I did some online research on paediatric dentists in Singapore and finally settled on Dr. Ja Intarasoot at Atria-City Dental Group at Ngee Ann City. They have online appointment booking system where you input your preferred appointment dates and time and the clinic will call to confirm. I put in a request on 15 Mar and they called the following day, and my appointment was scheduled for 23 Mar. Fast and good service.
Atria called yesterday to remind me of the appointment, and told me to arrive 15 min before for registration. I had my mom come along in case I couldn't handle P. When we got to the entrance, my mom's first comment is "Wah, this is going to cost a bomb!" Haha, there's a koi pond looking thing smack at the entrance of the dental clinic after you enter the glass doors. P of course was very entertained by the fish in the pond, and had to be constantly reminded not to put her hand in.
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| Grandma and P |
I filled up a registration form asking for personal particulars and a series of health questions on P's behalf, and we were asked to take a seat. Atria has this small area where kids can play with toys and read books if they want. There were some kids and their parents in that area, so only P managed to venture in.
Very soon, we were called into the dentist room and the dental assistant asked me to lie in the dental chair and have P lie on top of me. The room was very brightly decorated with animals covering the walls and a soft toy in the corner. When you lie in the dental chair and look up, you can watch cartoons (Tom and Jerry for us today) playing. P was super curious and yet wary at the same time.
Dr. Ja came into the room after awhile. She strikes me as a gentle and friendly person. I guess those are the traits you need to work around kids. She gave P a warm welcome and bright smile and sat down beside to talk to us. The first thing that she noticed is P's cross bite (bottom cover top), and that's when I finally learn the terminology to describe P's condition. I also learnt that the cross bite could be due to genetics. She took a mirror, asked me to hold it and checked my teeth (P was watching the whole process), and explained that I have a slight cross bite too, so she might have gotten it from me. Oops, bad genes!
I tried to get P to open her mouth several times, but all attempts were not successful. I'm not surprised by her lack of cooperation though. Dr. Ja suggested for me to get her prepared for her next visits by getting books about visiting the dentists (she mentioned a Dora book) and possibly getting some dentistry toys to let her interact with the equipment. She was also very willing to let P hold the mirror that dentists use to check our teeth.
I finally has to resort to scamming P with an imaginary yogurt snack and she fell right for it. Her mouth opened and the dentist caught sight of the back of her mouth. Dr. Ja said that her back teeth is indeed out, and that it's normal even though it doesn't grow the textbook way. She asked about her night feeds and yes, P still goes to bed with a bottle of milk. She suggested for us to either
1. Let P drink from cup directly or with straw from the cup
2. Wean off her night feed
3. Brush her teeth after her milk.
She then reached for Mr. Donkey (soft toy cum helper) and showed me how to brush P's teeth. After the demo, she let P hold the toothbrush and they brushed Mr. Donkey's teeth together, haha. She told me that one of P's front tooth looks quite yellowish, and I have to take note to brush.
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| Me lying in the dental chair, Mr. Donkey in the corner. |
On the topic of toothpaste, she say we can do without it until she learns to spit. If we really want to use, have to look for those without fluoride like First Teeth toothpaste. We're using First Teeth, but P hates the taste with a vengeance. Once she smells it, she won't let us put it in her mouth. I guess I either have to do away with toothpaste, or look for alternatives (am eyeing Jack and Jill toothpaste).
P got really upset (no taste of yogurt snacks) towards the end of the consultation and started to fuss. Dr. Ja re-emphasised the brushing and the night feed thing before sending us out. She told us to come back in 3-6 months time, 3 if she doesn't weaned off night feed.
The consultation fees came up to $85.60, and they accept credit card payments. Only after payment was made then I saw this signage that they are a Baby Bonus approved institution (stabs hearts!!). Haha, in any case, I can't remember the pin number to P's account. The next time we come back, I'll be sure to have it on hand!
The clinic looks fantastic. They have a child-friendly facility, so instead of worrying about her appointment, your daughter diverted her attention to things that looks very fascinating to her. Although you have to think of something later on just to let P open her mouth. Hehe! But the imaginary yogurt was a brilliant idea, huh? I hope P would cooperate more easily the next time you visit her dentist.
ReplyDeleteRandy Farmer @ Houston Smile Docs
It's common for kids not to cooperate during dental visits as they are not comfortable around other people, and people checking their teeth and mouth may also be alien to them. What the dentist said is true though. Before bringing the kids in for a dental visit, better educate them on what to expect when they're inside the clinic and explain to them why things need to be done. You can even bribe them with a prize if they behave well, but small things like an hour of storytelling or playtime. Well, good luck on your following dental visits!
ReplyDeleteCalanda @ Dr. Steven Cadee
I have to agree with Calandra. Kids are more often than not rowdy when they have their first time visiting the dentist. Preparing for the worst is the best thing to do. It’s nice to know that everything went well after a somewhat rough start. How is her teeth now?
ReplyDeleteJamie DeFinnis @ Back Mountain Dental