Dr Emily Ng

Dr Emily Ng =

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

26/05/2026

“Mama, my tooth is a bit painful.”

I brush my kids’ teeth every night.
They don’t get candy often.
Granted, I wasn’t flossing every night.

So how did decay still happen?

Because tooth decay is not just about sugar.
It’s about timing, saliva, bacteria, tooth quality, fluoride, and diet.

Decay starts when there is more tooth dissolving than tooth repair.

Bacteria feed on carbohydrates and produce acid as waste. And carbohydrates are not just sweets — chips, bread, biscuits, crackers, raisins, and many snacks count too.

Saliva helps neutralise the acid, but it needs time. Fluoride helps repair enamel and makes teeth more resistant to decay.

When children snack constantly throughout the day, their teeth never really get a break.

Brushing and flossing help remove food and bacteria. But for my son, there was another hidden factor:
Before his ENT surgery, he had been mouth breathing at night.

Mouth breathing dries up saliva.
Less saliva = less protection against decay.

What helps?
• See a dentist by age 1
• Brush well with fluoride toothpaste, especially at night
• Floss where teeth touch
• Avoid constant grazing/snacking
• Only water in bottles and avoid sipping milk or juice throughout the day
• If your child is constantly mouth breathing, find out why

If they cannot breathe well through their nose, consider seeing an ENT. If they can breathe through their nose, myofunctional exercises or habit correctors may help. Sometimes protruding teeth or jaw development can also affect lip closure and breathing patterns.

Tooth decay is rarely caused by one “bad” thing. It is usually many small things happening often.

Disclaimer: Educational content only. Not medical advice. Treatment decisions should always be made with a qualified healthcare professional.

11/05/2026

Teeth are the clue. Growth is the story.
As an orthodontist, I look beyond teeth and assess how your child’s face is developing.
Most children won’t need two phases.
But for those who do, timing matters.
If you wait until all adult teeth are out, there may be limited growth left to guide—especially for girls.

🦴 Phase 1: Foundation
Guide jaw growth early to reduce severity of problems and create space for adult teeth.

🦷 Phase 2: The Smile
Later, we align and refine once all adult teeth are in.

Two-phase treatment is not about doing more.
It is about doing things at the right time.

Who may need Phase 1?
• Underbite or crossbite
• Protruding teeth
• Severe crowding
• Impacted teeth
• Finger sucking or pacifier habits

Why treat early?
Protruding teeth: higher risk of damage and difficulty lip closure (Keleş et al., 2025).
Underbites: can affect gums and growth (Spalj et al., 2025).
Narrow jaws: may contribute to mouth breathing (Bariani et al., 2024; Yu et al., 2026).
Impacted teeth: may get stuck and damage nearby roots.
Early treatment such as expansion, Invisalign First, or partial braces may help (Sakai et al., 2021).

Airway connection
A narrow jaw can affect tongue posture and nasal breathing (Inchingolo et al., 2025; Kim et al., 2024).

Early expansion may:
• Create space for teeth (Yoon et al., 2023)
• Support tongue posture (Shah et al., 2026; Zaghi et al., 2021)
• Improve nasal breathing (Sakai et al., 2021; Yu et al., 2026)

Why Phase 1 matters
• Guides facial growth (Yoon et al., 2023)
• Helps prevent problems from worsening (Yoon et al., 2023)
• Builds healthy oral habits (Hung et al., 2025)
• May reduce need for extractions or surgery later (Yoon et al., 2023)
The goal is not perfection—but the right foundation.

🦷 Phase 2
Refine the smile once all adult teeth are in.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first orthodontic check by age 7.
Book a personalised consultation with to understand your options.

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.

11/05/2026

Adult underbite = surgery? Not always.

(PS: if you have children, bring them early)

If you can slide your lower jaw back so your front teeth meet and your profile improves, it may be a dental issue. Surgery may not be needed.

Left untreated, a postural underbite can lead to:
• jaw tension and headaches
• worn down teeth
• a worsening bite as teeth keep erupting without proper contact

The longer it’s left, the more complex it becomes to correct.

Underbites can look the same on the surface, but the treatment is completely different depending on the cause.

🦷 Dental cause
A single tooth erupts out of place (often around age 7), forcing the lower jaw to shift forward to find a “comfortable” bite.
Over time, the rest of the teeth develop around that position.

💀 Skeletal cause
A mismatch in upper and lower jaw size or position.

The greater the mismatch, the higher the chance of surgery:

Highest → Lowest likelihood
• small upper jaw + large lower jaw
• normal upper jaw + large lower jaw
• small upper jaw + normal lower jaw
• normal jaws (may still have asymmetry)

Early treatment can guide growth and reduce the chance of needing surgery later (66% to ~36% Mandall et al, 2016).

The lower jaw is largely genetic, but we can improve the environment for the upper jaw to grow forward.

As an adult, if there is a true jaw size mismatch, surgery may still be needed for the best long-term result.

If you’ve been avoiding treatment because you think you “need surgery”, it’s worth getting clarity.

Not all underbites are the same.

Book a personalised consultation with to understand your options clearly.

And if you have kids, bring them along too. Early assessment can make a big difference.

