Sunday, September 8, 2013

我的箍牙日記 - Invisalign印模

考慮咗一個星期後,決定用Invisalign,打去clinic book印模時間。係,要再印模的,因為上次印係for醫生做評估同分析,今次就係比美國invisalign公司做clincheck,即係電腦模擬,ok咗先真係做套牙模。

今次印模過程同上次差唔多,都係上下顎加bite,不過時間就耐D,護士話係因為物料唔同,要寄去美國所以d物料要set得硬d,而且今次明顯地印得好小心,醫生都有睇住同幫手。成個過程大約45分鐘。走嘅時候醫生都有問我ok唔ok,可能因為見我印模嘅時間有D反胃(尷尬,都係唔係好忍到D膠好似流緊入喉嚨果種感覺)。=P 建議如果你哋就嚟會做印模,其實放鬆少少用鼻呌氣就會順利好多,唔好太緊張。

接住宜家要等兩星期clincheck返來再見醫生。exciting =)

Saturday, September 7, 2013

我的箍牙日記 - 印模和療程分析

上回講到做咗consultation後決定喺呢位醫生度箍牙,跟住就係番去照x-ray同印模。因為約咗早上的關係,去到clinic無咩人。照x-ray過程好快,影咗一張180度的,另側面兩張。印模過程就比較長,印咗上下排牙齒同bite共三個模。印模過程有少少唔舒服,當D膠塞入口時唔可以吞口水,D膠有少少頂到喉嚨會有好想吐番出嚟嘅感覺,成個過程大約15分鐘,都係由護士負責。是次費用3000元。

大約一星期後再上clinic見醫生,醫生拎咗牙模同x-ray片再同我解釋佢建議的療程。同consultation時講的都一樣,會幫我D牙箍番U型,由於我的嘴型冇改變的需要,唔需要拔牙,但就有機會磨牙。佢有兩個療程選擇給我考慮,一是傳統牙箍,二是Invisalign,兩個療程的價錢、時間、同payment schedule都唔一樣,完成後所用的retainer都有分別。醫生print咗兩個療程的詳細資料俾我番屋企再考慮。其實我個心一早已經決定要箍Invisalign,因為三十歲人先嚟箍牙,真係唔可以接受一排鋼牙咁番工見人lol。不過番屋企再仔細閱讀一下D細節都係好嘅。



Monday, August 12, 2013

我的箍牙日記 - 尋找合適的牙醫 (2) My Experience with Braces - Finding the Right Orthodontist (2)

上次講到consult咗兩位普通科牙醫,都係覺得箍牙搵個專科矯齒醫生比較放心。上網搵咗好幾個地址比較合適的,再打電話去問大概價錢,全部都係約$5-10萬之間。有D第一次見已經要照x-ray同倒模,有D就可以見面consult咗先,consultation fee大約$300-$1000不等。有D唔做invisalign,有D要排一個月先見到醫生,有D唔係經常喺同一診所....問咗好幾間,又上網check咗make sure冇bad comment,最後決定去其中一位喺中環嘅專科矯齒醫生做consultation。

當日去到,醫生先望一望我D牙,問我點解要箍同對現在的嘴型覺得有冇問題。佢咁問其實我都有D突然,因為我一直冇覺得嘴型會係一個考慮。我就話無呀宜家個嘴型ok,無覺得要改。佢話我個case一定唔雖要脫牙,有機會要磨牙不過就唔係一定,咁講只係想我有心理準備。呢樣野有少少同之前兩個牙醫講嘅有D分別,因為佢地一嚟就話要磨牙先至有足夠位俾D牙move,而呢位醫生就係話唔一定要磨牙,俾我嘅感覺佢盡量都係希望唔影響原本的牙齒。同埋佢都會留意到一D其他牙醫比較少講嘅,好似我話我D牙瞓覺時會咬得好實(精神緊張),佢會留意做retainer時某D地方可以做厚D。是次費用$1000。

至於價錢方面,我有心理準備會貴架啦,不過個價錢比我預計再貴少少,仲要一開始就要俾好大畢錢。思前想後都有兩三個星期,都係決定喺呢位專科醫生度箍,因為真係唔想再左搵右搵,而且consultation都要錢ga ma,箍牙又冇劃一收費,其他醫生收幾多錢真係好難預計,與其再搵第二個醫生,快D開始仲實際啦。

