Any dentist to recommend for braces - good and at reason price

nookeew

New Member
hi pamela, yes, it'll be more expensive, but not sure by how much... can call the clinic to check 67380383...
 


staruiz

New Member
Hi Pamela,

Previously, I went to Colin Ong for consultation. He told me for uppper in ceramic & lower metal, it'll cost non-policyholder $4,200.
 

pamela0828

New Member
hi nookeew, just wish to know if your ceramic brackets drop out easily. i'm still deciding between ceramic and metal. which one do you suggest?
 

staruiz

New Member
Hi Pamela

I haven't had my braces yet. After hearing from Dr Colin Ong, I thought that Smiles Clinque would have a better offer coz Damon treatment total cost only $3500 and it takes shorter time & less painful.
However, later found out I need to pay more deposit and somehow their service didn't seem good enough. (Didn't start the treatment at Smile) So I'm thinking of going back to Dr Colin Ong instead.
 

nookeew

New Member
hi palema... i've been on braces for abt 14 months and so far, there was only once that one of the cermaic braces became loose... it won't just "drop out" cos there is the wire that ties all the braces together... i think can live with the loose bracket until the next scheduled visit... otherwise, u can also make last minute appt... once i saw this student just walked into the clinic and told the receptionist his bracket had become loose and they put him in front of me =/

as for ceramics or metallic, strictly IMHO, metallic ones are good enough, and furthermore, u can choose different color "doughnuts" (the tiny elastic bands securing the wire to the brackets) and i think it's quite cool (i'm on red color this month) =) remember, it costs $300 for a set of ceramics, quite a pinch on the pocket... i had opted for ceramics for my upper teeth cos i'll be on braces for more than 2 yrs (i'm quite old liaox, so treatment time is longer), and i thot the $300 for something i'll have on everyday for so long is quite worthwhile... but now a bit regret already, as mentioned previously...

hope it helps!
 

pamela0828

New Member
hi alicia, i see =] mind sharing with me your experience once your braces are done? thanks!

hi nookeew, thanks! cos i tot they'll really drop out. how silly of me to think of such a qn. heh, i'll now consider metal since it's cheaper.
 

starris

New Member
Hi Everyone
I'm new to this thread. Am interested in doing braces but as my wedding is this year Jun 06, I'm afraid I don't have much time left to do braces. Some dentist recommends veneer. Anyone knows about this? Any pros and cons? I heard it's something like extreme makeover where the teeth will turn out straight??? Also anyone did whitening before (laser type). Expensive or not?

Please help help...Thanks
 

jensmurf

Member
Hi to potential readers wearing braces..
i second nookeew and alicia since i'm with Dr Colin Ong too. He is really gentle, approachable.
I am taking my braces off in 2 mths' time...Do let me know if u need more info via private message...Smilez widely =)
 

fei_mao

New Member
Hi all,
Im new here and had just installed braces last week. Im wif Aline Dental and find Dr Tan really chop in dealing with braces stuff.

Its already being 10 days, my front rows teeth still feel sore lei. Just wondering, anyone knows whether the teeth stop moving once the soreness gone?
 

calmy

New Member
Hi,

This site is great!
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I'm new here and I have several questions. Hope anyone with info can advise me. Thank u.

1. Anyone has ever switched orthodontists midway during treatment? I intend to, but I'm not sure how the charges will be like with the 1st dentist. Should I pay in full as promised on the first day or only partial, since the treatment is stopped halfway.

2. I'm also looking for "Bliss" (Blissbride). She mentioned 3 of her colleagues did braces without needing to do extractions. Would like to know how they are doing now...

Thank u again!
 

calmy

New Member
Hi Starris,

I hope you were not recommended to do veneers by some dentist located in StarHub Centre? I had a bad experience there.
 

nookeew

New Member
Hi starris, i thought veneer is only to make the teeth look whiter, more "polished"??? Can it help correct misalignment of the teeth also???

Hi calmy, i suppose u've not started on ur treatment yet? Just curious, why do u intend to switch orthodontist midway through?
 

calmy

New Member
Hi nookeew,

Ok mine's a long story and I'll try to summarise here. Anyway, it's been a headache.

