Article written by:
Kalista Lau
Dear friends, we hope 2023 has been a good year for you. There have been many unfortunate things that unfolded in the world. While we pray for those to pass and strength for those going through tough times, we take this time to reflect and give thanks for the positive that took place in 2023.
Learning and Celebrations
We had the opportunity to learn about how to enhance communication and relationships with William Bentley from WOW! Academy during our SDG Convention in June. It was a fun and insightful afternoon. As a team, we agreed to be GREAT:
- Greet everyone cheerfully & sincerity with a smile… with teeth!
- Respect one another using a positive tone always
- Empathise & seek to understand what the other person feels
- Anticipate opportunities & help before you are even asked!
- Thank one another & appreciate effort always!
We believe that if these are applied in our daily lives, it will benefit both our personal and work relationships.
We also had the chance to gather and celebrate the long service for our clinicians who have been with our group for more than 10 years. They include Dr Helena Lee, Dr Daylene Leong, Dr Steven Soo and Dr May Ling Eide. We appreciate their dedicated years of professional service with us and we look forward to a continued working relationship.
Celebrated Nurses Day in style with the entire team of clinicians and nurses at Xscap8 playing team bonding games!
Can’t forget about our annual year-end dinner, where it was filled with awesome company and unforgettable memories! We would like to present our heartfelt thanks to our incredible suppliers and clinicians for their generosity that contributed to our resounding success to our yearly event.
It’s incredibly heartening to note that two colleagues, Soo Lyn and Josephine recently received their long service awards as they spent their last decade working dedicatedly with unwavering commitment to patients. We hope to witness many more years of smiles with them!
Talks and Events – Sharing of Expertise
Oral health is one of the key indicators of overall health. Our dedicated dental specialists set aside time from their hectic schedules to promote public dental awareness. They also share their expertise with fellow dental professionals regularly. Let’s review some interesting experiences over the year.
Dr Irene Sim, Dental Specialist in Endodontics was given the opportunity to share on “Dentin Hypersensitivity” at the 11th Borneo Dental Congress in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
Mid-year, Dr Tan Kian Meng, Dental Specialist in Prosthodontics, spoke to a meaningful support group from Singapore Cancer Society called New Voice Club on the topic of “Head & neck cancer: side effects on oral health”.
Our team of dental specialists were also invited to share their thoughts on various dental topics such as brushing habits, teeth sensitivity, orthodontic treatment, missing teeth and wisdom teeth on CNA93.8 Health Matters with DJ Daniel Martin. They are Dr Steven Soo, Dr Irene Sim, Dr Soh Shean Han, Dr Tan Kian Meng and Dr Ho Kok Sen.
End October, Dr Daylene Leong, Dental Specialist in Periodontics, shared some insights on gum disease and practical tips to maintain good oral health at Mediacorp’s Let’s Talk About Health Fair with DJ Zeliang and Elvin Ng at Jurong Point. We are glad that the event participants are now equipped with better gum care habits!
Knowledge opens the door to wisdom. Dr Ansgar Cheng and Dr Tan Kian Meng ended the year on a high by giving a lecture and a hands-on workshop organised by the Hong Kong Dental Association (HKDA). It was a delight to finally meet the graduates and professors from The University of Hong Kong (HKU) in person after so long (due to COVID-19). Among the 150 attendees was Dr Haston Liu, Former President of HKDA.
Education awards
The Specialist Dental Group (SDG) Education Award was created to encourage the children of our colleagues to do their best in their academic pursuits. We trust that this award will serve as an encouragement for our young ones to persist in their academic pursuits and continue striving for excellence. This year we applaud Clarissa Lim and Jayden Goh for doing well in their 2022 exams. They received $50 for every Grade A or Rank 1 they achieved for each subject. Well done to both of them and we wish them continued success in their academic endeavours!
Running never stops
2023 saw many of our colleagues who are avid runners, taking part in marathons from all over the world, clocking in new personal bests at times. Some of the marathons are Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, 2XU Compression Run, Gold Coast Marathon, PTO Asian Open, and Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. We are thrilled to see our colleagues in the upcoming marathons of 2024!
Giving back to community
As part of our yearly goals, we continue to give back to the community by raising funds for a charity voted by fellow colleagues. This year, Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) has been selected and we are glad to announce that we have finalised a total of $2,750 in donation amount. Every dollar donated by our team members was matched dollar-for-dollar by the company.
On another note, it was the 15th Anniversary of Singtel-Singapore Cancer Society Race Against Cancer this year and SDG participated as an official corporate partner as a bronze sponsor this year, led by Dr Tan Kian Meng. In addition to raising funds, many of our team members ran alongside more than 5,000 participants to show our support for the cancer community. Witnessing the tremendous support of everyone was truly an uplifting experience.
As we close the chapter on another remarkable year, we want to express our deepest gratitude to our incredible team and dedicated partners. The past year has been filled with challenges, triumphs, and shared growth. We are proud of what we’ve achieved together and are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. Here’s to new achievements, continued collaboration, and the limitless potential that awaits us all. Happy New Year!
