August 2011 - Regina Chow - Singapore Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle & Travel Blog

Spain (Rodellar) - Refugio Kalandraka

Monday, August 29, 2011

I removed two wisdom teeth at one go last Monday, namely the upper left one by extraction and the lower left one by surgery. Sounds excruciating? I thought so too, but surprisingly, it was a breeze and hopefully, this post will help those of you who are afraid of dentists to overcome your fear. ;)

My uncle (who's a fabulous dentist too, but he doesn't perform surgeries as frequently) recommended Dr Bruce Chew to me because he's an oral surgeon. It's important to find a good dentist to perform wisdom tooth surgery because a blotched job can impair your facial nerves, resulting in permanent facial numbness. I was quite perturbed by the thought of this, hence I prolonged my appointment till just 2 weeks before my back-to-back trips so that I have just enough time for recovery. :P

What was the process like?

Dr Chew did a fantastic job. Before the deed was done, I was given antibiotics and painkillers. He then proceeded to administer local anesthesia through injection until my entire mouth was numb.

Not once did I feel pain (my threshold is very low) during the whole process, including the injection. My upper tooth was extracted in the blink of an eye. I almost didn't realize it was already taken out.

The lower tooth, on the other hand, took slightly longer because it was necessary to break the tooth into smaller pieces. The drilling sound was deafening. I am not kidding when I say deafening because for someone who has had a lot of dental work done, this is the first time I've experienced drilling of this magnitude. There was also some pulling and tugging but both Dr Chew and his nurse, Doris, were very reassuring. Again, I have to emphasize that there was no pain throughout and the procedure was completed in about 30-45 minutes.

Extraction/surgery aftercare

I was given a course of antibiotics, painkillers and an antibacterial mouthwash to prevent infection and speed up the healing process. You will also be given 5 days of medical leave to recuperate at home.

For the first day itself, do prepared for bleeding to last at least a couple of hours. It can be a gory sight, having to change your blood-soaked gauze every half an hour or so. I was told to only use the mouthwash before bedtime, after brushing, so as to give the blood ample time to clot. This is important because the nurse warned that some patients who turned a deaf ear to her advice suffered from excessive bleeding thereafter.

My lower facial nerve was exposed after the surgery because of my tooth's proximity to the nerve, which meant that there was a possibility that I would experience numbness for a few months. Dr Chew advised me to take Vitamin B should I experience numbness in my lips the next day, but thankfully, there was no numbness to speak of. ;)

Did I experience pain in the days that followed?

I was half-expecting to feel excruciating pain after that, so I took my painkillers with the antibiotics 3 times a day for the next 5 days. As a result, the experience was completely painless for me.

There was some soreness around the jaw and gum area and it was difficult for me to open my mouth too wide, but honestly, these inconveniences were pretty inconsequential. I could eat as per normal, except that I chose to stick to a liquid diet (e.g. porridge, soup etc.) for about 4 days so that brushing will be much easier.

My only grouse was that my left cheek swelled for 4 days, making me look like a chipmunk with walnuts stored in the left side of my mouth. JW had the time of his life teasing me and poking fun at my left cheek (yes, literally). He was so fascinated with my swollen cheek that he kept asking me when I was going to extract the wisdom teeth on my right! =S

What about now?

Nope, there is still no pain. After my stitches were removed on the 5th day, I was given a syringe and taught how to dislodge food when it gets stuck in the gap where my tooth used to be. I'm currently using the syringe to flush out trapped food after every meal. My jaw and gum still feel slightly sore as the wound will only heal completely after 3 months, but the soreness is subsiding with each passing day and I have been so busy it doesn't bother me at all!

What're your dentist's contact details?

Chew & Chew Dental Surgery
Mount Elizabeth Hospital
#10-16
Tel: 6738 6033

What's the cost like?

For wisdom tooth surgery, the cost ranges from S$1000-S$1,500, of which a maximum amount of $950 can be claimed from Medisave.

For wisdom tooth extraction, it was about S$200. Unfortunately, Medisave cannot be used for normal extraction. :(

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Liz Lisa Wedges

Monday, August 22, 2011

Do photos reflect your mood?