All along I had wanted to go and have braces done since I was in school. Problem is, my teeth are not severly overcrowed or misaligned, just slight crookedness here and there and the bite is not perfect, again not that serious.

I went to 2 orthodontists and they both said extraction of 4 teeth is necessary to make space. I was quite disappointed cos I didn't want to lose good teeth for nothing. I wouldn't have minded if my teeth were a serious case. So I put the idea off. However, a few yrs later, seeing many of my friends' nice teeth after braces, I couldn't stand it anymore and went to seek for a third opinion from my present orthodontist. She decided to try doing it without extraction. After more than 1/2 yr, she now thinks it is indeed best I go for the extraction. U can imagine my disappointment and worry!

I considered very carefully for about a month and told myself, ok let's do it. But recently, I found another orthodontist who amazingly could do braces without extaction! I've seen his works and I'm impressed. Of course not everyone is suitable but then most are.

So that's why...

Anyone of you here has experienced a similar case? As in changing orthodontists midway and/or not needing any extractions even though space is limited in your jaws?
 

calmy

New Member
Continue...

Nookeew, veneers are not for what you mentioned.

Yes, porcelain veneers can "correct" misaligned teeth. Notice I put in inverted commas. Cos they are fakes!!

Simply put, veneers are procelains plastered onto your misaligned teeth to make them LOOK nice and straight but really, your "bad" teeth are still underneath them.

There are many disadvantages with using veneers. I've had one bad experience with a dentist who conned me of $ into doing veneers. Luckily I took control of the idea but I lost a bit of $ in the process.

Those who want to find out more can ask me here and I'll try to explain further and caution you the downside of veneers.

If u ask me in short, I will still tell you nothing like using braces.
 

calmy

New Member
Nookeew,

U r welcome.
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Yes, I've seen him. He said mine is a simple case! No extractions needed at all. I saw some of his previous patients' cases. Much worse than mine and they didn't have any extractions at all too. End result is fantastic.

I questioned him then how come extractions seem to be the norm for people who need braces. He said all OD's differ in their skills, knowledge and forms of practice.

I have visited quite a number of OD's here that I must conclude the field of orthodontics is really an art. Afterall, it involves aesthetics. But surprisingly, b4 this, I thought putting on braces is "standard" in specialized dentistry. Now I think it's more than that. It's all about the dentist's experience, expert knowledge and willingness to take an alternative, more comfortable approach whose end result is the same (as beautiful as) the more painful method!

I've seen ODs who are skeptical about certain products while another is full of praise for it. The truth is, the former may be ignorant or not an expert in that area!

Now my big prob is how to tell my OD I wish to change.... Would also like to hear from others who are facing similar situation as me...

How come this topic of braces seem to have died down in this Forum ah?? Hee...
 

nookeew

New Member
hi calmy, i've seen one OD onli, so can't help u much =P

hmm, u're apprehensive abt extracting ur wisdom teeth; i thot most dentists would advise taking out these wisdom teeth as they are difficult to clean and prone to decay?
 

staruiz

New Member
i dun suppose calmy's OD is asking her to remove her wisdom tooth...coz wisdom tooth is quite out of the way, and shouldn't be counted during the treatment.

urm...without extracting your teeth and doing the OD treatment. well, indeed. Are you referring to Damon treatment? Unlike what they promised that it's painless, it's actually quite painful (though I didnt have one but heard this experience from another person who's undergoing the process).

Not really true. When i went for consultation with the dentist, she told me that may need to extract 4 teeth depending on how the situation goes. She can't be certain, although the thing about Damon treatment is painless, no tooth extraction and half the time spent like those traditional treatment.

Well, the clinic also shown me pictures of people having very bad teeth alignment undertaking Damon treatment and in the end the result is great without any tooth extraction and everything is done in 1.5 yrs.

However, when Dentist is preparing for my mould, then she took a closer look and started telling me I may need to take out 4 teeth but will see how things goes after having the braces on for 6 months.(You have to pay deposit of half the total price and monthly instalment of $200+). In my POV, why take the risk for something for expensive and it's all depend on "how things goes"...true enough many people went through the process without tooth extraction but not all cases are the same mah. Just like how the person present it to me, alot of factors have to be taken in...
 

calmy

New Member
Hi nookeew, sorry i didn't follow up on your old threads. But r u still on braces or off liao?

