End of an Era?

Allowing dentists from Asean, India to practise here will ease shortage

By April Chong
		Delegates checking out equipment at the FDI Annual World Dental Congress at Suntec City. The event, which opened on Wednesday, runs until Saturday. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

TWO new initiatives are in the works to ease the dentist shortage here by allowing more dentists from the region to work in Singapore.

Together with other recent measures, this can help bring down the dentist to population ratio, from about one dentist for every 3,400 people to one for every 2,200 within the next two decades, said the Health Ministry's chief dental officer, Associate Professor Patrick Tseng. He attended the FDI Annual World Dental Congress at Suntec City which opened on Wednesday.

Prof Tseng said an agreement is being discussed with India to make it easier for dentists from their top institutions to work here, as long as they pass a series of qualifying exams. Currently, their dentists are not eligible to sit for these exams. 'They are willing to export. They have 260 dental schools there,' he said.

A mutual agreement was signed earlier this year to allow dentists from Asean countries to practise in other member countries, subject to the qualification requirements in each country. This will be implemented in January next year.

This means, for example, any dentist from the Philippines or Thailand can apply to work here. Previously, only a restricted number of dentists from Asean could apply.

Thoughts:

1. There should be some kind of numerical restriction before the number of dentists with foreign certs explode. They've increased NUS student intake, trained dental therapists, more Singaporeans are coming back from abroad with dental degrees, and even foreigners (e.g. Malaysians) are studying in recognized universities abroad with the intent of working in Singapore. Bond free.
   
2. There is no shortage of dentists in private practices. The problem is filling crappy government jobs (read: more work, less pay. Bullying from tyrannical bosses optional). Maybe foreign dentists should also have a bond period (institution/ polyclinics) if they choose to work in Singapore. Just like local dentists. Better still, restrict them to government service.
   

If left uncontrolled, the demographics in Singapore will end up like the medical doctors', where there can be up to 5 or 6 clinics struggling to survive in as many HDB blocks. And, unlike the medical profession, dentists have a high initial outlay for the purchase of equipment and materials.

Saddled in debt, more and more in the profession, cynical and miserable, will become unethical salesmen, selling unnecessary treatment instead of giving honest assessments.