Dr Emily Ng

Dr Emily Ng =

27/08/2026

Does my child have ADHD, or are they just not sleeping well? Sometimes, the signs overlap.

A child who can’t focus, seems hyperactive, irritable, impulsive or easily distracted may also be a child who isn’t breathing or sleeping well.

When sleep is repeatedly disrupted, the daytime effects could mimic ADHD.

This became very personal for me after my son had his adenoids removed.

The change in his behaviour was night and day.

Some of what had looked like intentional misbehaviour or defiance was actually a child struggling after poor-quality sleep.

So when a child turns up with crowded teeth, dark eye circles, or can’t sit still in my chair, I don’t only look at the teeth.

A narrow upper jaw can also be associated with a narrower nasal floor, which may make nasal breathing more difficult. During sleep, the tongue can fall backwards, especially if the child is mouth breathing, and this may further disrupt sleep quality.

👀 Things to notice tonight:

🕘 What time does your child actually fall asleep? Are they getting enough hours for their age?

👄 Are their lips closed?

😴 Are they snoring, grinding or tossing and turning?

😤 Do they wake grumpy or tired despite enough hours in bed?

💧 Is there bedwetting beyond the usual age?

None of these signs alone makes a diagnosis. Together, they can be a reason to look deeper.

If your child has ADHD, or is being assessed for ADHD, it may also be worth checking whether there are ENT, sleep or dental factors that could be affecting their sleep and behaviour.

👧If you’re also noticing a narrow jaw, difficulty closing the lips, crowded teeth, an orthodontic assessment from around age 7 may also be useful.

🛏️ Comment AIRWAY and follow for the parent guide and Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire.

Disclaimer: This content is for education only and not medical advice. Treatment options and outcomes vary, and decisions should always be made after a personalised consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.

20/08/2026

3 things I hear from parents every week:

😴 “He snores because he’s a deep sleeper.”
🤧 “Everyone has sinus issues.”
👨 “His dad snores too.”

Common, yes. Normal, no.

Deep sleep is quiet. If you can hear your child breathing at night, their body may be working harder than it should.

🔍 HOW IT HAPPENS

When the nose is blocked, the mouth opens.
The tongue sits further back.
The airway narrows.
Air is pulled through a smaller space. That turbulence is snoring.

🦷 CLUES PARENTS MISS

😬 Grinding teeth, moving the jaw forward to open the airway.
👶 Thumb or pacifier sucking, bringing the tongue forward.
🔄 Tossing and turning, as the body briefly wakes to bring air in.

These may not be bad habits. They can be the body keeping the airway open.

☀️ THE NEXT DAY

When sleep is disrupted night after night, the body may not rest, repair, grow or regulate well.

Some children struggle to focus.
Some seem hyperactive.
Some become more emotional or easily triggered.

📈 CAN THEY GROW OUT OF IT?

Adenoids and tonsils can shrink with age. But months or years of poor sleep during key growth years can still take a toll, including how the face and jaws develop, and future airway size.

Genetics sets the blueprint. The environment decides how well it gets expressed: breathing, sleep, tongue posture, lips, habits.

The goal is to remove the obstacles while they’re still growing. After growth, the conversation changes. Less about guiding development, more about managing consequences.

✅ WHAT TO DO

Diagnosis matters.

If the nose or airway is blocked, treat that.
If the jaw or teeth are affected, consider an orthodontic check by age 7.

🛌 Comment AIRWAY and I’ll send you the Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire. Score above 8? See an ENT or sleep physician.

📍 Personalised consultations at . Link in bio.

⚠️ Disclaimer: Education only, not medical advice. Outcomes vary. Decide after a personalised consultation with a qualified professional.

13/08/2026

14 years as an orthodontist.

Going through what many parents of my patients go through changed the way I practice.

🤒 After my son fell really sick, his front teeth started to stop touching - an open bite.

"Maybe it will get better after he recovers."

It didn't.

🦷 His teeth were a clue that something else was not right.

👃 An ENT specialist confirmed his airway was blocked.

The swollen tissue in and behind his nose had to be treated.

After the operation, the changes were subtle.

😴 He slept better.
🍽️ He ate better.

