Specialist Dental Group’s seminar, Putting the Sparkle Back into your Smile, organized together with Channel NewsAsia, was held on Saturday, August 1, 2009 at the Suntec Convention Centre auditorium from 2pm to 5:30 pm.
Drs. Elvin Leong, Ansgar Cheng, Ho Kok Sen, Eugene Chan, Patricia Yeong, Neo Tee Khin and Helena Lee
Close to 600 people spent several hours listening to six dental specialists from our clinic share about the latest developments in their respective specialty areas of dentistry.
“This is the first time that Specialist Dental Group™ has embarked on such a major public education program,” said Dr. Neo Tee Khin, Director and Prosthodontist with Specialist Dental Group™.
“We thought that this was a great way to commemorate the 30th anniversary of our clinic,” added Dr. Ansgar C Cheng, Director and Prosthodontist with the clinic.
Specialist Dental Group™, formerly known as Henry Lee Dental Surgery, was founded by Dr. Henry Lee, a well-respected oral surgeon. Dr. Lee also placed the first titanium dental implants in Singapore more than 20 years ago and this strength in dental implants has continued to be reflected in the multi-specialty team at Specialist Dental Group™.
Staff of Specialist Dental Group
Comprehensive Selection of Topics Covered
Almost every major aspect of dentistry was covered from the relationship between oral health and overall health, to pain and anxiety management, and the latest developments in replacing missing teeth, straightening teeth, and creating a smile makeover.
The question and answer session
A Question and Answer Session was also held after the six presentations and the dental specialists answered questions on various topics including implants, braces, cracked teeth, whitening toothpaste, and many more.
Invisalign display
Nobel Biocare display
Sponsors of the event and the goody bags included Ezyhealth & Beauty, Nobel Biocare, Invisalign, Cosmetic Surgery & Beauty, Sensodyne, Parkway Health, Listerine, Lion Corporation, Clorets, Vicks, Salonpas, SA Dental and Philips Sonicare .
Goody bags
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Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, emerge during early adulthood. A panoramic dental radiograph (x-ray) will confirm the number of wisdom teeth in a person’s mouth and indicate whether any of these teeth are buried or unerupted. It also allows full radiographic examination of the upper and lower jaw architecture and all the teeth present.
Due to our smaller jawbones, wisdom teeth often do not properly erupt and can grow sideways, emerge part-way out of the gum, or remain trapped beneath the gum and bone. As maintaining their cleanliness is difficult, gum and bone infection is very common. Wisdom teeth and their adjacent teeth can also become decayed. Chronic pain, migraines, headaches and facial pain can result. The adjacent teeth can also become so grossly carious that root canal therapy may be the only way to salvage the tooth. In some circumstance, the adjacent tooth may be replaced by a dental implant.
Even when the wisdom teeth erupt properly, there may be a tight fit in the back of the mouth, making it very hard to clean them properly – leading to decay.
The younger one is, the easier the removal of the wisdom teeth, as the bone is more elastic and the roots are shorter. With proper management, the procedure is smooth and seldom causes any significant swelling or discomfort afterwards.
The procedure can be performed under local anaesthesia alone, or together with intravenous sedation, which puts patients in a relaxed state of mind and significantly reduces any anxiety factors. Sedation can be done in the clinic with the assistance of an anaesthetist who will administer the sedation and monitor the patient’s vital conditions. General anaesthesia usually takes place in a hospital or day surgery centre and increases the total cost of treatment. Whichever method selected to remove wisdom teeth, with proper expertise, wisdom teeth removal can be accomplished under an hour for all four teeth or under 30 minutes for two teeth.
Delaying treatment may increase the likelihood of pain, infection and problems associated with the wisdom teeth. Researchers have found that patients aged 30 years and above may be at greater risk for gum disease in the tissues surrounding the wisdom teeth and adjacent teeth, which can, in turn, affect general health. It is also unwise to delay removal of wisdom teeth until pain and infection set in as healing may be complicated and more prolonged. It is better to remove the wisdom teeth preventively before they become infected as infected wisdom teeth are more complicated and more expensive to treat.
Research has shown that the overall dental condition improves after the removal of wisdom teeth. Prevention is cure and early removal avoids all the associated problems stated.
For Singaporeans and those with Singapore Permanent Residency, wisdom teeth surgery may also be covered by Medisave. Click for more information on wisdom teeth surgery
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