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          • Dr Tan Kian Meng
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          • Dr Ansgar C. Cheng
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          • Dr Helena Lee
          • Dr Daylene Leong
          • Dr Ben Wang
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          • Dr Irene Sim
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  • SERVICES
    • Teeth Replacement & Cosmetic Dentistry
      • Dental Implants
      • Trefoil™ Dental Implants
      • All-on-4 Dental Implants
      • Dental Crowns
      • Dental Bridges
      • Dentures
      • Cosmetic Dentistry
      • Veneers
      • Teeth Whitening
    • Gum Treatment
      • Gum Treatment
      • Gum Grafting
      • Gummy Smile Treatment
    • Oral Surgery & Reconstructive Dentistry
      • Wisdom Tooth Surgery
      • Jaw Surgery
      • Oral Biopsy & Cyst Removal
      • Bone Grafting
      • Sinus Lift
      • Tongue Tie Surgery
      • Reduction of Square Jaw
    • Teeth & Bite Alignment
      • Braces Treatment
      • Invisalign
    • Root Canal Treatment
      • Root Canal Treatment
    • Children’s Dentistry
      • Children’s Dentistry
    • Other Services
      • TMJ (Jaw Joint) Treatment
      • Dental Check-up
      • Dental Emergencies
      • Scaling & Polishing (Teeth Cleaning)
      • Composite Bonding
      • Pre-Surgery Assessment
      • Sleep Apnea
      • Geriatric Care
      • Xerostomia
  • PATIENT INFORMATION
    • We’ve Got You Covered
      • CPF Medisave Claims
      • CHAS | Pioneer Generation Package
      • Financial Arrangement
      • Personal Data Protection Act
    • Pre-Visit Information
      • Pre-registration Form
      • International Patients
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • We answer some of the most common questions on dental treatment and more.
  • MULTISPECIALTY DENTAL TEAM
    • Prosthodontics
      • Dr Steven Soo
      • Dr Tan Kian Meng
      • Dr Edwin Tan
      • Dr Neo Tee Khin
      • Dr Ansgar C. Cheng
    • Orthodontics
      • Dr Soh Shean Han
      • Dr May Ling Eide
    • Periodontics Treatment in Singapore
      • Dr Helena Lee
      • Dr Daylene Leong
      • Dr Ben Wang
    • Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
      • Dr Ho Kok Sen
    • Endodontics
      • Dr Irene Sim
    • Paedodontics
      • Dr Tabitha Chng
    • Dental Staff
  • About
    • About
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      • Our History
      • Why Us
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    • Careers
      • Join Us
  • BLOG
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      • Enquiry With Us
    • Our Locations
  • SERVICES
        • Teeth Replacement & Cosmetic Dentistry
          • Dental Implants
          • Trefoil™ Dental Implants
          • All-on-4 Dental Implants
          • Dental Crowns
          • Dental Bridges
          • Dentures
          • Cosmetic Dentistry
          • Veneers
          • Teeth Whitening
        • Gum Treatment
          • Gum Treatment
          • Gummy Smile Treatment
          • Gum Grafting
        • Oral Surgery & Reconstructive Dentistry
          • Wisdom Tooth Surgery
          • Jaw Surgery
          • Oral Biopsy & Cyst Removal
          • Bone Grafting
          • Sinus Lift
          • Tongue Tie Surgery
          • Reduction of Square Jaw
        • Teeth & Bite Alignment
          • Braces Treatment
          • Invisalign
        • Root Canal Treatment
          • Root Canal Treatment
        • Children’s Dentistry
          • Children’s Dentistry
        • Other Services
          • TMJ (Jaw Joint) Treatment
          • Dental Check-up
          • Dental Emergencies
          • Scaling & Polishing (Teeth Cleaning)
          • Composite Bonding
          • Pre-Surgery Assessment
          • Sleep Apnea
          • Geriatric Care
          • Xerostomia
  • PATIENT INFORMATION
        • We’ve Got You Covered
          • CPF Medisave Claims
          • CHAS | Pioneer Generation Package
          • Financial Arrangement
          • Personal Data Protection Act
        • Pre-Visit Information
          • Pre-registration Form
          • International Patients
        • Frequently Asked Questions
          • We answer some of the most common questions on dental treatment and more.
  • MULTISPECIALTY DENTAL TEAM
        • Prosthodontics
          • Dr Steven Soo
          • Dr Tan Kian Meng
          • Dr Edwin Tan
          • Dr Neo Tee Khin
          • Dr Ansgar C. Cheng
        • Periodontics Treatment in Singapore
          • Dr Helena Lee
          • Dr Daylene Leong
          • Dr Ben Wang
        • Endodontics
          • Dr Irene Sim
        • Orthodontics
          • Dr Soh Shean Han
          • Dr May Ling Eide
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          • Dr Ho Kok Sen
        • Paedodontics
          • Dr Tabitha Chng
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Relocation to Singapore – Dr Steven Soo’s Experience (Part I)

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.

