

Posted By Specialist Dental Group at July 28th, 2010 4:07 PM   2 Comments

Specialist Dental Group has launched an on-going series of blog posts by our individual dental specialists. All views provided are the dentist’s own opinions and are posted on this blog as part of our on-going efforts to educate the public about dental issues and other matters of interest relating to dentistry and healthcare.

Mrs HW came into my office accompanied by her doting husband. I was very happy to note that she had put on a few more kilograms. Most physicians would not be happy to see a 60 year old lady put on so much weight, but for Mrs HW, it was exactly what I wanted to see.

It was hard to imagine that Mrs HW was starving to death just a couple of years ago. She had, at that time, been persuaded by a general dentist to undergo a series of elaborate procedures under intravenous sedation which lasted over 10 hours.[1]

Instead of looking better and chewing with better efficiency, she was in great pain after the procedures. The alignment of the teeth of both her upper and lower jaw had changed so drastically that she was unable to chew food at all. After many adjustments and reassurances which lasted over 9 months, no improvement was seen.

The patient’s family was at their wits’ end. They sought help from their family doctor who then recommended that she come to see me. When I first saw Mrs HW, she was withdrawn, her body was weakened and muscles wasting due to lack of nourishment, and she was in a state of clinical depression.

With the help of the family doctor and a psychiatrist, we were able to improve her nutritional state. The next stage was careful diagnosis of her occlusion and oral rehabilitation. It took more than 3 months before she was able to chew normally again.

Today, Mrs HW has regained her cheerfulness and can now enjoy time with her husband and grandchildren. She can now return to her regular diet and bite onto her favorite crunchy Washington apples.

 I have always emphasized to my students that the most important lesson in the practice of dentistry is: First, do no harm. It is good to see Mrs HW and be reminded of this Hippocratic Oath, lest we forget.

 

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[1] We have on many occasions used intravenous or conscious sedation to control anxiety for patients who are anxious about dental treatment. However, we plan our procedures in great detail so that the patient only spends a minimal amount of time under sedation. To have such conscious sedation for more than 10 hours may not be in the best interest of the patient.

 

 

Dr Neo Tee Khin is a Director and Prosthodontist with Specialist Dental Group. He is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer with the National University of  Singapore and an American-Board certified prosthodontist. Dr Neo is regularly invited to speak at dental conferences in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the region. He has a special interest in dental implants, crowns and the NobelGuide Teeth-in-an-Hour implant procedure.

Posted By Specialist Dental Group at July 27th, 2010 1:07 PM   0 Comment