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Read this before you hop on your sets of Invisalign or clear aligners

Misaligned teeth can dampen your confidence if you often have to meet clients or face customers.

While traditional braces work, they aren’t as flexible when compared to Invisalign aligners. Just think about having the ease in removing your aligners when eating or brushing your teeth. You wouldn’t be able to do that with braces, though.

For peeps looking to start their journey with sets of Invisalign, hear from Dr Hwang Yee Cheau, an orthodontist at TP Dental Surgeons, on the essential things to note. Dr Hwang is also an adjunct professor at the NUS Faculty of Dentistry and highly qualified to share knowledge in this field.

#1: Expect precise results

Dr Hwang has been working with Invisalign clear aligners for more than 15 years, and she mentions that one can expect precise results with it.

The treatment uses advanced 3D planning software with data from 10 million patients worldwide. This allows the Invisalign-trained dentist to visualise each stage from the start to the end without unpleasant surprises.

#2: Receive a customised plan

Every misalignment is different. When you hop on the Invisalign journey, your dentist will craft a customised plan to help you achieve your desired results.

Once the initial iTero 3D (a digital system) scan is done and your treatment journey is mapped out, you will receive a series of removable Invisalign clear aligners throughout the process. Look forward to gradually straightened teeth as you progress through the months!

#3: Seek consultation before starting

Image Credits: dentalproductsreport.com

By now, some of you might be overly eager to get started. However, hold your horses. After all, teeth straightening is a medical procedure, and it’s best that you seek consultation before any treatment.

Ask your dentist or orthodontist to recommend doctor-directed clear aligner brands that are safe and sustainable. Also, ensure that the same doctor will accompany you throughout the course of your treatment.

#4: Treat complex cases

Apart from the privilege of flaunting your teeth when you smile, Invisalign clear aligners can also treat complex cases. This includes overbite, crossbite, and even serious crowding conditions.

Some individuals may also need to go through a corrective jaw surgery and decide to receive a pre-surgery orthodontic treatment using Invisalign clear aligners. In fact, it’s not just an option for adults, but kids and teens too.

#5: Different compared to clear aligners

Remember what mum used to say? Looks are deceiving. While clear aligners may look similar, the materials and technology used are different.

Dr Hwang noted that Invisalign treatment uses SmartTrack material, a proprietary medical-grade plastic. Going hand-in-hand with advanced software technology, you are guaranteed up to 75% of predictability on your teeth straightening journey.

Final thoughts

Be sure that your dentist is with you every step of the way because clear aligners can lead to tooth loosening or even gum recession if unsupervised.

In addition, you will need to persevere through the treatment process and have the discipline to stick to the aligner treatment wear time to see maximum results. Just so you know, that’s about 20 to 22 hours to put on a day.

For more information, please head to invisalign.com.sg.

Online registration to enrol your kids for primary 1 in 2022 will start on 30 June

Parents with children born between 2 January 2015 and 1 January 2016, this article’s for you.

Your child has come a long way from transiting through his or her kindergarten life, and it’s now time to prepare for the next juncture – primary school education.

Thanks to the pandemic, there will be no in-person registrations, and all will be done online. Here’s what you need to know to gear yourself for the upcoming registration from 30 June.

Several phases till 29 October

The online registration to enrol your kids for primary 1 in 2022 will involve several phases till 29 October.

Subject to the stages, there are mainly two means by which you can register – online application forms and the Primary One Internet System (P1-IS).

“As both of these registration modes require SingPass, parents are advised to set up their SingPass 2-Step Verification (2FA) early, and ensure that their SingPass account is valid before the commencement of the P1 Registration Exercise,” said the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Phase 1 (from 30 June)

If you have a child already studying in the school you’re planning to enrol your younger kid in, this phase is for you. The respective schools will guide you on the registration with more details to come.

Phases 2A(1) and 2A(2) (from 7 & 14 July respectively)

These phases are for kids with parents who are former students of the particular school you’re enrolling your child in. Little ones currently studying in MOE kindergarten located at the school will also fall under this phase.

Phase 2B (from 26 July)

For parents who are community or school volunteers, Phase 2B will apply to your children. This phase is also for kids who have specific church affiliations or clan associations.