下一次會講照x-ray、印模同之後見醫生嘅意見。=)

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

我的箍牙日記 - 尋找合適的牙醫 (1) My Experience with Braces - Finding the Right Orthodontist (1)

經過一番研究同資料搜集,終於開始我嘅箍牙療程喇!用咗好多時間搵合適嘅牙醫,所以好想同大家分享一下我嘅經驗。

我d牙一直都唔算好整齊,有少少overcrowding,但都唔算非常嚴重,除此之外其實都冇乜大問題。細個媽媽冇特別提起話帶我箍牙,就自然冇去箍牙啦。我上排牙有一隻少少迫入咗(未至於是爆牙),影相嘅時候會睇到有個位暗咗d,而上面後排牙齒因為過迫,兩邊都係入咗d去嘅,正面睇笑嘅時候近嘴角兩邊見暗的地方會比較多,下排d牙又係因為迫得滯迫到前前後後咁,雖然影相唔多影響,但同人講野應該會比較覺眼,所以成日都“凝住”自己唔靚,有d缺憾咁。

其實大約五年前從美國讀完書番來已經想走去箍牙,試過問去開洗牙的普通科牙醫有關箍牙的資料。第一個牙醫介紹咗一位矯齒專科醫生(後來知道原來都幾出名,特別係幫小朋友箍牙,遲d再講),不過當時忙住開始讀另一個課程,最終不了了之。直到我出嚟做嘢,呢個念頭又返番嚟啦。其實當時已經有Invisalign呢樣野,箍牙又唔駛怕樣衰一年兩年,真係好吸引,同埋已經做緊嘢,外表更加係一個重要嘅因素。之後去另一個牙醫洗牙,又再問佢箍牙的事,佢睇過我d牙認為我適合箍Invisalign(佢有提供呢樣療程),呢位牙醫其實唔係矯齒專科,但就係修復齒科專科,所以俾我嘅感覺都係可靠的,同埋佢唔係一嚟就同我講要點箍點箍,係話我知我嘅情況適唔適合箍,呢點我覺得幾重要,因為箍牙始終係一個療程,專業嘅醫生應該係要向病人提供佢嘅專業醫學意見,解答問題,而唔係當箍牙係一種product咁sell。之但係,我呢位牙醫有少少cool,我問一句佢答一句咁啦,我嗰時又唔係做咗好多research,所以都係唔係好清楚個過程同自己真正嘅要求,問咗d basic野、價錢、時間等,就話返去考慮下。

"dum"吓 "dum" 吓又一兩年,今年年頭我又去同一個牙醫度洗牙,又順便問下箍牙d野。因為對箍牙特別係Invisalign留意多咗,所以今次問得深入咗。至於價錢,原來已經加咗價,又係嘅,呢兩年租同人工都升咗咁多,地鐵都加價咗唔知幾多次,牙醫又點會唔加吖。

唔知係咪覺得加咗價後悔唔早d箍,又或者驚覺自己都開始"一把年紀",覺得真係要行動啦,拖下拖下都係冇意思,所以今次就好勤力做research,上網做資料搜集。基本上喺google或yahoo打"Invisalign 箍"、"箍牙"、"隱適美",好大部分都係link去以下地方:

- Discuss.com.hk: 內容比較集中討論去邊個醫生箍同問價錢,特別有一兩位牙醫係經常提及(兩位都唔係專科)。
- Babykingdom: 家長幫子女問箍牙的多,主要係搵矯齒專科醫生醫治天生的牙齒和面型問題,如倒及牙,有較多不同矯齒專科醫生資料(當然也有幾位比較popular)。雖然話就係討論小朋友箍牙,但其實好多家長可能緊張小朋友,所以都好小心選擇牙醫,所以佢地討論嘅內容都比較有用。
- Beautyexchange: 同discuss.com.hk差不多,都係好集中討論幾位牙醫同價錢,但就有較多分享箍牙過程,都有參考價值。
- Various personal blogs: 箍牙經驗分享,同埋一d日常小tips,有似出外食嘢點先可以方便地除個箍,用咩清潔個箍等,好多都有定期update,都係好有參考價值。

