It all started out in March this year, made an appointment with Dr Alfred Cheng located at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre (just next to Paragon) for my braces check-up. I did x-ray and he told me that I needed to extract out all my 4 Wisdom teeth, 1 over-crowded tooth (Vampire tooth) and was also informed that he found a hidden tooth inside my bottom glum which might require surgery because it's quite complicated and involves veins and all. Goodness me! It had been living inside me for the past 23 years, if not for the x-ray done, I don't even know its exist! Funniest part was, it doesn't give me any problem and I don't feel it's exist AT ALL. Haha! So I was pretty amazed it grew inside my gum without I feeling irritated or whatever so.
He then refers me to Dr Wee located at Mount E (Novena) for my extraction consultation. Made an appointment with Dr Wee sometime back in May. True enough after looking at my x-ray, he confirmed that surgery is required on my hidden tooth in order to proceed with my braces. Meaning, no extraction, no braces can be done :( A total of 6 teeth to be taken out!
He quoted and listed down the breakdown of the surgery which made up to S$3.5k itself. That didn't include Braces which costs $3.8K exclude GST. Not a small sum of money to me at all! They assured me that I only need to fork up around $1.6k (+/-) in cash and the rest they're able to deduct from my CPF Medisave.
There're many other issues after that but I cut short the story..........
So after much consideration and research, I decided to schedule my surgery with him on 6 June. Yap, just 1 day after I touched down from my Bangkok trip! Purposely chose this date coz I will be on leave for the whole week and at least I get to rest at home for that few days.
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(A sneak of my x-ray) - FYI, this x-ray doesn't comes cheap, I paid $500 to get it done!
Pretty obvious hidden tooth you see on the bottom right side.
Pre-teeth on how previously my teeth looks like. Say good-bye for the last time!!!
Pretty obvious hidden tooth you see on the bottom right side.
Pre-teeth on how previously my teeth looks like. Say good-bye for the last time!!!
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6 June 2013 - Surgery Day
My surgery was scheduled as early as 9.30am coz I needed to fast for at least 8 hours before the surgery which means my last meal was my plane food on the previous night journey back home! Only slept for 5 hours the previous night and was so tired don't feel like waking up!
I have got the sweetest boyfriend ever who offers to accompany me to the hospital where he can actually sleeping comfortably at home but he chose to follow me despite not enough of beauty sleep!
Reached the clinic on time and I was immediately brought to Dr Wee for the very last consultation before bringing me to the surgery room, wore my surgery suit and the Anesthesia injected me with anesthetic, within less than 1 minute.............. I knocked off!
3 hours later, I woke up seeing myself covered with blanket and soon the nurse come to assist me to Dr Wee. He told me it was a success surgery and they took a slightly longer time to pluck out my hidden tooth coz it's very stubborn! My whole mouth was nerved, I can't feel my bottom lip completely.. My poor boy waited for me for so many hours. So poor thing! Loveee him to bits!! Thank you bee! For being with me whenever I needed you the most.. You are the BEST!!
I still felt very drowsy from the drops they injected on me. Can't even walk straight at all, need bf's support Haha! Everything was in a blur, by just a blink, every teeth was out!
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This was me after the surgery, waiting for him to get me coffee from Starbuck coz I'm feeling famished but I can't eat yet :(
This is hilarious! Coz I can't even control my bottom lip and can't talk properly! I am so glad all this is over!!!
Ugly me! I can't even control my smile at all hahaha I swear I'm trying to smile in this photo!
My sweetest boyfriend! Thank you boy!!!! :)
Waiting for the time to turn 2pm coz I need to get MC from Healthway. Dr Wee did gave me 8 days MC but my stupid company only recognized MC from Healthway or Shenton Medical -.-
My mouth looks swollen coz they stuffed some cottons into my mouth to stop the bleeding.
Cannot stop laughing at myself coz it's really ugly Hahahaha! Looking like a retard!
Oh! and My souvenirs!!! 3.5k pls!!!
6 teeth all removed!! Looking really yucky! Fresh from my mouth haha!
I was really hungrryyyyyy and he went to get me Whip potato from KFC. I can't even finish it! Only ate a few mouth spoon coz I just felt very uneasy. Ate some painkiller... He accompanied me throughout this journey... really thankful to him :*)
The nerviness only went off at 7pm. Like finally I could feel my mouth! No appetite to eat so mom got me plain porridge..