Phase 2C and 2C Supplementary (from 3 & 19 August respectively)

Kids with no links to the school but are Singapore citizens, or permanent residents can start their online registrations in August under this phase.

Phase 3

The last phase is for international students and their parents. You may fill up the online form from 1 to 7 June via moe.gov.sg/primary/p1-registration/international-students. The availability of places will be made known to you in October.

For more information on the registration phases and key dates, you may head to moe.gov.sg/primary/p1-registration/registration-phases-key-dates.

Registration postponement

Image Credits: The Straits Times

Parents with kids born on 1 January 2016 can send in a deferment request to allow their child to enrol in the 2023 primary 1 cohort instead.

Likewise, children who have been evaluated by a qualified health professional as being unready for primary 1 can appeal for a postponement from MOE’s Compulsory Education Unit.

Please do so from now till September via moe.gov.sg/primary/compulsory-education/deferment.

Remember to head to moe.gov.sg/primary/p1-registration regularly for the latest updates on the 2022 primary 1 registration, including necessary documents needed and essential information for overseas Singaporeans.

May the registration results work in your favour!

Alternative places you can get your groceries online

As Singapore sees an uptick in community cases, especially unlinked ones, it’s better to heed the government’s advice to stay home as much as possible.

“If you’re at home, you’re not going out, then there is no likelihood for the virus to spread. So stay home,” said the co-chair of the government’s COVID-19 task force, Lawrence Wong, on 18 May.

For those who don’t feel safe heading out to do your essential activities, how about turning online to get your groceries? Apart from the big brands like FairPrice, Giant, or Cold Storage, there are other alternative places you can get your marketing done online.

#1: Classic Deli

Classic Deli may not be a familiar name to some, but it promises quality products and next-day delivery services. Being an ingredient supplier to local hotels and restaurants, you can expect the same standard by Classic Fine Foods since Classic Deli is a branch-out from the group. Meat lovers should not miss out on its cold cuts and meaty selections.

Free delivery is possible with orders over S$100. Visit classicdeli.market/sg for more details.

#2: Grand Marketplace

Do you want access to top-quality gourmet produce, meats, and dairy items? Then you’ve got to give the Grand Marketplace by Grand Hyatt Singapore a chance to impress you. Using the same ingredients served at the five-star hotel restaurants, you will get only the best products to feed your stomachs.

Do note that only self-collection or drive-through pick-up is available at Grand Hyatt Singapore when you shop at grandhyattsingapore.whyqueue.shop.

#3: Little Farms

Other than its freshest produce, Little Farms is the go-to place for keto dieters, organic lovers, and dairy alternatives. You will also love their fresh meats from free-range farms, including premium grass-fed beef and ready-to-bake kebabs. Those who are staying away from gluten will be glad to know that you may shop via a complete list of gluten-free products.

Place an order through littlefarms.com and enjoy free same-day delivery if you order before 11am.

#4: Huber’s Butchery

Where are our meat lovers at? Huber’s butchery is the place to shop if you want a range of fresh meats to store in your refrigerator. We’re not just referring to the usual pork, beef, and poultry but options like veal, lamb meat, and even assorted sausages! Place an order early if you want more options for delivery slots.

Click through hubers.com.sg to bag your meat selections back home.

#5: Foodxervices Inc

Foodxervices Inc supplies not only to F&B trade professionals but also to home consumers like you and me. We navigated the website and found out that they have a “multi-product search” engine that allows the website to find all your products at one go rather than having to do it individually.

Orders above S$60 can enjoy free delivery. What are you waiting for? Shop now at foodxervices.com/en/home.

Tighter COVID-19 measures have led to Singapore shares reaching more than two-month low

The tighter measures made known by the Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday (14 May) probably came as a shock to many.

However, it’s absolutely necessary in response to the spike in COVID-19 community cases recently. As we gear up to work from home, there are also daily and social routines to make adjustments to.

In terms of investments, Singapore shares aren’t looking that good. With the latest restrictions announced, investors are reacting accordingly.

Straits Times Index (STI) fell more than 3% initially

After the news report, the benchmark STI dropped by 3% before closing down at 2.2% or 3,055.02 points. Since 8 March, the decline on 14 May marks STI’s lowest level.