Sunday, August 21, 2011

T Forty Two in KL

Saturday, August 20, 2011

T Forty Two is a cozy cafe located at Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur (KL). The cafe is decorated in the style of a boutique hotel, with dark paneled walls, plush Victorian-chairs and dazzling chandeliers.

We met Karen, her mum and Ethan for tea as they happened to be in KL during the same period as us. ;) While JW's primary objective was to hone his rockclimbing skills in KL, my main aim was to gorge myself silly before my wisdom tooth operation.

The high tea set for two came in a traditional 3-tier stand (love it!!) comprising a wide array of desserts, sandwiches and scones. Have a sweet tooth but can't bear to forgo savoury food? Over at T Forty Two, you can have your cake and eat it (literally!) as there is a good balance of both sweet and savoury treats to satisfy your cravings and please every customer's palate.

Food aside, I especially like their tea sets as the whimsical design reminds me of the Mad Hatter's tea party in Alice in Wonderland.

The teapot is so adorable. It evokes feelings of nostalgia as it bears a striking resemblance to the teapot which was part of a toy tea set that I used to play with when I was a kid.

I once scooped up water from the toilet bowl with my toy teapot (because I couldn't reach the basin due to my height, or lack thereof) and offered to make tea for my mum, thinking that the water was actually drinkable. I lived to regret this because to this day, my mum continues to tease me about it!

Ah well, I digress. With a cup of tea in one hand and a macaroon in another, bask in the cafe's relaxing atmosphere and indulge in long, leisurely conversations while savouring the goodness of afternoon tea treats. T Forty Two is one cafe that you can certainly consider for your next tête-à-tête in KL.

Address:

T Forty Two

Bangsar Village II,

No. 2, Jalan Telawi Satu, Bangsar Baru,

Kuala Lumpur

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Statement Jewellery

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

An Affair with Floral Prints & Ruffles

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

What I'm Wearing Today (WIWT)

Friday, August 12, 2011

Ruffles & Tulle

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Happy 46th Birthday Singapore!

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Happy National Day!

Today marks the 46th year since Singapore gained independence. To most, it may just be another public holiday, but I personally think that it is a significant day for us as a nation to celebrate our achievements.

It is without a doubt that our achievements have way surpassed that of our counterparts regardless of how much we rant about the fast pace of life, our crowded MRT trains, transport fare hikes, the invasion of foreign talent etc. I guess to a large extent, this is precisely what makes us Singaporean. Complaining is part and parcel of our lives. :P

However, if we all take a step back and look at how much we have advanced since the days before our independence, we would realize that our nation has come a long way. Our progress would not have been possible if not for our forefathers, grandparents and our parents, and that in itself makes National Day a day worth celebrating!

Majulah, the Singapore spirit, is the theme for this year's National Day Parade (NDP). What is the Singapore spirit? To me, the Singapore spirit embodies perseverance, resilience and unity. These were the key ingredients for our success today and will always be important traits for our progress.

I've got to thank my lucky stars because I had the privilege of attending the NDP preview this year and as you're reading this, I'm preparing to meet my family for the actual NDP performance too! ;)

Unlike previous years' performances, this year's NDP is anchored by a heartwarming musical that depicts how we've developed from a fishing village to where we are today. If you have seen the NDP theme song video (see below), you would have an inkling of what the musical is about. :)

To keep you in suspense, there will not be any more spoilers from this point on. Instead, I'll leave you with some photos and a video of the fireworks from the recent NDP preview. Enjoy!

Most of the attendees were in red and white, but this was the best that I could do. I have ZERO red tops!!

My pretty mummy! She was so excited about dressing up in red and white. ;)

Roti Pratas, teh tariks and chillis doing their little dance. If only I could eat them (not the chilli) there and then!!!

The final explosion of confetti was a visual treat. It looked like it was snowing.

Last but not least, the fireworks and city scape light-up were fantastic! Check out my video below. ;)

Don't miss the show later this afternoon! :)

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