除此之外,最重要係參考香港牙醫管理委員會- 註冊牙醫名單,有齊所有牙醫地址、資歷同取得資格年份,非常有用。

有一日睇報紙見到Invisalign公司搞咗個講座,又走咗去聽,內容ok啦,請咗位牙醫講解下Invisalign可以解決d咩牙齒問題、好處、過程等。反而Q&A session仲聽到多d野。之後講者牙醫(之後先知就係討論區好多人講果兩位其中之一)有留低解答問題,可以排隊單對單傾。當日所有參加者都可以去嗰位牙醫診所做免費的consultation,如果confirm做仲有九折。既然係免費,去問下都冇防,所以過咗幾日就book咗星期六上午做consultation。

呢個時候我都已經幾清楚invisalign嘅療程,所以都叫有備而來,去其實都係睇吓佢係唔係俾到信心我喺佢度箍。一如所料診所好多人,多人到我要企喺度等。等咗20分鐘到,可以入去見醫生。我一坐低連醫生都未見,已經即刻被兩個姑娘包圍(當時真係有咁嘅感覺),按底張醫生椅就好快手咁幫我影咗好幾張口腔內嘅相,同埋我嘅正面側面相。一開始我已經問其實我喺想consult醫生先,佢地就話之後醫生會同我傾。呢一刻我已經感覺唔係幾好,我根本連係唔係喺佢度箍都未決定,佢就好似要攞晒d資料先咁,一D都唔專重病人私隱,可能好多人都冇所謂,但我就好concern呢D野。

講番同醫生傾嘅內容,其實佢都解答得好詳細,冇令我覺得佢好趕想快快了事。我諗佢都做好多cases,所以我D問題都唔會話好困難。之後姑娘就帶我去另一間房講解治療過程,show咗D電腦圖sample,同傾payment。之後我話我要考慮下,佢都冇太pushy,只係話好多人只係欠落決心做嘅第一下,同如果下午決定到可以番去照x-ray同做模(都幾aggressive做生意)。價錢係好吸引的,比我洗牙醫生平(差不多平25%),不過可能佢真係太好生意,感覺就真係有少少流水作業。

睇咗一大堆資料,又做咗兩次consultation(包括自己本身那位牙醫),覺得都係想搵矯齒專科醫生。可能你地會問,如果我D牙問題不大,點解咁concern要專科醫生。因為我覺得箍牙始終係一個療程,牙齒除咗整齊之外仲有更重要functional嘅作用,食野、講野都同牙齒有關,如果箍衰咗,淨係呢兩樣野都夠煩足一世。我知道矯齒專科係普通牙科畢業後再讀多六年先可以取得資格,所以當中嘅知識一定唔係話箍齊排牙咁簡單嘅。

下次會講下我同一位專科醫生consultation session 嘅內容。Stay tuned!



This category of post is dedicated to my experience with braces, in particularly my quest for the right orthodontist.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Review on Fishpond.com

Buying foreign books in Hong Kong can sometimes be quite expensive and choices are rather limited.  There are, of course, a number of large online retailers such as amazon, border, ebay etc. that offer discounted books.  However, the international shipping costs of these websites are outrageous, which often turn out to be just the same price as what I would have paid from a local bookstore.

So a few weeks ago when I was planning a trip to London and thinking of buying a travel book, I searched online and happily found an online retailer called fishpond.com that offer free shipping to anywhere in the world.  With a view of testing out their services so to see if this could be the potential site that I can rely on for my future book purchase, I placed an order not to the book that I was eyeing on (DK Eyewitness Travel Great Britain), which was over 35% less than the price sold in Hong Kong bookstore.




I ordered the book on 22 April and received it on 4 May, i.e. in about 2 weeks.  It was not particularly fast but good enough for me considering the shipping was free. The book came in a bubble mailer--which caused the book bend a little but not too severely.  Other than that the book arrived in mint condition.  On a side note, their website design is simple yet easy to navigate and I had no trouble receiving their notification or tracking down the order.

Overall, I am satisfy with their service and will definitely order from them again.