Blog Post

5 Ways To Save On Your Dental Bills

Dr. Gordon Tam • Nov 01, 2018

1. Schedule regular 6 months check-up

Find yourself a dentist that will conduct a comprehensive and meticulous examination of your oral health. Regular visits allow your dentist to detect any early signs of disease.

2. Fix your dental problems as soon as you can

Many dental problems don’t become visible or cause pain until they are in an advanced stage. Fixing problems when they are still manageable are less expensive. Often, treatments are delayed because patients do not experience any pain. This exacerbates the problem, resulting in a heftier dental bill.

Ask your dentist to give you a detailed and customized treatment plan. The plan should include the different treatment options as well as their pros and cons. Choose the treatment option that fits your time and budget, and get your dental issues addressed as soon as possible.

3. Take an X-ray every 18-24 months

There are hidden problems that can only be detected by X-rays; these problems are not visible to the naked eye. Having your oral X-rays taken every 2 years allows your dentist to pick up on any problems early, allowing you to fix them when they are still minor.

4. Understand the treatment options available and choose the best treatment option

Do it once, do it right. Quick fixes don’t normally last and will require repair again soon. Dentistry becomes expensive when repeated repairs are done on the same tooth, addressing to the same issue. Understand your dental issues and choose the best option that gives you the best outcome. You will cut down on your dental costs in the long run and give yourself a peace of mind.

5. Protect your investment

After all the dental works are done, always follow the maintenance instructions given by your dentist to ensure that restorative works done in your mouth last longer. Schedule routine dental check-ups to maintain your current condition and to ensure any future dental issues will not go undetected.

For more information and consultation, please contact Smile Design Dental Practice at +65 6463 8588.


To serve you better, we are available by Appointment Only. 

Please contact us to schedule for an appointment.

Is lemon water good or bad for you?

By Dr. Gordon Tam • 11 Oct, 2019
Why would you drink lemon water? In recent years, lemon water is widely accepted for the benefits that many believed to have. Lemon contains antibacterial, antioxidants properties and it is packed with the essential minerals and vitamins that are helpful for our bodies. It can help to reduce the risk of health issues, boost kidney and skin conditions, fight infections and improve our overall well-being. It is believed that when adding lemon to water, it creates a healthy concoction that provides electrolytes and hydration that our body needs. Lemon water is simply adding freshly juiced lemon to water. The ratio of lemon to water and to consume hot or cold is entirely up to the individual. Such simple concoction has created a big hype among the health-conscious group of people. People who tried many methods turned to lemon water for solution. Those who wanted to slim down but do not like to exercise may believe that as lemon is acidic, it will help to curb their appetite, burns fats and eventually slim down without needing to do much exercises. However, lemon water should be used in combination with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle to obtain results. Naturopaths believe in using natural remedies or solutions to solve their health issues. The choice of lemon is vital. You should be using organic lemons to make sure that the source of lemon is of high quality and not contaminated by any pesticides. As the preparation of lemon water is easy and lemon is conveniently sold, many people see this as a healthy beverage they can have easily.

Don’t drink another glass of lemon water before reading this!

By Dr Gordon Tam • 14 Apr, 2024
Why does drinking lemon water become a trend? Lemon water is simply adding freshly juiced lemon to water. The ratio of lemon to water and to consume hot or cold is entirely up to the individual. Such simple concoction has created a big hype among the health-conscious group of people. It is believed that when adding lemon to water, it creates a healthy concoction that provides electrolytes and hydration that our body needs. Those who want to slim down but do not like to exercise may believe that as lemon is acidic, it will help to curb their appetite, burn fats and eventually slim down without needing to do much exercise. However, lemon water should be used in combination with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle to obtain results. People who tried many (weight loss) methods had turned to lemon water for solution. Naturopaths believe in using natural remedies or solutions to solve their health issues. The choice of lemon is vital. You should be using organic lemons to make sure that the source of lemon is of high quality and not contaminated by any pesticides. As the preparation of lemon water is easy and lemon is conveniently sold, many people see this as a healthy beverage they can have easily.