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.

06/05/2026

Underbite in kids: Early treatment can reduce dental side effects and the need for jaw surgery (66% → 37%).

The cause determines treatment:

🦷 Dental cause
Normal jaws, but a tooth is out of place → the lower jaw shifts to find a comfortable bite.
If untreated:
• teeth pushed out of bone → instability
• gum recession
• jaw asymmetry over time
Treatment: often a simple removable appliance to stop the shift.

💀 Skeletal cause
Upper jaw is smaller and/or set back. Timing matters.

Age 8–10:
• expand upper jaw
• guide it forward with a facemask (night wear)
• can improve airway

As growth progresses, treatment becomes less effective → may need MARPE + facemask.

Important:
We can guide the upper jaw, but not stop lower jaw growth (genetic, grows longer).

Higher surgery risk when mismatch is larger:
• small upper + large lower (highest)
• normal upper + large lower
• small upper + normal lower
• normal jaws (may still have asymmetry)

Early treatment can improve balance — but not all cases benefit.

If strong family history of jaw surgery, waiting may be more appropriate.

Good orthodontics = knowing when to treat, and when to wait.

📍Book a personalised consultation at
(Adults with underbite — next episode)

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.

30/04/2026

✨ Is a narrow jaw or crowded teeth genetic or caused by habits?

The answer is both.

Every child is born with a genetic range for jaw size and shape. How that potential develops depends on function and environment. In early childhood, the upper jaw can widen naturally.

This growth is guided by the tongue resting on the palate and balanced by the lips and cheeks.

As children get older, this flexibility reduces.
When this balance is disrupted, growth can narrow instead.

Common factors that can narrow a growing jaw 👇
1️⃣ Prolonged finger or pacifier use
Sucking increases cheek pressure and lowers the tongue, allowing the jaw to narrow.
2️⃣ Mouth breathing
When nasal breathing is blocked or a tongue tie is present, the tongue stays low.
Without tongue support, the upper jaw narrows.
3️⃣ Feeding and swallowing patterns
Breastfeeding supports a healthy swallow.
If the tongue pushes forward instead of upward, an open bite can develop over time.
🧠 Structure and function are closely linked.
Tongue posture, breathing, and swallowing shape jaw growth and tooth position.

👧🧒 Why ages 8 to 10 matter
This is a key window to align front teeth, support nasal breathing, and create space for adult teeth.
Early guidance often takes 4 to 18 months.
The goal is not early treatment for every child.
The goal is restoring normal function while growth is still on your child’s side.

👉 Follow for Part 2 on treatment options by age.
🔍 Further learning (YouTube):
Concepts discussed are supported by visual explanations from channels such as



15/04/2026

Having no gaps between baby teeth could be a clue to a bigger issue.

Gaps in baby teeth are actually a good sign.
More space between the baby teeth = the higher the chance of the larger adult front teeth fitting in straight.
No space between baby teeth = likely smaller jaw = high chance of crowded adult teeth.
This goes beyond teeth. Your child may have obstructive sleep apneas (OSA) if they have other symptoms such as:
- restless sleep
- snoring or grinding
- bedwetting
_ mouth breathing
- poor attention span
- behaviour issues
With OSA, a child’s breathing may stop during sleep and this awakens the brain slightly. The quality of sleep is poorer leading to a hyper/tired child and possible poor growth.
Common causes are enlarged adenoids or tonsils and obesity. Children with OSA also tend to have narrower upper jaws and smaller lower jaws.
Consider asking your paediatrician/ENT doctor about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) for further assessment.
If your child has crowded baby teeth, book a personalised assessment with to look beyond the smile and support healthy development.While the child is younger, the upper jaw can be expanded.

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.

09/04/2026

Starting Braces or Invisalign while growth is still on your side has different outcomes:
At 8, we can expand the upper jaw, guide eruption of adult teeth and set in place good habits to provide a better environment for more ideal growth of the face & airway. This sets the foundation.
At 13, we may be able to take advantage of the remaining growth potential.

At 16, there is minimal facial growth left. If the wisdom teeth are not developed, an option would be to move teeth backwards with Invisalign and elastics. (Or plan for premolar extractions or jaw surgery).

By 23, growth has stopped. Upper wisdom teeth may need removal before attempting to move the teeth backwards with Invisalign and elastics.
See an orthodontist if you’re not sure when’s the best age to start.
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.

04/04/2026

Choosing the right orthodontist for kids is not about picking the closest clinic.

Trust is key when it’s your child.

Rapport helps with cooperation.

These are the key ingredients for ongoing partnership that orthodontic treatment is.

Look for a child focused orthodontist who understands growth and explains how it affects your child’s bite and overall development.

Articles on websites or educational content shows communication style and treatment philosophy.

Beyond that, hear from others who have gone through treatment. Ask your trusted friends for their recommendations or check for reviews. .
The consultation is a great barometer. Ask what options you have now, and if treatment is not done now, what the alternatives are. You should always have choices.

If you would like personalised advice, book a consultation with

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.

Address

160 Yishun Street 11, #01/204
Singapore
760160

Telephone

+6569805935

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