No it's not wisdom teeth I've been advised to extract. Mine all fully grown but they dun give probs. I've had them for more than 10 yrs. No decay *touch wood* Clean them well, see dentist regularly.

Alicia, hope I dun interpret wrongly. So do u feel a sense of regret about your situation? U feel now you have taken a risk by not doing the extraction in the beginning?

Actually, your case is similar to mine. Sometimes the dentist wants to play it safe so will try her best to do without extraction. In my case, after several months, she said have to do it. However, the other dentists I visited all told me if it were them, there wouldn't be any doubt about the extraction right from the start. Maybe my OD is trying to help me keep the teeth.

My case is really tricky cos I do not have serious problems like those that u see in the "Before" and After pictures. Extraction thus is not an easy decision for me to make. In fact, if u talk to me face to face now, u might even think my teeth are quite good unless I open my mouth wide enough to show you!

And.. yup, I'm using the Damon.
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I don't think they promise it to be painless, but that the treatment is less uncomfortable and it's faster. For me, I never once experienced the things we commonly hear about. No ulcers, minimal discomfort, and I don't have to eat soft foods. I'm really thankful for that. Whether it's the Damon or not, or that I have good pain threshold I really dun know. I think it's a combination.

But I also think the orthodontist must be skilled to trust and know how to use Damon. I've beard of a dentist who personally claimed Damon is not much different from metal braces in terms of treatment even though his clinic offers it. I wouldn't go to him if I want Damon. You should find someone who is skilled or at least believes in the system.
 

staruiz

New Member
Hi Calmy,

You seem to have done alot of research before taking the braces treatment.
Likewise, if I had good teeth like yours, I will hesitate as well. (My problem lies with the alignment...but not so serious until it's causing bitting problem or whatever)

Yup I regretted and I pulled out of the whole thing before I started putting on the braces.

But in your case, you already had your braces on...right? I thought less serious case, may only need to extract 2 teeth at most? At least that's what I've heard from my orthodontist.

If they really need to extract 4 teeth, then the overcrowding of teeth seems a bit serious. So far, I have not heard of anyone switching to another orthodontist in the midst of the treatment. You may lose your deposit and the instalment you have made so far (if you're paying by instalment).

It's always better to stick to one orthodontist coz like what you said, it's an art. You won't want someone else to come by and mess up the art you have started. Only the person who first started "drawing" on the canvas will have a better idea how things should go. A slightly wrong adjustment may ruin the whole thing. My sis had her braces treatment. But she's under those sort of trainee at National Dental. But her orthodontist was supervised by a professional. So a wrong move will cause her to suffer from pain and it takes longer time for the teeth to move back to the way they wanted things to go. (She had traditional treatment)
Afterall, it's all about how the teeth moves...moreover for Damon treatment, all teeth move at one go, so I will think that it would be rather bad.
 

nookeew

New Member
hi calmy, i'm still on braces, traditional type, in my 14th month...

wow, u really have done a great deal of research! i'm the opposite; i just told the dentist i wanted to correct my teeth, full-stop. =P

only 2 of my wisdom teeth were removed as part of the OD treatment. they are good teeth, although quite a bit misaligned, and the OD thought it's safer to remove them to preempt decay problems. haha, that's why i din know that sometimes other teeth have to extracted as well.

so, u can say that i din have tooth extraction for my OD treatment. =)

actually, i'll be going for jaw surgery in the next few months. my main problem is with the misaligment of my jaws, not the teeth, which are quite straight in the first place. so i think i need not have tooth extraction because the adjustment isn't going to be very big.

the misalignment of my jaws are only slightly perceptible (talking face to face, most pple won't even notice it), but i can see it everyday in the mirror, and it has been bothering me for many years. b4 visiting the OD, i thot using braces could correct it, but on my first visit, the OD told me it's a jaw problem and braces won't correct it significantly, and suggested surgery. he referred me to this surgeon at AH and she said the same thing. surgery is a big decision, i hope it turns out right. =S

oops, sorrie, disgressed already...

back to u calmy... not sure what would happen to ur deposit if u quit ur present OD... maybe u can call the clinic and pretend to be someone interested in braces and ask abt what would happen to the deposit if the treatment is stopped halfway. just a suggestion =)
 

calmy

New Member
Hi Alicia,

Oh I can really identify with ur case then. I thot u have started with the braces. It's so tough to make the decision right, especially like u, my teeth are not severely bad.

