Novena Branch:
Bukit Batok Branch:
Thomson Branch: 
Call (65) 6397 7097
10 Sinaran Dr, #09-34,
Novena Medical Centre (Square2)
Singapore 307506
Call (65) 6665 9300
275 Bukit Batok
East Ave 4 # 01-130.
Singapore 650275
Call (65) 6554 0552
301 Upper Thomson Road,
#02-30, Thomson Plaza.
Singapore 574408
Dental check up is an important component in maintaining a good dental and oral health. It should be done every 6 months so that any caries or problems with the gums could be diagnosed early before it deteriorates. In fact some medical conditions, such as diabetes or iron deficiency could manifest in the oral environment. Early detection of these medical conditions by the dentist could allow us to refer patient for early treatment by the medical doctor.
Call us at 6554 0552 for an appointment
Call us now at 6554 0552 or 6665 9300
or else Click below to book an appointment
Dr Louise Yap graduated from the National University of Singapore, Faculty of Dentistry in 2005. Upon graduation she has worked with the Health Promotion Board and School Dental Services. This has enable her to gain experiences in treating children of all ages. She was subsequently posted to National Dental Centre as well as the Singapore Armed Forces. At these postings, she worked with the various dental specialties and this had gave her the necessary experiences and skills to treat difficult cases.
Over the years, she has established very good rapport with patients and has many loyal patients returning to seek her services. Her caring and amiable nature has endeared herself to many of the children that have come to her for treatment.
Dr Yap is married and she enjoys travelling whenever she has the free time.
Scaling is a process where the dentist will remove the calculus or tartar from the teeth. These are plaque that have been deposited on the teeth and over time calcified into a hard substance that clings onto the teeth and can only be removed by using special dental instrument. These deposits if left on the teeth will result in gum diseases and gum recession.
After scaling, the dentist will usually polish the teeth. Polishing removes any external stains and plaque from the teeth. Excessive accumulation of plaque could cause decay or decalcification of the teeth. However plaque will build up very quickly after every meal and thus it is important for the patient to clean the teeth properly everyday.
For patients with stubborn stains on their teeth such as smoker’s teeth or stains from drinking tea, we will use a special polishing equipment called the Prophyjet. It is an instrument where water mixed with a special cleaning salt is jet out at high pressure to remove any stubborn stains. It can even reach any hard to reach areas which conventional polishing instrument cannot get into.
“How often should I go for Scaling and Polishing”
6 monthly scaling and polishing is usually adequate for most patients. However if tartar or stains is building up more quickly on your teeth then a more frequent visit to the dentist is needed. Feel free to call us for an appointment at 65540552 so that our experienced dentist could advise you accordingly.
At EpiSmile, we aim to provide general and specialist dental care in a warm and cosy environment. Our clinic is set up with the family in mind thus we are able to provide oral health care for all ages. Our highly trained and experienced dental surgeons and specialists are at hand to provide you and your family with the best in oral care.
Our Epismile Orthodontic Centre, provides specialist orthodontic treatment for patient of all ages (Adults and Children) using the latest in technology such as self ligating braces (smartclip™) and Invisalign®. Our orthodontists have at least 10 years of clinical experience and have been actively involved in the restoration and enhancement of patient’s overall dento-facial aesthetics.
Amalgam or silver fillings have now been replaced by fillings that resembles tooth colour. In our clinic, we no longer uses amalgam fillings as they tend to discolour the tooth and may be unsightly. The new generation of tooth coloured filling materials are harder and smoother and are used in areas where aesthetic is of utmost importance. There are various shades of colour to choose from and it would be difficult to distinguish the tooth and the filling material.
Tooth coloured filling material could be used to close up any small spaces in the front teeth to achieve an aesthetic result.
Veneers are thin shell of composite or porcelain that is fixed to the front surface of the teeth by an adhesive. It is usually done on the anterior (front) teeth. Veneers are used in the following situations:
In veneers, the dentist will trim the front surface of the tooth so a porcelain or composite shell would be adhered to the tooth by adhesive. The amount of tooth structure to be trimmed is very much less as compared to crown.
The front surface of the veneer
The back surface of the veneer
“How long can the veneers last”
Porcelain veneers are very strong and will not change colour unlike composite venners. However it is not advisable to bite hard food on the tooth with venners. With proper care, veneers are known to last for a long time.
For more information, please contact us at 65540552 or email us at tooth@epismile.com
Dentures are removable prosthesis to replace missing teeth in the mouth. The denture plate is usually made of “plastic” but it can also be made of metal. On the denture plate, acrylic (plastic) teeth are inserted to replace the missing teeth. This helps the patient in chewing their food and in their speech. Dentures also help to support the lips to give a more youthful looking appearance.
