Brace Yourself Orthodontics

02/09/2026

17/08/2026

010-240 1248

06/03/2026

June 2025-Jan 2026. I thought I have 22 months to complete the case only to be informed after 4 months of treatment that I was left with 3 months. Interproximal stripping of lower incisors on the same day as braces insertion + early elastic wear are some of the reasons we are able to complete the case before the patient has to go back to Japan. I am a loyal fan of fixed metal braces because I have 100% control in every aspect from simple to complicated cases- Wire bending, bracket repositioning, bite settling, final finishing. Oldie but a goodie!
计划赶不上变化。本来以为有两年时间慢慢做，其实只有7个月。既来之，则安之。好在我之前觉得两年时间已经很短了，所以直接在放上牙套当天就开始牙切片，再加上这个乖宝宝真的很努力戴橡皮筋，总算赶得上。这就是传统牙套的精髓, 从简单至复杂的案例，医生可以完全掌控一切，就是喜欢这种感觉！
#槟城牙科诊所

06/03/2026

3 years+, 4 miniscrews for gummy smile correction, 4 teeth removed, no future implant. This patient was refered for an opinion regarding possibility of braces to close the upper molar space. Space closure is possible in this case only if the patient is willing to extract 3 more teeth which is wise as 1 of those teeth are heavily restored too. However, please do not think that braces can close all the space in your mouth. If it is not meant to be closed, it is not. Duration of treatment & adverse effects of braces (black triangles, centreline shift, cost etc) to be considered too.
无需植牙的代价就是3年多的青春，4颗骨钉，拔了4颗牙，也顺带解决了牙龈外露和反颌的问题。这个方案(molar space closure)不是每个case可行！每个方案都是经过深思熟虑才定下来的。我们不是神，牙齿矫正也不是万能的。再举个例子，有些得做手术解决咬合问题的还是得动手术，单做拔牙矫正只会弄巧成拙。
#槟城牙科诊所 #槟城牙医

05/03/2026

Stop fearmongering upper canine extraction. In this case, upper right canine extraction makes braces less painful for the patient with perhaps shorter treatment duration (took 1 year 5 months to complete) & simpler mechanics. Aligning the upper right canine is absolutely possible but it is not the only plan that works. Patient's comfort, gum health after alignment of the canine etc are factors to be considered too. With proper control of mechanics, treatment objectives (centreline is parent's main concern) can be achieved without balancing canine extraction (upper left 1st premolar was extracted). We are human being, we will age! Braces don't age us or make us look any youthful. That's too huge a responsibility to bear as a small orthodontist like me. Accept & embrace aging!
拔虎牙不会造成脸垮，不当的操作才会。撇除脸垮不垮，虎牙排齐后牙龈跟不跟得上也是我们考量的因素。一个合格的矫正医生会list out 各个方案的好处与坏处，再引导孩子和家长选择最适合自己的方案, 当中孩子的忍痛程度也是考量因素。方案没有对与错，只有适合自己与否。不要比较，不要焦虑。这个案例很值得反思，就算不对称的拔牙选择（一边虎牙，一边1st premolar), 中间线始终对得上，这也是家长之前很担心的一点。脸垮是因为我们是人，人会老，放过自己，放生医生，接受这点，世界很美好！

04/03/2026

Another case which took more than 3.5 years. This is the reality of adult orthodontics. All our adult patients are well informed regarding the duration of treatment (at least 3 years) & the unwanted effects such as black triangles in this case. Minimal restorative work (simple fillings on 3 surfaces of upper incisors, no veneers, no whitening) was done to close the black triangles. Less is more when comes to dentistry. Patient can always opt for more invasive procedures later on, just not in my hands. Maybe I should move to Mars, Earth is getting crazier.
我从不隐瞒成人矫正所需要的时间（3年或以上）以及所带来的副作用（黑三角）。这个案例的黑三角可多了！我做了3个简单的composite fillings (无美白，无牙齿贴片) 就满足了病人的需求和顺便营销自已的私心。可能几年后她想做牙齿美白还是牙齿贴片，她还是可以做的。目前的我还不是那么赞同这种治疗方法，不过我还是尊重病人的选择。我有时真的觉得我应该去住火星。
#槟城牙科诊所

04/03/2026

3.5 years, 4 miniscrews, non-surgical correction of gummy smile. Crown lengthening procedure alone without braces is not possible. So thankful for having a dear orthodontist friend who gave me courage to attempt non-surgical correction on this patient. We love scrutinizing things like asymmetry & canting recently. I use miniscrews sparingly in my practice & it is extremely useful in gummy smile correction. Personally, I will only propose miniscrews only if I think the patient is brave enough & has 100% confidence in us as screws are not for the faint-hearted. Nobody likes dealing with endless messages & phone calls after working hours🤭
三年半，四颗骨钉，无需手术，轻松解决牙龈外露问题。前提是您得是个勇者，要 100%信任您的牙医，不可以内耗(因为你会逼疯自己），不可以焦虑 （因为你的焦虑会逼疯牙医），要相信整个过程。这个病人做到了！她真的令我很感动！说个题外话，很谢谢我职业生涯里的那个同为矫正专科医生的她，一起构思，一起把canting和asymmetry放大来看也是一种人生乐趣❤️

30/10/2025

Run out of ideas for caption but have to post cases "to go along with the trend". There are potential patients who asked for our portfolio to convince them to come for a consultation (Not even treatment). Take home message from this post: You need a face to face consultation on the dental chair (not doorstep/reception desk consultation) for a thorough assessment after which we are happy to show you our completed cases.
不少潜在客户已经进化到要求我们在Whatsapp 向他们展示医生所做过的类似案例，他们看了觉得满意才去诊所咨询。站在消费者的角度，小编可以理解。不过医疗真的不一样。就算你要剪个头发，我们也得先知道你现在长什么样子，对吗？一个精明的消费者的做法是去诊所坐在牙椅上让医生检查（不是在诊所门口或是柜台的咨询), 之后你还有时间当考官发问医生和要求医生呈上他所有案例，简直是太爽啦！
#人生好難

28/10/2025

2 miniscrews were proposed by other dental clinic on top of extraction to gain more "distalization". Distalization could be helpful but the effects on this particular case could be insignificant as long as proper mechanics were used to utilize the extraction. space. Bone screws cannot undo the effects of wrong planning & poor mechanics in my humble opinion. Done & dusted in 18 visits without bone screws as this lovely girl never miss a single appointment.
打骨钉把牙齿后推是理论上是可行，但是要看状况。骨钉只是个工具，不是万能的。对的方案由对的人操作才是王道。现在是骨钉泛滥的世界，无奈啊！回到这个案例- 无骨钉，从洗牙到拔牙到矫正（也可以理解为包山包海）由一个专科医生亲自操刀，18 个预约搞定！

24/10/2025

There is no cookbook recipe in Orthodontics. Other than the clinical aspects such as age & overall malocclusion, TRUST from the parents/patients is particularly crucial as closing the space means removal of 2 upper healthy teeth. Another option would be 2 implants in future which cost even more. Mr A, thank you for your trust despite us being a relatively new orthodontic clinic back in 2022❤️

先天性缺牙未必得植牙，牙齿矫正也是个方案。方案行得通与否，因人而异。除了年龄和牙齿状况，病人对我们的信任更是决定因素，始终得拔两颗好好的牙才能避免植牙。这不是每个人可以理解和接受的。这位爸爸，谢谢你的信任，我永远铭记在心️❤️