Moving house and changing jobs rank highly amongst the more stressful events that one has to encounter in life. So you can imagine, moving to another country and leaving family and friends behind is an even greater test of patience for most of us.

I have lived happily in the UK all my life and I was based in London for the last 20 years. I had my own private practice and was a part-time academic staff member at the Eastman Dental Institute. It was 3 years ago when we decided that it would be nice to experience the world and up-sticks for Singapore. I was married with one daughter during then.

Needless to say, there were many loose ends to tie up before the move, it includes selling my dental practice, resigning my academic position, renting my flat and deciding what to ship over. We became experts at selling things on E-Bay and stored many items we couldn’t part with, at our parent’s houses. Redirecting mail and going paperless was a mammoth task and having understanding tenants in our UK flat helped in forwarding items missed.

Dentist Blog - Dr Steven Soo - Relocation to Singapore Blog Post
My family and I have since adjusted to living in Singapore. As you can see, we even had another baby. This is us at a recent holiday trip!

Shipping
Shipping costs vary considerably and it takes about 1 month or so to arrive. It is inadvisable to ship furniture which may not survive the hot/humid conditions in Singapore. Moreover, it is often cheaper to buy new household items rather than to ship your old kettle/cutlery etc unless you are particularly attached to them. Bearing in mind that you will need plates/cooking utensils etc before your boxes arrive, you will see it makes sense to buy new ones.

Engaging a relocation agent such as Santa Fe Relocation Services and Allied Pickfords helps with the packing and unpacking, which can be a stressful task. Items are insured against damage and are packed very carefully for the long journey ahead.

Online Help
There are also online help in the form of expat forums, directories and magazines which help you in the preparation for the move. Common questions posted relate to schools, finding a doctor/dentist (not a problem for me), vaccinations needed for adults and children etc.

Insurance
Cancelling various insurance policies that are no longer applicable if you live abroad has to be done. Life insurance policies that were relatively inexpensive when you were young will now have to be replaced by policies that are probably more expensive now that you are older.

We were not alone – the same goes for you
Three years on, we have met other people who have done as we have and one thing that is obvious is that we all had the same concerns, asked the same questions and made the same mistakes.

I am sure we would have made even more mistakes if not for Dr Ansgar Cheng, fellow dental specialist in Prosthodontics, and his wife, Moonlake Lee, who were founts of knowledge and experience. We are really thankful for the great help they have been to us during this process. They went through a similar process as they made the move to Singapore via Canada, USA and Hong Kong many years earlier. Their hospitality and guidance made everything less daunting and reassured us that it wasn’t all one big mistake.

Stay tuned to the next part of my blog post as I share more about employment, housing, banking and healthcare in Singapore.


 

Dr Steven Soo, Dental Specialist in ProsthodonticsDr Steven Soo is a Dental Specialist in Prosthodontics at Specialist Dental Group. He was formerly a Clinical Lecturer at the Eastman Dental Institute and Clinical Teacher at the GKT Dental Institute, both of which are affiliated with the University of London. Dr Soo has a special interest in prosthetic and implant restorative dentistry.

 

Dentist blog Dr Steven Soo Prosthodontist

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Services

  • Trefoil™ Dental Implants
  • All-on-4 Dental Implants
  • Braces Treatment in Singapore
  • Composite Bonding
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
  • Dental Crowns
  • Gum Treatment
  • Gummy Smile Treatment
  • Invisalign
  • Reduction of Square Jaw
  • Teeth Whitening
  • Veneers
  • Bone Grafting
  • Natural Dental Tooth Bridge
  • Children’s Dentistry
  • Dental Check-up
  • Dental Emergencies
  • Dental Fillings
  • Dental Implants in Singapore
  • Gum Grafting
  • Geriatric Care
  • Jaw Surgery
  • Missing Teeth
  • Oral Biopsy & Cyst Removal
  • Pre-Surgery Assessment
  • Reduction of Square Jaw
  • Root Canal Treatment
  • Scaling & Polishing (Teeth Cleaning)
  • Sinus Lift
  • Sleep Apnea
  • Teeth Whitening
  • TMJ (Jaw Joint) Treatment
  • Trefoil™ Dental Implants
  • Tongue Tie Surgery
  • Wisdom Tooth Surgery in Singapore
  • Xerostomia

Patient Information

  • CPF Medisave Claims
  • CHAS | Pioneer Generation Package
  • Financial Arrangement
  • Personal Data Protection Act
  • Pre-registration Form
  • International Patients
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Multispecialty Team

  • Prosthodontics
    • Dr Steven Soo
    • Dr Tan Kian Meng
    • Dr Edwin Tan
    • Dr Neo Tee Khin
    • Dr Ansgar C. Cheng
  • Orthodontics
    • Dr Soh Shean Han
    • Dr May Ling Eide
  • Periodontics Treatment in Singapore
    • Dr Helena Lee
    • Dr Daylene Leong
    • Dr Ben Wang
  • Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
    • Dr Ho Kok Sen
  • Endodontics
    • Dr Irene Sim
  • Paedodontics
    • Dr Tabitha Chng
  • Dental Staff

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  • Join Us

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