Clinic Philosophy

6 Reasons to Check us out

1. Because we prefer not to extract teeth if possible and we have the experience and skills to treat about 80% of our patients without extraction of permanent teeth.

The most common reservation people have about braces is the fear of extraction. Most people think that extraction of teeth is necessary for orthodontic treatment.

But more often than not, extraction of teeth may not always be necessary, especially for younger patients. For some patients, it may even be disastrous to have their teeth extracted for treatment. Read More Dished-in Profile

With proper diagnosis, treatment planning, sequencing and execution, it is possible to adopt a non-extraction approach for majority of patients.

Most of our patients come to us through word of mouth because they have heard that we are able to treat most cases without the extraction of teeth.

In fact, most of them appreciate that non-extraction therapy requires more attention to details, patience, experience and skills in executing the treatment.

In addition, when in doubt, we always err on the side of caution and adopt the ‘therapeutic diagnosis’ approach.

We start off with a non-extraction approach. We regularly review our diagnosis and treatment plan. As treatment progresses, a clearer picture emerges and we will reassess if there is still a need for extraction. We will tread this carefully as extraction is irreversible. With this approach, many patients have been ‘saved’ from having unnecessary teeth extraction.

The Great Debate

In the history of orthodontics from the early 1900s, two schools of thought emerged. One school felt that certain dimensions cannot be changed and everyone should be treated to norms and averages. Therefore, even with slightly crowded teeth, some permanent teeth should be removed to achieve that goal. The other school of thought felt that regardless of the severity of crowding, permanent teeth should not be extracted.

This Great Debate of Extraction versus Non-extraction continues till this very day, with the extraction rates differ significantly from one orthodontist to another.

Our experience over the last 20 over years has led us to believe that the answer lies somewhere in the middle of the two schools of thought. However, our principle is to try our utmost to help our patients preserve their permanent teeth, especially for young children.

The good news is that, with our treatment techniques developed and experience gathered over the years, about 80 to 90% of our patients are treated to a stable, functional and yet aesthetic result without having any permanent teeth extracted.

2. Because we do not just straighten your teeth, we want to keep it straight – hence, the importance of RETENTION

At MEOC, we want you to enjoy your perfect smile for as long as possible.

Getting your teeth straight is only half the battle won, the other half is keeping them straight. In fact, retention is equally important as the treatment itself!

As part of growing up or aging and depending on the types and severity of the malocclusion, your teeth can move out of position even after the treatment has completed.

For peace of mind, we provide you with both removable and fixed retainers – thankfully they are both comfortable and discreet.

Retainers are customized orthodontic appliances that are designed to hold teeth in their new, corrected positions after active orthodontic treatment. Most dentists or orthodontists provide removable retainers when dental braces are removed but only some will provide fixed retainers as well.

Fixed retainers consist of a thin wire that is well adapted and bonded to the inner surfaces of the front six teeth. It is invisible, well-tolerated and greatly reduces the demands on patient’s compliance. There is no chance of losing or forgetting to wear them (parents will love to hear that) and will quietly maintain the alignment of teeth 24/7.

The main problem with fixed retainers is that patients must be educated and motivated to maintain a more diligent oral hygiene practice. However, this is not difficult to achieve. The design of our fixed retainers allow for routine oral hygiene procedures like brushing and flossing. Patients are also advised to return regularly or visit their own dentists for retention checks and oral hygiene reviews at least once a year. Patients with fixed retainers will be advised against using their front teeth to bite into anything hard.

Removable Retainers are prescribed in conjunction with fixed retainers as they help to maintain the overall arch form and occlusion. They are clear and almost invisible and fits snugly over your teeth. With the fixed retainers in place, patients only need to wear the clear removable retainers day and night during the first 3 to 6 months after the removal of the dental braces. Subsequently, it is adequate to wear them only during sleep. Patients can gradually wean off the frequency of the retainer wear at night but are advised to maintain at least one night of retainer wear every one or two weeks for as long as they would like to maintain most of the treatment outcome. RetainerImage.

3) Because we emphasize on Relapse Prevention and Regular Retention Monitoring – We want you to keep your perfect smile and we want you to keep in touch with us.

At MEOC, we are happy to continue to see you for regular follow-ups and reviews even after your orthodontic treatmentis completed, to ensure everything stays well year after year.

We will see you ±6 months post-treatment to monitor the stability of the corrections and the integrity of the retainers. Thereafter, reviews are recommended at least once every ± 12 months. Post treatment follow-ups will include:

• Comprehensive Examination (teeth alignment/ tooth decay/ gum disease)
• Professional Cleaning
• Checks on the fit and integrity ofthe fixed & removable retainers
• Documentation with photographic records

4) Because we spend time on Detailing & Finishing

There are many treatment guidelines to follow and treatment goals to attain.

Success requires proper diagnosis, planning, staging and sequencing of tooth movements, employing techniques to maximize the control of tooth movement and reduce the adverse reactions and paying attention to every detail during the finishing stage (such as root angulation and torque, marginal ridge levelling, overjet, overbite, centreline, arch form, occlusion).

Our appointment visits are not of 5 to 15 minutes duration. Appointments are scheduled at least of 30 minutes duration and we do not double-book each appointment slot with different patients.

We strive to do as much as possible per visit so that treatment can be completed in a reasonable period of time without compromising on the quality and stability of treatment outcome.

Both Dr. Lim and Dr. Tan are established orthodontists in their own clinic at MEOC and their patients are attended by them personally every visit during the active treatment phase.

5)Because our Treatment Fees are reasonable

Our fees are reasonable for an orthodontic specialist clinic. We have many local patients who find our fees acceptable even though they have access to places that offer lower fees.

We do not want to attract many patients based on low and attractive treatment fees as we will not be able to spend sufficient time per patient to deliver the proper and desired treatment outcome in the shortest possible period of time. Instead, we aim to convince patients based on our treatment records.

The cost of the treatment depends on many factors such as the severity of the malocclusion and the types of braces. We also offer interest-free installment plans to cater to our patients’ financial needs.

6) Because patients and parents can be assured that we are guided by the principle that we will advise and manage each patient as if they are our family members, relatives or friends.

We view our practice as a work in progress, constantly upgrading, adapting, improving on areas where we are lacking and reinforcing and emphasizing the areas where we have done well.

We areconstantly striving to improve our qualityof treatment outcome as well as the level of patient care and service.