Monthly Archives: January 2010

Dealing with canker sores (singaw)

Canker sores, also known as aphtous ulcers or, in our local vernacular, singaw, are small ulcers in the lining of the mouth that are frequently painful and sensitive. While common among both men and women, the latter are slightly more likely than men to have recurrent canker sores. It can occur at any age, but it is more commonly seen in teenagers. Genetic studies show that susceptibility to recurrent outbreaks of the sores is inherited in some patients. This partially explains why family members often share the condition. Allow this dentist in Makati to share more information about singaw with you.

What causes singaw?

1. There are many kinds of bacteria found in the mouth. An allergy to a particular type of bacterium can trigger a singaw.
2. It might be your immune system.
3. It might be hereditary.
4. You may have a nutritional deficiency in vitamins or nutrients such as vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin C, or iron.
5. You may have undergone emotional stress, injury or trauma.

What should I do if have always recurrent singaw?

  • Drink lots of fluid and take Vitamin C.
  • Avoid injuries, especially to your mouth.
  • Be careful in brushing your teeth; use oral gargles such as Betadine or Bactidol.
  • Take singaw medicine.

For that last tip, this dentist in Makati found that Debacterol® has proven quite effective. Debacterol® is a liquid, topical, debriding agent used for treating ulcerating oral mucosal lesions, commonly referred to as canker sores, aphthous ulcers, or oral ulcers, as well as minor oral abrasions. It’s uniquely effective in the treatment of Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (Canker Sores); it is also a treatment for Aphthous Stomatitis that completely stops oral ulcer pain, seals damaged oral mucosal tissues and aids natural healing processes after just one application, which requires only minutes to perform.

How does Debacterol® work?

Simply dry the lesion with a cotton swab and apply Debacterol. In only seconds, the pain is gone! Typically, the lesion is replaced by healthy tissue in three to five days.

Why is DEBACTEROL® so effective over conventional products?

In order for any ulcerating mucosal lesion to heal, the factors causing the injury must first be controlled at the ulcer site. Then, any necrotic tissue debris in the ulcer bed must be removed so that healthy new cells are able to migrate into the damaged area and proliferate. In the normal course of healing in an untreated individual, the immune system is relied upon to perform and promote all of these activities. A limiting factor in the rate of ulcer healing is the capacity of the immune system of an individual to prevent further damage and to clear the way for repair cells to infiltrate and multiply.

This is what it looks like:

If you suffer regularly from singaw, please contact this dentist in Makati and I’ll set up an appointment with you and Debacterol®. We’ll then work out some kind of quality oral hygiene regimen for you so you can say goodbye to canker sores… permanently.

The “awesome” braces!

So you’re thinking of getting braces? Well, it doesn’t have to be the ten-thousand-year treatment some of your friends suffer through.

There is a faster way to have orthodontic treatments done. At my dental clinic in Makati, we’re talking metal in your mouth for a WHOLE YEAR LESS!

The Makati Dentist’s way-quicker method:

  • FASTER UNCROWDING: Rather than relying on just one treatment type—like some dentists do—we customize the methods to create enough room for your crowded teeth.
  • BETTER ORTHOPEDICS: Many times your treatment will go faster and turn out better if we use Orthopedic appliances (sometimes called retainers) either before or while your wearing braces.
  • INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT: We select the best bracket system for your mouth (that’s the braces part). And we use these comfortable flexible wires that loosen and stiffen when the temperature in your mouth changes (eating hot or cold things).
  • FEWER ADJUSTMENTS: That means you don’t have to go in to the dentist as much! (Which saves you the trouble of looking at my face fewer times a year.

We dentists in Makati call these types of braces “self-ligating” brackets. A treatment time between eight and 18 months is common, but a more accurate estimate can only be made after direct examination.

Comparison Chart

Old Fashioned Braces Self Ligating braces
Treatment Time 2 or 3 Years 8 to 18 Months
Final Smile Narrow Full Smile
Comfort Uncomfortable Gentle Movements
Decay Rate Risky Seldom
Root Resorption Risky Less Often
TMJ Health Varies Orthopedics Improve
Facial Profile Flat Face Full Face
Wisdom Tooth Surgery Frequent Infrequent
Stability Some Risk Stable
Headgear Often Used Never

Oral Prophylaxis: It’s More Than Just Toothbrushing!

What is Oral Prophylaxis?

Oral Prophylaxis is the thorough scaling and polishing of your teeth surfaces above, between and under the gums.

Scaling removes the hard tartar which forms on your teeth like scale inside a kettle. You can’t remove it just by brushing your teeth. Scaling also removes trapped food and plaque containing millions of germs which can cause tooth decay and gum disease. Stains from coffee, tea, cigarettes or red wine are also cleaned away when your Philippine dentist polishes your teeth.

There are two ways to scale teeth.

  • Hand scalers – these come in different sizes and shapes, to reach different parts of your teeth. This is why you will see the dentist or hygienist changing instruments quite often.
  • Electric scalers – these use very fast vibration with water. The water is sucked out of the mouth. A hand scaler is used to check whether the teeth are completely clean.

For polishing, your dentist in Makati will use a rotating brush or rubber polisher with a special toothpaste.

Scaling cleans above and below the gums. If you have gum disease, scaling needs to be deeper, around the roots of the teeth.

Your Makati dentist will tell you about the best way to clean your teeth and gums thoroughly at home.

What are the benefits?

* If your gums bleed when you brush, you may have early gum disease. Regular scaling helps to stop the disease getting worse
* Gum disease can cause bad breath (whew!), which you can prevent by regular scaling and cleaning your teeth thoroughly at home.
* Regular scaling and polishing by a Philippine dentist helps keep your teeth and gums healthy by making it easier for you to keep your teeth clean at home. You should see and feel the difference.

TMD Disorder and Orthodontic Treatment

WHAT IS TMD DISORDER?

Research shows that health problems as varied as headaches and breathing problems may be related to abnormal alignments of the bones of the face and jaw, all of which is related to malpositioning of teeth. When there are misalignment on any of these components, chances are the rest of your body will follow suit. Some would complain of neck, shoulder or back pains and clicking of jaws while others will present slouching, dissymmetry of facial features and idiosyncratic symptoms like itching of the inside of the ears. They may not be aware that they are suffering from a not so known disorder called Tempero-Mandibular Disorder, or TMD. Learn more about TMD, and how the Makati Dentist can help you. Continue reading TMD Disorder and Orthodontic Treatment

Prevent your kids’ cavities

You’d think that children of dentists would score top grades in dental health. Well, that isn’t always the case. Take our four-year-old, for example.

My wife and I are both Philippine dentists, so it puzzled and disappointed us to find a couple of gray areas (initial sign of cavities) forming in between our son’s lower front teeth, despite our meticulous cary preventive routine. Disappointed, she started doing research and came to the conclusion that our son inherited her salivary ph, which is a bit on the acidic side.  This doesn’t come as too much of a surprise because studies show that infants get the common oral bacterial flora primarily from their mothers since they are the ones who are physically closer – sharing oral utensils, kissing, etc. My wife, while growing up, was very meticulous about her oral health but noticed that no matter what she did, cavities do crop up now and then, while I was virtually cavity free (my saliva ph was on the basic side). Continue reading Prevent your kids’ cavities

On porcelain crowns

Many Philippine dentists, including Makati dentists like myself, dislike the metal behind most porcelain crowns, and for years, we had to make do with chair-side troubleshooting to make the artificial teeth look more natural. This was because it took too much time to return these crowns to the dental laboratories that manufacture them. Continue reading On porcelain crowns