Yes, I've already started my braces treatment. And rite, I did do a lot of reading and I've also seen quite a number of orthodontists! Unfortunately, all those readings came largely after I had my braces on.

Whether to extract none, 2 or 4 really depends on the individual's teeth. Can't really say if extract 4 means serious. Ur teeth are prob like mine. Everything is quite nicely in place, just minor corrections here and there. Just that there is lack of space so I needed to remove more (good!) teeth.

Sigh I also wish to stick with my present orthodontist. Not that I dun trust her, but since I found another one who could do without extraction, why not. And he's certain mine can definitely do it. To prove it, he showed me a handful of his patients. Very amazing, some are very overcrowded, so much worse than mine, but with Damon, he skilfully straightened all their teeth in place! No side effects or change in facial structure.

Now I'm concerned about how I should tell my orthodontist and the charges involved. The 2nd orthodontist said he can use back my Damon and waive off the cost for that part.
 

calmy

New Member
Hi nookeew,

Thanx 4 the suggestion... Hee... Think I will call and tell them the truth... No point hiding rite. My appointment is next week! Whoa...
 

janay

New Member
Hi Nookeew, I am new to this forum, but I reckon it is a cool website..
I would like to ask you more about jaw surgery..cause I am thinking of doing it as well cause same like you, I have misalignment of jaw which has been bothering me.
Would you let me know about the cost involves and whether there is any side effect? thank you..
 

nookeew

New Member
hi jack, the actual cost involved, i'm not too sure yet. i've seen the surgeon once only, just b4 i put on the braces, and she remarked that it will come up to be abt 4k, and i think she said it can be paid through medisave.

the most serious side effect is the possible lost of feeling on the lips.

there's a wealth of info on these two orthognathics surgery (that's the medical term for jaw surgery) support sites:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/orthognathicsurgerysupport/messages

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/orthognathicsurgerysite2/

u have to register with and be approved by the groups' moderators before u can gain full access to the sites.

oh, have u had ur braces on already?
 

janay

New Member
thanks you for the info nookeew..
but the lost of feeling on the lips is likely to deter me to have a surgery...I have to think twice.
btw..i am not local but just live in singapore so I think it might be more expensive for foreigner..at least I have rough idea how much it gonna costs ..thanks.
I havent had my breaces yet..
I read more of the info that you provide..thanks lot man..I appreciate it..
 

paopei

New Member
I wanna find much more info about dentures. ANybody done that before? May I know how much? Thinking to go Bedok Polyclinic ... thanks a lot
 

tikkles

New Member
anyone has any idea if i can get a referral at a polyclinic to do braces at a hospital so i can use medisave to pay for them?? due to a bad fall when i was young, i have very slight speech problems due to gaps between my top row and bottom row of teeth.. can't pronouce certain words clearly.. haiz. studying part time, can't realli afford to pay cash...
 

staruiz

New Member
Don't think you can use medisave to pay for braces treatment as mentioned in previous postings. But with the referral letter, you can queue for your turn and get your braces treatment done at subsidised costs ($2000++) compared to non-subsidised cost of $3500 - $4000.
 

skyla

New Member
hi everyone...
I'm new here and i have a few qn to ask... hope u all can help me... thank u!
i nw tinkin of which type of braces shld i have...
i only have a small gaps between my front teeth.. so i dun think tt i shld put braces...
so i thinkin of put porcelain veneers den calmy say tt no gd(thank calmy).. so nt think of tt..
i also heard tt there 1 type of brace call crown braces? isit gd? how isit like n hw much it cost?

thank u!!!
 

angela_vin

New Member
Hi everyone,

I will be wearing my braces very soon but in dilemna of which to choose, the damon or conventional metal type. Pls advise. Thank you so much
 

auldreay

New Member
Skyla, I had alot of small gaps between my teeth and I opted for braces. But after braces, due to the odd shape of my teeth, i still needed porcelain veneers on the front 4 teeth, but ortho gave it free
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My braces cost me S$3k, lasted for 1 year and I did the damon one at Smilez Clinique. Look for Dr Lee (v hard to get appt) if you are interested
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Angela, the damon one is the one I choose, cos my teeth is v small and this type of braces has v small brackets. it is much better than normal braces. I completed the whole thing within a year
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faithfully go for appointments every month
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vegalights

New Member
Hi everyone,

I'm thinking of going for damon braces pretty soon. Besides the smiles clinique, is there any other dentist or orthodontist that offers this type of braces, and what are the costs like? And for those who've been to the smiles clinique, was its service good please?

