An online post by an anonymous netizen claiming to have undergone dental restoration and teeth whitening using a special patented technique in South Korea has been disputed by several Taiwanese dentists.
The netizen claimed the dental technology called “Minish” restores and whitens teeth in just a day, resulting in beautifully aligned, white teeth.
However, local dentists said that the netizen probably received ceramic veneers and that the treatment is not suitable for everyone.
Chen Ying-yu (陳映瑜), a part-time physician at National Taiwan University Hospital’s Department of Dentistry, said porcelain or ceramic veneers are thin ceramic layers cemented over the teeth with bonding agents to improve the aesthetics, but the procedure — from taking measurements, to trimming the teeth, taking an impression and checking the fit — takes about one to two weeks and requires the patient to receive follow-up medical care.
“People who have poorly aligned teeth would need to trim many parts of their teeth to place ceramic veneers and the trimmed tooth enamel does not not recover,” Chen said. “Trimming too much can irreversibly damage the nerves of the teeth.”
Huang Mao-shuan (黃茂栓), Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital Department of Dentistry director and an executive council member of the Taiwan Dental Association, said the so-called “patented technology” is common ceramic veneer placement, which many in the entertainment industry use to improve the look of their teeth.
The cost of ceramic veneer placement varies from NT$10,000 to several times that price for each tooth and the technique is not a special patented technology, Huang said.
The technique is not patented, but the devices and materials used in the procedure could have been patented, and many aesthetic medical clinics use computerized devices to take measurements and produce customized ceramic veneers that better fit patients’ teeth, he said.
Consumers’ Foundation chairman Yu Kai-hsiung (游開雄) said the procedure is not classed as a medical treatment, but is considered a commercial treatment, so the price can vary according to the dentist’s skills, facilities and equipment, as well as the consultation provided.
Therefore consumers should compare the prices and quality of different clinics, and choose those with the best reputation if they are seeking aesthetic procedures, Yu said.
Consumer Protection Commission Deputy Director-General Wu Cheng-hsue (吳政學) said people who are seeking aesthetic medical procedures in other nations should choose those with legal protestions, so that their consumers’ rights are protected if disputes occur.
Ministry of Health and Welfare Department of Medical Affairs Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said that anyone who recommends or promotes medical procedures online faces a fine of up to NT$250,000 for violating the Medical Care Act (醫療法).
The ministry monitors online medical ads, but reports of violations from the public are also welcomed, Shih said.
Former Czech Republic-based Taiwanese researcher Cheng Yu-chin (鄭宇欽) has been sentenced to seven years in prison on espionage-related charges, China’s Ministry of State Security announced yesterday. China said Cheng was a spy for Taiwan who “masqueraded as a professor” and that he was previously an assistant to former Cabinet secretary-general Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰). President-elect William Lai (賴清德) on Wednesday last week announced Cho would be his premier when Lai is inaugurated next month. Today is China’s “National Security Education Day.” The Chinese ministry yesterday released a video online showing arrests over the past 10 years of people alleged to be
THE HAWAII FACTOR: While a 1965 opinion said an attack on Hawaii would not trigger Article 5, the text of the treaty suggests the state is covered, the report says NATO could be drawn into a conflict in the Taiwan Strait if Chinese forces attacked the US mainland or Hawaii, a NATO Defense College report published on Monday says. The report, written by James Lee, an assistant research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Institute of European and American Studies, states that under certain conditions a Taiwan contingency could trigger Article 5 of NATO, under which an attack against any member of the alliance is considered an attack against all members, necessitating a response. Article 6 of the North Atlantic Treaty specifies that an armed attack in the territory of any member in Europe,
LIKE FAMILY: People now treat dogs and cats as family members. They receive the same medical treatments and tests as humans do, a veterinary association official said The number of pet dogs and cats in Taiwan has officially outnumbered the number of human newborns last year, data from the Ministry of Agriculture’s pet registration information system showed. As of last year, Taiwan had 94,544 registered pet dogs and 137,652 pet cats, the data showed. By contrast, 135,571 babies were born last year. Demand for medical care for pet animals has also risen. As of Feb. 29, there were 5,773 veterinarians in Taiwan, 3,993 of whom were for pet animals, statistics from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency showed. In 2022, the nation had 3,077 pediatricians. As of last
XINJIANG: Officials are conducting a report into amending an existing law or to enact a special law to prohibit goods using forced labor Taiwan is mulling an amendment prohibiting the importation of goods using forced labor, similar to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) passed by the US Congress in 2021 that imposed limits on goods produced using forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. A government official who wished to remain anonymous said yesterday that as the US customs law explicitly prohibits the importation of goods made using forced labor, in 2021 it passed the specialized UFLPA to limit the importation of cotton and other goods from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur region. Taiwan does not have the legal basis to prohibit the importation of goods