Volunteer Day at Gentle Paws

Met Eileen in the morning for breakfast at KFC before going Yishun and taking bus over to the shelter. We were way too early so we walked around to explore while searching for Gentle Paws Shelter. 

Contacted the In-charge, Florence after that for the exact address. She guided me through phone and we found it! We were too early, that there was only one regular volunteer there. He briefed us on the dogs, their names, characters and which dogs to avoid. After both regular and new volunteers started coming in, it was time to walk the dog!

Dogs were randomly paired up with humans and I got Darwin. The big sweet boy. Walked with him for 2km and went back for a rest!

Surrounded by the doggies. Resting after the walk while waiting for food.

After all the dogs came back, it was feeding time! Just looking at them eat can make us smile already. Choosing only rice to eat, leaving the kibbles untouched and ended up being still hungry and begging for more food. And leaving their own food untouched and stealing another dog's food.

Eileen and I definitely had fun even though the weather was hot, tiring and the shelter was a very long walk from the nearest bus stop. 

Went off the Ikea for late lunch after that since it was near. Then bus home!

https://www.facebook.com/GentlePaws

http://gentlepaws2010.blogspot.sg/

It was really great to be able to meet the dogs in person after reading about them for so long at their blog and facebook.

Two photos that Eileen took.

Love this photo alot! Even though my hair looks like crap.

 We were staring at each other.

Hiding behind my legs because it got scolded by a volunteer for bullying another dog.

4th Appointment - Top Braces

10th Sep 2013, Tuesday

Went for my appointment bright and early at 8:15AM. Reached early to avoid rain, so had breakfast at Han's! 

The whole procedures took around 45mins. With me spending most of the time watching Avengers on the TV by the ceiling. 

Firstly, to place the bands with the right size. I've seen comments online that the process hurts as their Ortho used a lot of strength to push it in. Mine had no pain at all.

After that, I had no idea what they did. But I can only say, the whole thing was painless.

First day with the braces! No pain at all except you can feel a layer of metal between the lips and the teeth. Things changed after I had a nap. Can feel the tightness already.

Practically couldn't chew for the first 5-6 days. All I could do was swallow so it resulted in me having a hard time to release the waste back to nature. They couldn't digest properly in my body.

'

Day 5

The colour of the brackets slowly changed to mint green and now, at week two, it's more of pale green.

After the first week, I could chew normally already except still not used to food getting stucked. And I mean ALOT of food. Until I feel like I'm a hamster storing food by the side of my cheeks. 

Week 2

Can bite off something like burger without cutting it in smaller pieces already. Still pissed with the food getting stuck part. I'm sure it'll still happen for the next two years.

Around a couple of days after putting the bands, you will feel slight pain at the side of the cheeks due to the bands that pop out to hold the wire. Especially when you chew your food. The friction causes it to be more painful. But after awhile, the cheek will form a rough surface around the area and you can't feel the pain anymore. 

So far, only had one ulcer. Thank god! And no frictions between the metal brackets and the lips. 

Tip: Bring lots of sweets after the procedures as you can taste a very metalish bitter taste for a few hours. The sweets can help to cover up the taste.

3rd Appointment - Separators

Time for my third appointment and it's putting separators time, or commonly called, spacers.

For more information and purpose of it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodontic_spacer

Anyway, I had eight separators on and all it took was less than 5 mins for them to settle in.

Here's what it looks like: (photos grabbed from google)

I went to the net to search about the pain yesterday and all I got was most people feel that the pain from the separators are worse than putting and tightening of braces. Hoping it won't be that bad for me. 

As all I could find was whether putting separators will be pain or not pain, I wanted to know if the pain will gradually increase and last for how long. So I shall just record down my own experience.

I have to keep the separators on until next Tuesday where it will be taken out and top braces will be fixed on.

Day 1, 4th Sep 2013, Wednesday - 5 hours after getting separators

Feeling pretty sore and there's like food stuck in between the teeth feeling. Feeling pain at my left side of teeth when I clench hard and  it's getting stronger. It's like the toothache kind of pain.

Day 2, 5th Sep 2013, Thursday

Woke up feeling aching in my mouth. The pain has spread throughout the other teeth. No longer feel something stuck in between the teeth because the soreness and achy-ness covered it. The teeth are sensitive now with slight soreness felt whenever my tongue touched them and when the top and bottom meet. Overall, pain still tolerable, but very uncomfortable. Still able to eat cheese fries.

Day 3, 6th Sep 2013, Friday

Feel much better. Not in as much pain as Day 2. But the soreness and tightness is getting more irritating at the lower set of teeth. Still able to eat potato curry puff but not the side crust.

Day 4, 7th Sep 2013, Saturday

Same as day 3. Minimal pain except being irritated by the soreness. Once awhile will keep shaking/pressing the teeth to make the feeling go away. But found out best way to let the feeling go is to eat things. Able to eat almost everything except stiff and hard food like meat, fried food and have to chew slowly with not able to chew with top touching the bottom rows of teeth.

Day 5, 8th Sep 2013, Sunday

Can eat almost normally except real hard things. Still pretty irritated by the soreness but the pain has been lowered. Can eat with some strength on the right side but not the left. Able to eat chicken wings today.

Day 6, 9th Sep 2013, Monday

Everything seems normal. No more soreness, no nothing. Can eat normally except feeling abit of pain on the left side but still can use strength. Cannot even feel the separators are inside unless I use my tongue to feel it.

The records shall stop here since tomorrow morning, I will remove the separators and fix in the top braces already.

Second Consultation - Prices

And so, I went for my second consultation that involves the introduction of different braces available for me to choose.

1. The normal metal kind
2. Ceramic which serves the same thing as the metal kind except that the brackets are transparent to make it less obvious.
3. Invisalign which I was hoping to opt for it.

Was quoted:
1. Metal - $3900
2. Ceramic - $4400
3. Invisalign - $7000

And that's how I was forced to let go the option of Invisalign. Chose Metal as since both Ceramic and Metal serve the same quality, why pay more? I don't think people will notice the difference unless they look up close. And, if any reasons the brackets dropped off, the clinic would fix it back free of charge. As for Ceramic, they will charge $90 for each bracket as it's more expensive.

My charges and payment details:

$3900 - less 5% as I paid full payment instead of instalment = $3705
$3705 - $215 (x-ray and models that I took in the first consultation) = $3490
$3490 + $244.30 (GST) = $3734.30

The package is inclusive of scaling and polishing once every three months throughout the treatment.

Paid $2250 on my own and mom paid the rest first in order to gain the 5% discount. More debts!

No extractions needed for now. Will see my mouth/lip 'shape' after 6 - 8 months into treatment and decide if I want to extract. No idea how to explain it well.


Next appointment will be putting in the separators!

Braces Appointment #1

I finally took the first step and booked an appointment for my first consultation.

Decided on "About Braces", Dr Stefan Vaz after looking at reviews and forum.

8 Sinaran Drive, Novena Specialist Center #06-01, Singapore 307470
aboutbraces.org/


Saturday, 27th July 2013, 8AM

Pretty fun experience for me.

Doing the moulds, x-ray and photo taking

Total bill:

Orthopantomogram : $80.25
Lateral Cephalogram : $80.25
Study Models : $69.55

Total: $230.05

If I were to take up their package for braces, this fee would be waived off.

Next appointment on 28th August 2013, Wednesday, 10:15AM

Hopefully the pricing offered would be cheap and no extractions needed although I know it only happens with very very slim chance.

Can't wait!