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Day 2
Bee popped by to pass me porridge that his mom prepared especially for me :)
Thank you! Felt so touched! I had been consuming porridge for that whole 2 weeks! I can't eat properly and I always woke up feeling hungry always every night! Getting sick and tired of porridge already!
I was really happy he brought me out on weekend to have pizza! Been craving for solid foods for the longest time!!
Out for our Satur-date :)
It was Day 4 if I'm not wrong..
So happy I can slowly eat already hehe :)
The truffle fires is soooo good! Slurp!
We had Skinny Pizza. Happily eating despite the bloated face! Hahaha!
Dr Wee told me the face will get even more swollen on Day 4 onwards... Which I had encountered alittle.
Mouth like that still can eat Cold Stone hahaha!! I just wanna eat!
Bee break the waffle and feed me LOL!
I've been craving for some fries so he got me while on the way home the other day :)
Brought me for Udders Waffle Ice-cream coz I said I'm craving for it :)
Nothing can stop me from eating! He was very scared I will end up eating even more than usual! Hahaha Coz I just kept eating non-stop and my crave didn't stop there too!
Sushiiiii... oh! Never tasted so good before.....
After a week later..... went back to Dr wee to remove my stitches.. He said my wounds was recovering very well and gave me the green light to process for my braces appointment! Yeah!!
Reward myself with a Fillet-O-Fish meal hehe! So happy eating after removing the stitches!
Went for the Shiseido Sales after my check-up and spent $120 with so many things! So happy! Got that straw bag for only $5!
My face got more swollen on Day 6! Check out my left cheek!
Swollen subsided better and better each day!
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15 June 2013
The day I got my braces done!
Taking last photo of my teeth before I "lock" my teeth for the next 1.5 years!
Braces appointment was at 10am. Parents drove me to Mount E (Paragon) and within 30min, my braces is done! It was painless and super fast! I did Metal Braces :)
The mounds I got back which they did on me on my very first check-up.
The ortho fitted the O rings (molar caps) onto the molars, to check for a good fit. Some of my friends told me they felt a bit like their teeth was gonna become dislodged but I didn't experience any of that. Heng ah! I think most probably I will feel it on my next appointment when they start pulling even tighter on each visit.
After the O rings were fitted in, the brackets are glued onto my teeth, that dental cement thing tastes really nasty! kind of sourish and gross :/ I try to keep my tongue out of the way! which shouldn't be too difficult cos they stuffed a lot of cotton in my mouth.
And after the brackets are glued on, the arch wire is attached, the extra ends will be snipped off. I then get to choose my rubber bands colour but i chose the less obvious one which is Silver. I will choose a brighter colour on my next visit, next week :)
once the rubber bands were secured on, they added the molar buildups (a kind of solid glue thingy) to the last two molars on my top row, this is to prevent you from accidentally biting the brackets off.
I was given a packet of dental wax to bring home. Use it to prevent getting any ulcers on the inside of the mouth from the sharper metal bits when you eat. Thankfully, I didn't get any up till today! Yeah!
First photo with mom! I thought I look pretty okay with braces! Whatapps Bee and he said I looked cute with them on hehe :)
So hard smiling properly!
A closer shot of my braces!I can't stop looking at the mirror and grinning at myself cos the braces look so foreign on me!!!
I'm still learning to smile properly. Been practicing smiling in front of the mirror so I could smile naturally. LOL.
I have serious problem eating for the whole month coz my teeth are feeling extremely sensitive & weak. Feel weak even when I used my tongue to row over my teeth. OMG it hurts like mad for that second! Even eating french fries is a big chore to me :( I can't even chew at all! But then, it's getting better after exactly1 month now. How time flies! 1 over month already! Going back for check up next Saturday and I assure I will experience the same whole weakness of teeth all over again coz your teeth are still not use to the metal "tying" them up!
Whenever I finished my meals, I now gotta rinse my mouth and on weekdays after lunch, I will spend an extra 10 min to brush my teeth. You won't be surprised to see many bits of stuff stuck in between your teeth. Yuck! I had soon gotten used to it though haha!
Here goes my 1.5 years of Braces journey... I know this is just the beginning..
Can't wait to have a beautiful set of teeth in 1.5 years time! :D
