Product Buying
Someone posted about the Carousell Dentist a while back. Yes, it sounds funny, but there are people who sell dental related products over carousell nowadays.
We would totally not recommend going to internet sellers for such personal products. Contact us for an appointment if you want advice on tooth whitening issues. Our consultation fees are low and we often waive consultation fees anyway, especially for returning patients. Best to get some professional advice before you embark on a self-made dental treatment.
One of my aunts was severely burned by a hair dye she purchased online. Turns out she was sensitive to the ingredients, which weren’t found in the dyes used by professional hairdressers which have at least gone through full product testing on a wide sample size. Pro hairdressers make their money from returning patrons. They have every reason to buy only hair dyes that are safe, or their patrons will run away!
It is one thing to sell commonly available products that do not have to be prescribed by a professional. That’s fine, both from a licensing and pragmatic point of view.
In fact, we in Katong Dental have the same philosophy. If you visit us, you will notice that we do not sell most commonly available types of toothbrushes or toothpastes. The fact is that you can get standard Colgate, Darlie, or whatever toothpaste everywhere. It will also be much cheaper to buy from supermarkets because they order these in bulk, so we advise patients without specialized dental needs to just buy their toothbrushes and toothpastes from any random supermarket. Most people really do not need to pay a lot for toothpaste and toothbrush. If you’re in the ‘most people’ category, you won’t go wrong buying cheap toothpaste.
What we sell in Katong Dental are generally more specialized types that you can’t just buy from the mama shop downstairs. Our bestselling toothpaste is the Elgydium for sensitive teeth, for instance. You won’t get these cheaper elsewhere because the supermarkets won’t buy in quantities large enough for really competitive prices. Also, their higher selling price means they are less attractive for most supermarket chains to carry.
Toothpaste doesn’t become magically better just because it is more expensive. We don’t recommend Elgydium to the majority of our patients, so you can assume that you need it only if our dentists recommend it.
Our toothbrushes also tend to be more specialized ones that we will recommend patients. For instance, brushes suitable for patients wearing braces. Or for patients with sensitive teeth and gums. Or for children or people with small mouths. If you have more specialized dental needs, we will probably recommend some products for you (or you can ask our dentists). Otherwise you would be fine with pretty standard dental products from any pharmacy or supermarket.
Products good for you don’t always feel better. They may cost more and feel worse. Our mouthwashes are good quality. Unfortunately that also means they sting a little. You can’t really take away the sting, because of the disinfecting effect. Works much like raw garlic, or wasabi, or cleaning alcohol. If you buy sweet tasting mouthwash from a lelong shop to wash your mouth and they don’t sting you, that means you’re missing out.
If you’re looking for toothbrushes to brush your dentures, you can just buy the cheapest from any lelong shop and that’s fine.
I would suggest that generic products are ok to use in generic settings, but specialized products should not be purchased online. At least contact a professional and get the right care!
