Dr Kok Sen Ho

one other way to improve your TMD pain will be to get plenty of jaw rest. Jaw joints are similar to other joints in our body. Muscles, ligaments and articular disks form part of their anatomy. Jaw rest can be achieved by the following:Go on a soft diet and cut your food into small portions to allow the muscles of mastication to rest and not overwork. Sleep early at night in order to get more restful sleep. This is also to ensure you are not predispose to jaw grinding or clenching. Alternatively, you may consider Botox injection to the masseter muscles.

there are various reasons for teeth grinding and clenching (bruxism), including a bad bite. If your bite is the main cause for your teeth grinding and clenching, then yes, fixing your bite will help to reduce it significantly. Other contributing factors to bruxism include stress, side effects of medication and sleep disorders. You may want to see an orthodontist or an oral surgeon for a diagnosis of your dental condition so that he/she can advise on a treatment plan that works for you.

Jaw surgery is a safe oral surgical procedure when done by a well-trained, experienced oral surgeon. Nonetheless, with all surgeries, there are risks that your oral surgeon will share with you before the procedure. Facial numbness is a side effect of jaw surgery and typically temporary. For an upper jaw surgery, the areas that will feel numb include the cheeks, upper lip and teeth. As for a lower jaw surgery, your lower lip, chin, teeth and possibly the tongue, will feel numb. Depending on whether it is a lower or an upper jaw surgery, it generally takes 2 - 12 months for the numbness to fade.

We will need to first determine the cause of your father's high blood pressure - whether it is anxiety or hypertension. In order to do that, you may want to bring your father to a medical general practitioner (GP) or cardiologist for a check up. After your father's medical doctor has established the cause of the increase in blood pressure, do let your father's dentist/dental specialist know the following: 1) your father's existing medical conditions, if any 2) medications and the dosage taken currently, if any 3) name and contact number of your father's medical doctor.

The best way to know if a wisdom tooth extraction is necessary would be to visit a dentist/oral surgeon for a thorough examination of your wisdom teeth. If your wisdom tooth is in a proper position like other regular teeth, it may be retained. Nonetheless, a wisdom tooth's status may change over time, for example the formation of cysts/tumours or decay. Therefore, any wisdom tooth that is not removed should be re-evaluated during your six monthly visits to the dentist.

You are advised to see an oral surgeon to get a full evaluation of the extend of numbness. Depending on the degree and how long the numbness has persisted, a management plan will be given. There are three types of numbness: 1) transient - goes away by itself in a few weeks 2) persistent - cases that last more than six months 3) permanent - numbness/loss of sensation is permanent Possible treatment options include medications, nerve stimulation and surgery.

Thanks for the D2D. Listen to your orthodontist and oral surgeon, they know your dental condition and are the best people to guide you along the process. During the pre- and post-surgery orthodontic treatment, maintain good oral hygiene so that there are no additional dental issues. If you are wearing Invisalign, be disciplined in wearing your aligners for the recommended time so that your treatment can progress in a timely manner. If you are a smoker, it is best to stop smoking. A few weeks before your jaw surgery, do prepare yourself mentally and physically.

Thanks for the question. Not proceeding with a jaw surgery does not bring about any risks per se, however it means that you may continue to face certain functional difficulties associated to a protruding jaw (underbite) such as: Inefficient biting and chewing Worn down tooth enamel, increasing susceptibility to tooth decay, sensitivity and other dental issues Chronic headaches and temporomandibular joint disorder Affected speech clarity Aesthetically, you may also find that your jaw/face is imbalance or your chin seems more prominent.

Thanks for the question. Initial recovery from the surgery (e. g. healing of incision, reduction in swelling/bruises) takes about four to five weeks, while complete bone and nerve healing takes about nine to 12 months. During recovery, here are a few important things to take note of: Bleeding: this may be observed in the mouth (operation site) or nose for up to two weeks, this should not be any cause of concern. However, if you find that the bleeding is excessive, do inform your oral surgeon know.

Thanks for the question. It is important to first find out the underlying cause of the lisp before suggesting any treatment option. The most common type of lisp is frontal lisp, where the tip of the tongue protrudes between the front teeth and obstructing the airflow. There is also palatal lisp, where one rolls their tongue too far back and touches the roof of the mouth and dental lisp, where the tip of the tongue pushes against the teeth. Common causes of lisp include tongue placement and tongue tie.

Thanks for the question. The cost of a jaw surgery in Singapore costs upward of $10,000. This excludes fees for pre and post orthodontics, anaesthetist, operating theatre, hospital admissions. Jaw surgery is a highly technical procedure practiced by oral & maxillofacial surgeons.

Thanks for the question. An underbite (mandibular prognathism) is a type of dental misalignment (malocclusion) in which one’s lower jaw protrudes or extends further than the upper jaw.

Local anaesthesia is generally used when one or two wisdom teeth are being removed at the same time and when patients are not nervous of the dental procedure. General anaesthesia may be used when patients are removing all 4 wisdom teeth under one visit. Local anaesthesia is medication injected into area/site of wisdom tooth removal to temporarily numb the area so that during the procedure, you do not feel any discomfort. General anaesthesia is medication administered to allow the patient to be completely unconscious and unresponsive during the procedure so that no pain is felt.

Thanks for the question. I always ask my patients how they are feeling after the jaw surgery during our review sessions. The general feedback is that some discomfort is felt but overall, it is bearable. This is possible because there are pain management measures in place during and after the surgery to help reduce the amount of discomfort felt throughout the process. During a jaw surgery, you will be placed under general anaesthesia (GA) so that you are completely unconscious and unable to feel pain.

Thanks for the question. As an oral & maxillofacial surgeon, jaw surgery is a very technical dental procedure that is under our dental specialty. Each successful case requires close teamwork and communication between an oral surgeon and orthodontist. Your oral surgeon will first determine what type of corrective jaw surgical procedure is appropriate in your case. He/she is also the one carrying out the procedure. I normally do a joint consultation with an orthodontist at our group practice for my patients so that they are clear of the entire process – orthodontics and surgery.