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.

Many years ago, my wife commented that I never ‘travel’. She was right – I never ever travel to sightsee, I only travel either for work or for seeing family and friends.

Recently, I received an invitation to give a few lectures in Taiwan. In order to give my wife and my mother-in-law a new impression of me, I decided I would spend an extra half day in Taipei after my lecture – after all, it was during the school holidays and it would be nice to have my two little girls (6 and 7 years of age) and my super energetic mother-in-law to go along with us.

As usual, trips like this revolve around my speaking schedule. Fortunately, I only had two lectures to deliver this time – one for the Association for Dental Sciences of the Republic of China’s scientific meeting and one for Taipei Medical University. I also managed to pack in a couple of dinners and meetings with some Taiwan dental clinicians, renew old friendships and make new friends.

Some of the old friends from my Northwestern University and University of Toronto days are holding prominent positions in Taiwan: Among them are the dean of a school in Kaoshiung, a department head in Taipei, a few professors, an opinion leader in dental implants, and an owner of a few dental clinics.

Taipei struck me as a very unique city with a great mix of cultures, tons of energy, excellent food, at a different pace and with some interesting architecture. My little girls enjoyed their first baked sweet potato and Teppanyaki with a big grin on their faces. The hot springs at Beitou were certainly quite an experience !

We would certainly love to visit Taiwan again.

On the last day, I casually asked my little girls how their journey went. They told me that daddy did not spend enough time with them. Well, another self-reflection time for me…

Dr. Ansgar 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