DailyFX’s strategist Margaret Yang commented that the market is not ready for the newly set COVID-19 measures, considering that the social gatherings group limit was only cut from eight to five people just a week ago.

“On the economic level, there will also definitely be some adverse impact on the services and travel sectors,” she added.

To that, IG’s market strategist Yeap Jun Rong said that the current situation had cast doubt on the pace of economic recovery ahead. Since a significant portion of STI’s constituents is cyclical, the economic cycle will have a massive impact on its numbers.

Aviation-related counters most badly hit

Image Credits: CNBC

It’s probably not a surprise that the aviation-related counters are the ones most affected.

To give you some numbers, Singapore Airlines (SIA) fell 5.7% to an 11-week low of S$4.50, while flight caterer SATS plunged 3.9% to S$3.69. Integrated resort operator Genting Singapore also dropped 3.1% to S$0.79.

Ms Yang noted that investors were hoping for the vaccine roll-out to spur economic recovery and border reopening. But with Singapore now reversing, this means that it will probably take more time for the aviation industry to get back on track.

What’s next for the stock market?

According to CMC Markets analyst Kelvin Wong, the unlinked community cases will play a vital part in deciding how the stock market will react for the rest of May. Should it see an increase, more stringent measures may pass and, travel-related stocks will further weaken.

While it is too early to comment, Mr Yeap expects retail, hospitality, and entertainment-related stocks to come under pressure if the COVID-19 situation continues to spiral downward in Singapore.

“That said, the overall downside impact may be limited considering that prompt action was taken to limit the virus spread and more than 20% of Singapore’s population has been fully vaccinated,” he added.

Send your kids to these schools to groom them to be coding geniuses

Coding and programming for kids have seen an upward trend in recent years.

In fact, since five years ago, primary and secondary schools have adopted the Code for Fun enrichment programme thanks to The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the Ministry of Education (MOE).

But now, preschools are starting to jump on the bandwagon with curriculums or enrichment lessons revolving around programming robots.

Parents with children who suffer from FOMO may want to send their kids to these schools to groom them to be coding geniuses.

#1: Saturday Kids

Image Credits: saturdaykids.com

Locations: Bukit Timah Plaza, Parkway Centre, Orchard Central & King Albert Park

Saturday Kids pride themselves as the first coding school for children in Singapore. Established in 2012, they have taught children not just in programming but also in electronics, digital art, and design thinking.

Have a look at their on-site and online course schedule here.

#2: Coding Lab

Image Credits: codinglab.com.sg

Locations: Bukit Timah & Parkway Parade

Next up, we have Coding Lab. This enrichment centre is a four-time award winner of the Best Enrichment and Learning School voted by parents. Its founder is an MIT alumnus who has worked in Silicon Valley. You can expect a top-notch inquiry-based curriculum for your kids and teens aged 4 to 18.

Check out their classes and special programmes here.

#3: Computhink

Image Credits: facebook.com/computhink.com.sg/

Location: Toa Payoh Central

Third, on our list, we have Commputhink. The programming school for kids is led by trainers who are NUS Master of Technology graduates. Centring their teaching philosophy on interest, your child will possess the freedom to create, write, and understand computer programs.

Not too sure if you want to commit? Sign your kid up for a trial class first.

#4: Children’s Worklab

Image Credits: facebook.com/childrensworklab

Location: Forum Shopping Centre (Orchard)

Children’s Worklab focuses on delivering applied-technology lessons to children aged 4 to 12. It promises a 100% hands-on and mind-stimulating curriculum that will bring out the creative juices of the little ones. With a low teacher to student ratio, your child will also be given the right amount of attention from highly qualified teachers.

View their course schedule or consider some holiday camps for the upcoming June break.

#5: LCCL Coding Academy

Image Credits: facebook.com/lcclcoding

Location: Tanglin Shopping Centre

LCCL is an acronym for “learning to code, and code to learn”. The academy aims to inspire computational thinking among young learners. For parents unfamiliar with computational thinking, the centre defines it as a mental skill and a range of analytical and problem-solving strategies one can apply in life.

There are both regular and holiday programmes at LCCL Coding Academy. Click through the link for more details.

With tighter measures kicking in from Sunday, 16 May, do enquire directly with the respective enrichment centres on their latest COVID-19 protocols and e-learning arrangements before enrollment.