Thank you so much!
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PS - Angela, isn't 3k really cheap for damons??
 

auldreay

New Member
vegalights, if you want to go smilez clinique, do ask for Dr Lee. You will realise quite hard to book appt for her cos she is very popular. She is a v gentle and kind lady
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Her nurse is a B**CH but dun bother about her. The dentist is more important.
 

vegalights

New Member
Hi Yafang, thanks for the tip
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. Yup, I heard horror stories about the nurse(s) at Smiles Clinique so was a bit apprehensive about going there. Glad to hear that Dr Lee is great! Did you go to the branch at Novena?

Oops -- just realised my earlier PS to Angela was actually meant for you (think the heat affected my brain :p). 3k is really affordable for braces, did you do just one row of teeth, or both rows please?
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Thanks so much!
 

skyla

New Member
thank a lot.... but actually i dun really wan to get braces... so actually i heard another 1 is call Invisalign... do anyone knw hw isit like n hw much isit? thank!!!
 

auldreay

New Member
vegalights, My mum did braces with Dr Lee for S$900 onli. My mum onli did the bottom row
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I did both rows
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My sis is currently going to Dr Lee also, 1 row (bottom), we are paying S$800
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Dr Lee charges cheaper if someone rec'd you
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Skyla, Invisalign I tink is the one that is inside the mouth, also known as lingual braces i tink. they start from 10k onwards, but no one will ever know you are wearing braces
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bossa_ger

New Member
Yafang, Wow, $900 for 1 row is really considered afforable for a student like me. Does it include all the expenses that we have to pay (like including extraction and the subsequent visits)?

I've checked out the NTUC Denticare and they told me that it's around 4k (for both rows) even if I'm an union member (including extraction of teeth if it's required).

May I know which branch of Smiles Clinque you went to? There are apparently 7 branches when I check out the online directory.

Thank you so much!
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auldreay

New Member
Gigi, my did not need any extractions. But extractions cost S$50/tooth. My mum paid in full and subsequent visits are free until the braces are done. Any check up related to the braces are free, only need to pay if you are doing scaling and polishing.

We go to the NOvena branch as we have a shop there.
 

skyla

New Member
thank yafang... ur seem really qutie cheap... but mus be rec'd by someone...
i tot NTUC denticare shld be cheap... but...
erm... may i knw the address n num of smiles clinque... feel like to try out there...
any other denticare around toa payoh to rec'd?
btw i am still struggling whether to go for braces or nt coz i scare of dental... hahaha
so finding a gd dental for mi is very important =) lolz
 

bossa_ger

New Member
Wow... recommendation? Can we say that a very nice girl known as Yafang recommended us there?
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I guess i'll be checking out the place soon... The cheapest I found at the other areas is around 2.8k...
 

bossa_ger

New Member
Yafang, I called up the clinic this morning... They quoted me 3.8k for metal braces and 5k for damon 2... Haha, I guess you're really having a big discount from dr lee... Thank goodness the receptionist was quite polite, if not I wouldnt have scream at her...
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auldreay

New Member
Gigi, you need to see her to get a more accurate quote.

Everyone's teeth is different, thus the time and materials needed are also different. The quotes they give you are the average quotes. The actual price depends on individual cases.

I have friends that go to Dr Lee, they are paying S$4k for normal metal braces, but they need to put 3 years. You calculate the number of visits compared to mine (only 1 year) and it is actually based on how serious your case is
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auldreay

New Member
eh...i nvr pay for consult onli b4...so not too sure...but if it is time for your bi-annual scaling and polishing, might as well make an appt to do it
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then can judge for yourself if you are comfy with the dentist or not also...
 

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