Many people may have the misconception that all forms of dental treatment are painful and will tend to neglect their oral health. With new approaches to dental treatment and multidisciplinary care, dental treatment has transformed the perception of many patients as the whole experience can be made more comfortable and pleasant. Read on to find out more about a patient’s oral health journey.

Oral Health Care

Oral health encompasses the daily care and maintenance of the oral tissues. This comprises two components: the hard tissues and soft tissues. Teeth and bone make up the hard tissue component, while the lips, cheeks, gums and tongue make up the soft tissue component. Teeth are made up of three main layers: enamel, dentine and pulp (Figure 1).

Healthy teeth keeps tooth decay and gum disease at bay

Without proper care and maintenance, oral neglect can lead to a myriad of problems such as tooth decay and gum disease. A root canal infection will occur if tooth decay progresses to the pulp chamber and swellings can develop with abscess formation (Figure 2).

Tooth decay can be prevented by reducing the frequency of sugar intake while proper tooth brushing technique with a daily flossing regimen may prevent gum inflammation called gingivitis. Individuals with increased risk of dental decay may supplement their daily oral hygiene routine using fluoride mouth rinses.

Overcoming Fear on Her Oral Health Journey

Ms Elaine Ou was first presented to the Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) Dental Clinic in early 2009 with the hope of realigning her teeth prior to her wedding day. She had been referred to Dr Vivien Tan Hui Ling, the Head and Senior Consultant of Dental Clinic by her family members.

She had been reluctant to seek dental treatment earlier as she had an innate fear of the dentist from her primary school days. She had overcome her fear for the initial visit with the encouragement of her sister, who had also undergone treatment with Dr Vivien several years earlier.

Learning About Dental Treatment Options

Proper dental care can lead to a brighter smile

Elaine had scheduled a wedding photoshoot in July 2009 prior to her wedding day, which was to be held in January 2010. She was found to have several teeth with prior root canal treatment and dental fillings. Dr Vivien sought to understand Elaine’s hopes and expectations by the end of the dental treatment course.

Relevant radiographs were obtained and diagnostic casts were prepared. The treatment options available were discussed with Elaine to provide her with a better understanding of the commitment required for treatment to proceed.

Although the timeline was challenging, both Elaine and Dr Vivien decided to embark upon the proposed plan.

Deciding on the Dental Treatments

Circumstances were compounded by the fact that Elaine was at a higher risk of developing dental caries.

An atypical extraction scheme was decided upon whereby her grossly decayed upper left canine tooth was removed as very little tooth structure was remaining for the tooth to function even with prosthetic restoration.

Three other premolar teeth and her wisdom teeth were also removed under general anaesthesia. Concurrent removal of the teeth under general anaesthesia expedited the commencement of braces without compromising Elaine’s comfort levels.

Completing the Clinical Course

The molars were banded and activation began.

Elaine was compliant with her six-weekly reviews as her wedding day drew closer. On 8 January 2010, the eve of Elaine’s wedding, she had the orthodontic brackets removed and tooth-coloured composite resin restorations placed on her upper front teeth to achieve desired aesthetics for her special day. The bride was, without a doubt, the most beautiful person at the wedding.

Elaine had returned on 22 January 2010, after her honeymoon, to have her orthodontic brackets replaced and treatment continued. Upon completing her braces treatment in April 2011, Elaine had further tooth-coloured composite resin restorations placed before commencing on definitive crowns on her upper teeth.

Dr Ang Kok Yang, the dental officer-in-charge of Elaine’s case together with Dr Vivien, had prepared five upper teeth to receive crowns to provide adequate protection against fracture during the function. Retainers were subsequently fabricated to hold the teeth in their new positions. Elaine’s new smile had warmed many hearts at the end of treatment. Her whole outlook on dentistry had been changed for the better.

When she returned for an annual review in December 2012, she had progressed to the next stage in life: motherhood. The arrival of her little bundle of joy, a new baby girl, made her smile even wider than ever. This time, she no longer dreads her dental visits.

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