When he briefly fell sick again, he went back to how he used to be.

That was when I realised: this was how he was before. The changes had been so gradual that I never noticed what we had been living with.

He had improved so much.

🙂 Small things stopped triggering meltdowns.
😄 He cracked silly jokes.
🍚 He asked for seconds at dinner.

Honestly, I almost forgot this version of him existed.

⏳ Tonsils and adenoids often shrink as children get older.

But waiting it out can mean years of disrupted sleep during key developmental years.

⚠️ Not every child with mouth breathing needs dental treatment.

But chronic mouth breathing can slowly affect the teeth, jaws, tongue posture, and facial growth.

🔄 Orthodontics alone may not work if the nose is still blocked.

ENT treatment alone may not be enough if the teeth, jaws, and habits do not support nasal breathing.

Sometimes we need to look at both.

Now, when I see a child with:

👄 Mouth breathing
🦷 An open bite
📏 A narrow jaw
😬 Crowded teeth
🤐 Lips that do not close comfortably at rest...

I think of my son.

🤍 I hope I can help other families see the signs earlier because I know what it is like to live through it.

💬 Comment AIRWAY and I'll send you a screening tool.

Disclaimer: This content is for education only and not medical advice. Treatment options and outcomes vary, and decisions should always be made after a personalised consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.

07/08/2026

Should I see an ENT or an orthodontist first? 🤔

👃 Airway symptoms, no obvious dental or jaw concerns? Start with an ENT specialist or sleep physician.

🦷 Dental or jaw concerns as well? An orthodontic check is worth considering too.

The teeth are a clue. Crowded teeth, a narrow jaw, an open bite, or lips that do not close at rest can be signs that the mouth, jaws and muscles have adapted to a breathing problem over time.

⚠️ But dental treatment is NOT a cure for airway issues.

Treat the teeth without addressing a blocked nose, enlarged airway tissues or allergies, and the result may be harder to maintain if the child is still mouth breathing.

Clear the airway but leave the teeth, jaws, lips, tongue posture or habits already affected, and mouth breathing or symptoms may still persist.

In some children, airway tissues can also enlarge again over time, especially if the underlying drivers are not managed.

So this is not ENT versus orthodontics.

Sometimes it is ENT. Sometimes orthodontics. Sometimes both. Sometimes just monitoring.

👃 At the ENT: allergies, nasal sprays, nasal obstruction, enlarged adenoids or tonsils.

🦷 At the dentist: correcting what has been affected, like a narrow jaw, protruding teeth or jaw relationships. Depending on the child, that may mean an expander, Invisalign First, braces, or a growth modification appliance.

💪 Then re-training function: tongue posture, lip seal, nasal breathing, so the improvements last.

This is how we help a child breathe, sleep and grow as well as possible, while growth is still possible.

🛏️ Not sure how urgent it is? Comment AIRWAY and I'll send you the Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire.
📍 Personalised consultations at . Link in bio.

Disclaimer: This content is for education only and not medical advice. Treatment options and outcomes vary, and decisions should always be made after a personalised consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.

30/07/2026

If your teeth keep shifting after braces, (lack of) retainer wear, tongue posture, mouth breathing and swallowing may all play a part. 👇

Brushing matters. But these five everyday patterns affect your teeth too.

Full disclosure: I stopped wearing my own retainer. Some teeth shifted, but my open bite didn't return. Perhaps being more aware of the other four habits helped, although I cannot know that for certain.
That is definitely not a reason to stop wearing your retainer. 😅

1️⃣ Lips together, tongue resting up
Your lips should meet comfortably and your tongue should rest lightly on the roof of your mouth, not press against your teeth.

With an open-mouth posture, the back teeth can erupt further and the lower jaw can rotate downwards over time.

2️⃣ Teeth slightly apart
Your teeth should not touch all day. Frequent clenching can contribute to tooth wear, cracks, headaches and jaw pain.

3️⃣ Breathe through your nose when you can
Chronic mouth breathing can cause dry mouth and bad breath, and may increase the risk of tooth decay and gum problems.
If nasal breathing is difficult, find out why rather than forcing your mouth closed.

