Specialist Dental Group has launched an on-going series of blog posts by our individual dental specialists. All views provided are the dentist’s own opinions and are posted on this blog as part of our on-going efforts to educate the public about dental issues and other matters of interest relating to dentistry and healthcare.
How long is 20 years? A little arithmetic will show it is 7000+ days and a whopping 170,000+ hours! It has been almost 7300 days since I left Chicago for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study under Professor John Beumer as his post-graduate resident at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). UCLA is known for its academic excellence and its sport teams – basketball, football, swimming, track and field, etc.
On the professional front, UCLA is also known for its pioneering work in implant dentistry. While most other places in the world were trying to get dental implants surgically placed successfully, under the direction of Professor John Beumer, the UCLA team was full steam ahead in creating predictable implant teeth that looked, felt and functioned exactly like natural teeth. This meaningful clinical advancement is commonly known in the dental field as the ‘UCLA abutment’.
After I was done with my training in UCLA, I have since taught many batches of post-graduate students at the University of Toronto and later, at the National University of Singapore after I relocated to Singapore in 2004.
Sometime last year, it suddenly dawned on me that it was time for me to visit my alma mater in Los Angeles. After a little emailing, I was scheduled to give a lecture to the current UCLA post-graduate students in implant and reconstructive dentistry.
When I arrived there on May 7, 2012, I noticed that the campus was pretty much the same as in 1992 except that there were many new buildings that never used to be there. Many of my former colleagues are still at UCLA doing their good work. It was so exciting that I could almost feel the super high concentration of exceptional human IQ. It was refreshing to see the younger trainee specialists and their enthusiasm, energy dedication to the art and science of the specialty.
The current co-director of the UCLA Advanced Prosthodontics Postgraduate Residency Program, Dr. Kumar Shah (who is from Singapore) kindly allowed me to take his post-graduate residents under my wings and I went on to have a very interactive lecture with the new boys and girls. Surprise, surprise; I learned a lot from them even though I was the one who gave the lecture!
There is no doubt, teaching a good group of bright students is one of the most gratifying experiences in life, especially if you are a teacher. I am fortunate to have my own group of fantastic post-graduate students at the National University of Singapore
Dr. Ansga
r C. Cheng is a Dental Specialist in Prosthodontics (Teeth Replacement) with Specialist Dental Group™. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor with the National University of Singapore. He has a special interest in dental implants, cosmetic dentistry and treatment of medically compromised patients, including cancer patients. For more information about Dr. Cheng, click here
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On May 7, 2012, our colleagues at
As part of my routine for the last 13 years, I was at the
Dr. Neo Tee Khin is a Prosthodontist with Specialist Dental Group™. He is also an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the National University of Singapore and a Consultant at the National University Hospital. He has over 10 years experience teaching in dental schools and sits on the Committee for Prosthodontics of the Division of Graduate Dental Studies of the National University of Singapore. Dr. Neo has given presentations and courses on implant dentistry and restorative dentistry at professional conferences in the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Mongolia. For more information about Dr. Neo, click
Specialist Dental Group’s 2nd team event of 2012 started off with a heavy downpour on Saturday afternoon. However, even the rain could not dampen the spirits of the 10 ladies who represented SDG in the
According to official sources, there were about 4,600 ladies who braved the weather to have an opportunity to run together on the scenic route in Sentosa. It didn’t matter whether one walked, jogged, ran or sprinted – it was great to see the spirit of camaraderie present.
Many thanks to the supportive husbands and kids who showed up and helped take photos to capture the moment. Our next run is the July 15
Being in prosthodontics and dentistry in the last 20 years has been a very interesting experience. The development of computer technology has changed the landscape of dentistry dramatically. Those of us who are of a certain vintage may still remember the days when computers were meant for “Pacman” games and storage of a few bytes of data would require a ‘floppy disk’ that literally flopped in our hands. Little did we know, two decades later, that it is all possible to keep numerous radiographs, CT scans and patient information on a single hard disk that is measured in terabytes. It is practically impossible to visualise what the future computer storage format may be.
April is Oral Cancer Awareness month. Here are a few facts that you should know about oral cancer for early detection and improved survival rates.
According to the
What do you get when you put a room full of excited 4 year-olds together? A lot of fun !
Our dental nurses also introduced our little friends to the clinic and showed them all the cool and fun things that the dental instruments could do – from the high-tech dental chairs that could “rock and roll,” to the very thirsty mommy straw and the special blue light that could harden the “playdoh” in seconds.
Dental emergencies can be really painful, especially when it happens in a foreign land. Most of the time, just when one is thoroughly enjoying the local attractions and food delicacies, the dreaded toothache or oral discomfort is enough to put a stop to the holiday mood.
Dr Elvin Leong is a Prosthodontist with Specialist Dental Group. He is currently the President of the Prosthodontics Society (Singapore) and has published in scientific journals in Singapore and internationally. He has a special interest in crowns, implants and cosmetic dentistry. For more information on Dr Leong, click
Here are a few questions that we received from
Those who have been wearing
March 8 is International Women’s Day, a day that celebrates women’s achievements in the past, present and future. Women are no longer staying-at-home but are also academic leaders, senior corporate executives and active politicians. Finding the optimum work-life balance, however, is still a challenge. This makes good health an important consideration for active women to fully utilize the rights that they have successfully claimed thus far.