Understanding gum recession and the treatments

By Dr Gordon Tam • 12 Apr, 2024
Apart from a nice set of teeth, having a set of healthy and pink looking gums are as important.

10 main causes of food trap

By Dr. Gordon Tam • 05 Apr, 2024
The food trap is one of the most common complains we hear. It happens during eating when food got trapped in between your teeth. Sometimes you can remove them, but most of the time you can’t do it without flossing. This food trap may eventually lead to tooth decay or gum inflammation if left untreated. You may have experienced some embarrassing moments where a piece of salad green is trapped in between your teeth are visible to others but you may not even notice it. It can be annoying and creating discomfort when there is a big chunk of steak trapped at the back of your teeth. Apart from the awkward moments of food trap, sometimes when the food trap gets to the gums, it can irritate the gums, causing your gums to swell and sore. Although it is common, it is not normal. There are many contributing reasons for the food trap issue.

Gum Care for Pregnancy

By Dr. Gordon Tam • 20 Mar, 2024
It must be exciting to prepare yourself to get pregnant. While many women go for medical checkups, it may not occur to you that dental health is as important too. At Smile Design Dental Practice, we pay special attention to our pregnant patients as well as those who are planning for a baby. Hormonal changes are expected during pregnancy. However we will not know how much it will affect you, in terms of overall well-being, appetite, mood swings, body changes and oral condition. It is common for pregnant women to experience swollen and bleeding gums. If you already have such issues before you get pregnant, chances for these issues to magnify during pregnancy are much higher.

Why did my dental filling keep dropping out?

By Dr Gordon Tam • 24 Oct, 2020
Almost all of us needed a dental filling at some point of time in our lives. A dental filling is a restoration work done to our tooth that might have chipped off or decay. There are several choices of materials used to replace the partial missing tooth structure. Dental fillings will deteriorate over time, due to wear and tear, bad habits, or even simply they were not properly done in the first place.

Things that our dentist will look out for during a routine dental appointment

By Dr Gordon Tam • 11 Sep, 2020
Many thought routine dental appointments are merely just about cleaning teeth. You are only half right! We do more than just a routine dental cleaning. You understand the importance of maintaining good oral habits at home and religiously come for your routine dental appointment to get the professional maintenance done. We are here to monitor and update your oral condition.

Top 3 most common dental fears

By Dr Gordon Tam • 14 Aug, 2020
What are you afraid of to see a dentist?  We want to understand more about what are the most common dental fears among you and me. In order to address these fears, we must first know what they are.   Fear of the Unknown Fear of Pain Bill Shock    We commonly hear from our patients these few fears that are holding them back from making a dental appointment or even to cancel one at the last minute!

Facts you should know about fluoride

By Dr Gordon Tam • 21 May, 2020
Functions of fluoride Fluoride is a natural mineral that is found in our body (bones and teeth), and the natural environments such as water, soil, plants, rocks and even in the air. Fluoride is important to us especially to our teeth as it helps to strengthen the most outer layer, the enamel and fights against cavities. The most common products you used with fluoride in it are our water (in SIngapore’s context) and toothpastes. Prevent demineralization caused by the loss of minerals by strengthening the structure of tooth to prevent bacteria on tooth surface from ‘eating away’ the enamel Direct application of fluoride to reduce tooth sensitivity Increase the rate of remineralization Helps to fight against acid produced by plaque, blocking harmful enzymes that weakens the tooth enamel

Do not buy another toothpaste before reading this!

By Dr Gordon Tam • 08 May, 2020
Your choice of toothpaste may be different from your family members. Do not worry about being odd here. You are not alone. It is only right for you to find the correct toothpaste that suits your needs and oral condition. Likewise if you have young children at home. Their toothpaste is totally different from adults! We often place emphasis on selecting the correct toothbrushes for ourselves and our family members. It is important to get toothbrushes with soft bristles, so that we can clean more thoroughly, reaching most of the surfaces of our teeth. The selection of toothpastes is equally important to compliment the importance of maintaining routine oral hygiene.
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