View original articleThis article first appeared in the October 29, 2010 issue of the Straits Times. We have reproduced it for the information of those of you who missed it when it was published.

Whenever a job seeker wants to join Specialist Dental Group (SDG), the first question the management as is: "Who do you think is the boss of the clinic?"

The correct answer is "Its patients or clients", according to the company's customer-centric approach.

Dr Ansgar Cheng, a prosthodontist and director of SDG, explains: "Patients need to be at the centre of what we do. This means the dental treatment has to be tailor-made for their specific condition.

"We aso need to keep the end goal in mind - long-term, predictable results to improve their quality of life over a long period of time."

SDG started in 1979 as Henry Lee Dental Surgery in Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre. It changed its name in 2008 to better reflect the capabilities of its multi-disciplinary team.

To make it convenient for clients, those who need to see different dental specialists need not make multiple appointments, as SDG has a prosthodontist, an orthodontist, an oral surgeon and a periodontist under one roof.

Digital x-rays and CT scans can be taken at the clinic with its imaging facilities.

The results are available quickly and this facilitates communication with the patients and speed up the treatment for them.

Dr Neo Tee Khin (right), prosthodontist and director of SDG, adds: "Our patients are busy executives or travel frequently, thus convenient and timely completion of treatment is important to them.

"We have signature dental solutions such as Instant Implants, the NobelGuide Teeth-in-an-Hour procedure and Invisalign clear aligners that cater to this group of busy clients."

The group leverages the Internet to reach out to its clientele, both locally and overseas. Patients can make online appointment requests and inquiries at its website www.specialistdentalgroup.com.

There is also an active blog featuring topical issues in dentistry, Dentist Blog and patients' stories. The SDG Facebook page is updated regularly with news and events.

Half of the patients at SDG are expatriates and foreigners who fly into Singapore for dental and medical treatment.

Being located in Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre is an advantage because the SDG team can work seamlessly with its medical counterparts in complex multi-disciplinary treatments.

Beyond providing cutting-edge treatment, the team of specialists in SDG is active in conducting clinical research, teaching, speaking at conferences and publishing in professional journals.

SDG has the most active professional publication records among all private dental practices in Singapore.

This is one example of the broad-based distribution of the group's clinical expertise with a potentially global geographic coverage.

SDG practices continuous education and innovation and believes this will continue to keep the team at the forefront of developments in specialised dentistry"

"Our professional activities and active online online presence are part of SDG's contribution to the development of Singapore as a health-care hub," says Dr Cheng.