4️⃣ Notice how you swallow
If you swallow and you see you tongue peeking out between your teeth, that not ideal. This may contribute to an open bite or make orthodontic results less stable.

Brace your tongue against the roof of your mouth, not against your teeth.

5️⃣ Wear your retainer
A retainer holds your teeth in position. It does not treat mouth breathing, clenching or tongue thrust. Teeth continue to move throughout life, so long-term retainer wear still matters.

These patterns can influence tooth position, but no single habit explains every change.

Which one surprised you most? 👀

📍 Personalised orthodontic consultations in Singapore: , link in bio.

Educational content only, not medical advice. Please seek a personalised professional assessment.

24/07/2026

Why are retainers forever? 🤔

Quick check.

Where is your tongue resting right now?

Are your teeth touching, or are they slightly apart?

If your tongue is resting at the bottom of your mouth or pressing against your front teeth, that may be one reason your teeth keep wanting to shift.

If your teeth are touching when you're relaxed, you may also be overworking your jaw muscles, which can contribute to jaw aches or headaches in some people.

People think braces or Invisalign are the hard part.
Then they think retainers are the finish line.
They're not.

Your teeth were crowded because of the imbalance of forces between your tongue on the inside, your lips and cheeks on the outside, your bite, growth, ageing, and other biological factors.

After your teeth are straightened, if those forces haven't changed, your teeth may still have a tendency to move over time.
You swallow around 500 times a day.

If your tongue pushes forward instead of resting against the roof of your mouth, those tiny forces add up.
Slowly.
Steadily.
Almost invisibly.

A retainer helps hold your teeth in position, but it doesn't change the habits or forces acting on them.

That's why long-term retention is recommended for most people.

The long-term goal isn't just straighter teeth.

It's a healthier oral function.

Ideally, your tongue should rest gently suctioned against the roof of your mouth, just behind your upper front teeth (not pushing on them). Your teeth should be slightly apart, with your lips comfortably together and breathing through your nose.

These balanced resting habits help reduce unnecessary forces on the teeth.

When healthy breathing, tongue posture and oral habits develop while the jaws are still growing in children, we have a greater opportunity to support healthy jaw development and improve long-term stability.

If you're an adult, it's not too late.

Awareness is the first step.
So check your tongue again.

Where is it resting now?

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Every patient is different. Treatment recommendations should always be based on an individual assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.

23/07/2026

ADHD can look like a messy room, too many random hobbies, procrastinating, and having 37 tabs open in my brain at the same time.
So honestly, I am lucky I became an orthodontist. My treatment coordinator handles the parts my brain hates (the admin, the reminders, the follow-ups), so I get to do the part it loves.

In the clinic, random hobbies help me connect with patients. The small details help me notice clues. And the constant stream of ideas helps me problem-solve.

Recently, my son had airway issues, and I saw how breathing and sleep affected so many parts of his life - his sleep quality, mood, behaviour, eating, and teeth.

So I had to learn more to help other families.
And also, new shiny knowledge = dopamine.

I attended sleep conferences, dental sleep medicine training, myofunctional therapy courses, and spent days going through research and frameworks.

It was a huge topic that was not covered in depth when I was in dental school.

It crossed fields like Growth and development, Breathing physiology. Hormones. Anatomy. Sleep. Muscles. Behaviour.
My ADHD brain loved it.

It helped me make links between airway, sleep, teeth, jaws, tongue posture, lip seal, growth, behaviour, and function.

Then the next challenge was turning days and hours of information into something parents could actually understand.

A 1-minute reel.
A 1-hour consultation.
A simple explanation that helps a family see the clues earlier.

So maybe the thing I spent years feeling bad about is also the thing helping me do this work now.

Thanks, ADHD.

For helping me notice, connect, explain, and help others.

📍 Personalised consultations at (link in bio)

Disclaimer: This content is for education only and not medical advice. Treatment options and outcomes vary, and decisions should always be made after a personalised consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.

10/07/2026

A viral AI character is teaching the internet how to brush their teeth.

I watched the whole thing so you don't have to. Here's what AI got right, and where I'd push back.

👅 Tongue cleaning

I picked this habit up from my grandma.