However, denture teeth are not as strong compared to bridges or implants. It might be difficult for patient to chew on certain food. Patient can experience irritation or soreness to the gum when a new denture is fabricated. It takes a while for the patient to get used to the new denture.
“I was told that my bone is too shallow to hold onto the denture in the mouth”
Adequate bone support is necessary for the denture to be retentive in the mouth. However, we could insert implants into the bone to help better retain the denture in the mouth. This is known as “Implant supported denture” Please feel free to call us at 65540552 for more information
Bonding of teeth is a procedure whereby the dentist add some tooth-coloured material on the teeth to reshape the teeth or to close any unsightly gaps between the teeth.
Bonding is just one of the ways to close spaces between the teeth. It is important to know the cause of the gaps between the teeth. In some case, bonding of teeth will make the teeth look exceptionally big and unnatural. Braces is another way to close spaces between teeth without changing the shape of the teeth. Do feel free to come in and let our dentists or orthodontists advise you.
Bonding is not painful. The tooth need not be trimmed or cut and the tooth-coloured material is just added onto the tooth
Bonding is like filling. It can last provided that the patient takes good care of their oral hygiene and do not put undue pressure on the tooth like biting ice and crab shell. However the tooth-coloured material is likely to pick up stains from the food that you eat and as such it is likely to discolour over time. A lasting alternative will be to place ceramics veneers on the tooth as ceramic do not discolour over time by the food you eat. (refer to veneers).
Braces treatment also known as orthodontic treatment is a specialized treatment in dentistry involved in straightening teeth. In conjunction with surgery, orthodontic treatment could also correct the jaw relationship and the bite.
Due to the complex nature of the orthodontic treatment, it is important that the provider of orthodontic treatment have an intimate knowledge of how teeth moves and to accurately diagnose the problems of each patient. This usually requires the practitioner who is a dentist to have 3 years of full time specialized training in an approved institution and obtained the necessary credentials through examinations by the professional bodies. These practitioners would be placed in specialist register and they are called Orthodontist or Orthodontic Specialist. There is no rule or law in Singapore that state that only orthodontist can render braces treatment so you can check if your dentist is a specialist by going to Singapore Dental Council website (www.sdc.gov.sg)
It is a common misunderstanding that orthodontic treatment involves putting on braces on the teeth and attach the wire onto it and the teeth will straighten eventually. In fact putting on braces is the easy part of the orthodontic treatment. The difficult part is to diagnose the underlying problems of the condition, anticipate how the teeth will respond to treatment and to resolve any problems when the tooth does not move as predicted. Orthodontist are practitioner who has restricted themselves to provide only braces treatment on a regular basis and no other treatment. Thus they are more experienced in handling braces treatment. These experiences cannot be taught by attending weekend lectures or short term orthodontic courses.
Most braces treatment lasts between 12-24 month. The knowledge and experience of the practitioner is important in determining how fast the treatment will progress. Other factors such as patient’s cooperation during treatment and regular attendance for treatment will also affect the length of treatment. In some cases the use of self-ligating braces such as SmartClip can shorten the length of treatment.
The cost of orthodontic treatment rendered by the dentist is the same as the orthodontist in some cases. It is true that orthodontic treatment is more expensive than routine dental treatment such as cleaning of teeth. However the cost of treatment is spread out over the entire period of the treatment and you do not have to pay in one lump sum.
It is the peace of mind that you would be getting when you know that your treatment is done by the orthodontist. Orthodontist also have experience in a wide variety of appliances to treat your problem and they will be able to help you choose an appliance that is most suitable for your case.
Retainer is an important part of braces treatment. It is used to maintain the tooth position after the braces treatment is completed. Tooth will move regardless of age so retainer is there to prevent that. Poor oral hygiene and defective fillings can cause the teeth to move more. It is important to realise that tooth movement is easier to detect in a person with straight teeth than one with crooked teeth. Thus it is wise to protect what you have worked so hard to achieve by wearing the retainer as directed by your orthodontist.
Extraction of teeth is not always necessary. It is just one of the way to create space. There are other ways to create space and the orthodontist is the best person to ask as they would be able to diagnose your problems accurately and give you the correct advice.
Extensive research has been done in this area and it has been concluded that good orthodontic treatment and extractions of teeth will not cause these ailments. There is many causes to jaw clicks and pain such as chewing on ice, stress etc. “Poor bite” could be one of the causes of jaw click and pain. Orthodontic treatment to resolve these bites will not worsen them and may in fact may them better in some cases.
Body or head posture may result in “poor bite” or clenching of teeth causing headaches. The changing of the bite pattern in braces treatment is unlikely to cause poor body posture resulting in headaches.
In cases when patients exhibit jaw pain or headaches, orthodontist would advise them to resolve these problems before embarking on braces treatment.