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.
Diamonds are almost synonymous with value.
Last week I had two very special encounters that were diamond-related – I visited a jeweler and a senior executive from a very well established jewelry store visited me.
Some have said that “Diamonds are girl’s best friend.” After all, almost all women love to see some sparkle on their hands. It has been suggested that an engagement ring should be at least two months worth of the man’s salary. Now, men cannot complain about this because a yes to family formation from the lady is worth tons more than that engagement diamond.
I had the opportunity to visit ‘The Jewel Box’s Singapore office last week. First thing first, it is an old saying that jewellers take generations to succeed in the business. Simply, it is a business where trust and business reputation, which can only be developed over a long period of time, is of utmost importance. After all, being a jeweller involves a large sum of money on the trade and retail front. It was, therefore, impressive to see that Vinod and Sangeeta More, the owners of ‘The Jewel Box’ managed to build the business in a relatively short period of time!
Creating custom jewelry is a fine art. On the other hand, it is amazing to see how much science is in the diamond business to ensure it is fairly valued and the client is having a fair deal.
Within a span of mere hours prior to my visit to The Jewel Box, I had a visitor from Omaha, Nebraska, USA who visited our dental clinic. Jennifer works at Borsheims, a company that was founded in 1870 and it is one of the biggest jewel stores in the USA. The Chinese have a saying: “It is such joy to see friends from afar” (子曰：有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎) – No doubt Jennifer helped to prove that point. We managed to share part of our life with Jennifer even though I was rushing over to give a seminar with the graduating class at the National University Singapore Dental School. Jennifer also brought us good news that her big boss, Mr. Warren Buffet, was doing well after his medical treatment.
After the visits, after thinking about it, I believe we are in the same line of work! Of course, we at Specialist Dental Group do not sell diamonds but we use zirconia material and computer technology for making new teeth. Zirconia is a distant cousin of man-made diamonds. It is strong and teeth-like in color. At our office, our experience with zirconia teeth for our crowns has been fantastic.
Similar to the diamond business, our pride and joy is to see what gets out of our doors serves people well for a long period of time. That is value creation!
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.