AI got this one right. Brushing your tongue helps, but a tongue scraper is often more effective at removing the coating that contributes to bad breath.

🪥 Electric toothbrushes

AI made it sound like manual toothbrushes can't compete. Not quite.

A manual toothbrush can clean just as well when used properly:
• along the gumline
• with gentle circular movements
• for at least 2 minutes

If you or your child keeps getting bleeding gums, an electric toothbrush may make good brushing easier and more consistent.

If your gums are still bleeding after brushing and flossing well for about 2 weeks, it may be time to see a dentist. Hardened plaque cannot be removed with a toothbrush alone.

💧 Mouthwash

AI treated mouthwash like the finishing move. It isn't.

Mouthwash does not replace brushing or flossing because plaque needs to be physically removed.

Chlorhexidine mouthrinses can be useful for short-term gum treatment, but should usually not be used for more than 2 weeks because they can stain teeth.

The goal is not to sterilise your mouth. The goal is to keep that balance healthy.

🧵 Flossing

AI was right that flossing removes plaque and bacteria your toothbrush cannot reach.

If you are not flossing, you are leaving almost 40% of the tooth surface untouched.

🎯 My verdict

It got several things right, oversimplified a few others, and missed the biggest lesson.

There is no single product that gives you healthy teeth. It is the small habits you repeat every day.

Which point surprised you most? 👇

Disclaimer: This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Treatment recommendations should always be based on an individual assessment by a qualified dental professional.

10/06/2026

I didn’t realise how much it was holding me back… until it got better.

With eczema, people always ask:
“Was it stress?”
“Was it compliance?”
“Was it the cancer?”
Honestly, it’s usually not just one thing.

For me, the goal was not perfection.
It was breaking the cycle enough for it to become manageable.

And when it finally calmed down, I realised how much of my life had quietly changed around it.

I could dye or perm my hair again.
Wear makeup without worrying.
Choose clothes more freely.
Go swimming.
Play at the playground with my kids.

Most importantly, I was no longer constantly distressed by itch attacks or pain.

When something affects you every single day, it slowly changes how you show up in the world.

Now my injections have gone from every 2 weeks to every 3–4 weeks for maintenance.

And I see the same thing in my patients too.

It is never just about teeth, skin, or breathing.

For some ENT patients, better breathing means better sleep, mood, and energy.
For others, treating skin conditions restores confidence and comfort.

Sometimes healthcare is not just about fixing a symptom.
It is about helping someone feel like themselves again.

Disclaimer: This content is for education only and not medical advice. Treatment options and outcomes vary, and decisions should always be made after a personalised consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.

03/06/2026

Most people see the specialist title. They don't see the 14 years behind it.

I'm an orthodontist in Singapore, and I chose the long route on purpose.
2007: Left home for dental school.
2012: Came back as a dentist (BDS), started rotations at National Dental Centre Singapore.
2015: Knew I wanted orthodontics. Not a weekend course. Not a shortcut.
After the RACDS primary exams, wire-bending test and interview, I was one of six chosen for the 3-year full-time Masters programme.
Late nights in the lab with Adabelle. Weekly evidence reviews. Seeing patients from start to finish under mentors who shared how they thought, not just what they did.
Even after my MDS and M Orth RCS, I still wasn't a specialist. More independent cases. Clinical standards. Another exit exam (DSAB).

Finally a specialist.

The learning never stopped. Last cycle I clocked 149 hours, well past the 70 required for licence renewal in Singapore.
Then my own son shifted everything.
His developing open bite was tied to an ENT condition affecting his bite, sleep and breathing. After his op, I saw how much better sleep changed him.
That pulled me deeper into airway, sleep, growth and early orthodontic treatment for children. At World Sleep 2025 I learnt from Dr Audrey Yoon, Dr Stanley Liu and Dr Shereen Lim.
Straight teeth are only part of the picture.
If you want to know how early treatment could support your child beyond alignment, book a personalised consultation with 🤍
What the letters mean:
BDS: Bachelor of Dental Surgery
RACDS: Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons
MDS: Master of Dental Surgery
M Orth RCS: Membership in Orthodontics, Royal College of Surgeons
DSAB: Dental Specialists Accreditation Board

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