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Creating Brilliant
Smiles
Well-groomed and affable, Dr Edgar Kieu’s meticulous
eye and attention for details when carrying out his
work have earned him the respect, trust and loyalty of
his patients. By Nur Asykin Ismail
Name: Dr Edgar Kieu Li Chong
Age: 30
General Dental Surgeon and Senior Manager,
Raffles Dental
24 HealthNews
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How would you describe what you do?
I am a clinician manager and I spend my
time attending to patients for their dental
issues, and managing the clinic operations
and business for Raffles Dental.
What is a common misconception
people have about dental surgeons?
The most common would be that they
think whatever we do is unpleasant
and painful.
What made you choose dentistry as a
career?
When choosing a career, I wanted a
profession where I can work, interact
and impact the lives of many people. I
also like to work with my hands and as
such, dentistry provides the opportunity
for me to exercise both my mind and
also my hands.
Any memorable experiences on the job?
In the earlier part of my career with
Raffles, I worked with the Singapore
Prison Services (SPS) attending to the
dental needs of many infamous inmates
we read about in the newspapers.
What does your work entail?
As a dentist, my job involves helping
patients maintain their oral health
and treating conditions related to the
teeth, gums and jaws. In dentistry,
a large part of the work revolves
around patient education. Most dental
problems can actually be prevented
with proper oral hygiene.
What do you like about what you do?
As a dental surgeon, I love it when
my patients tell me at the end of the
session that their initial fears were
unfounded and they wear a happy
smile of relief. Over the years, dental
surgeons build a close bond with our
patients as we see them every six
months. In some ways, we have a very
acute sense of the passage of time as
every return patient reminds us of how
half a year has flown by.
What is most challenging and rewarding
about your work?
The most challenging thing involves
managing fellow professionals and
building a team that shares the same
passion for dentistry and subscribe
to the Raffles core values. In Raffles
Dental, we share common practice
standards and treatment protocols to
provide the best available care for our
patients consistently across our clinics
and clinicians.
Making a debu
t for Prestige
Magazine’s 40
under 40 in 20
14.
“
Celebrating Christmas with family.
“
Over the years, dental
surgeons build a close
bond with our patients
as we see them every six
months. In some ways, we
have a very acute sense
of the passage of time
as every return patient
reminds us of how half a
year has flown by.
If you could change the smile of
someone with a high profile, who
would it be?
Instead of a single person with a high
profile, I would like to continue to
maintain the beautiful smiles of the
Singapore Girl.
The Singapore Girl is an icon of not only
SIA, but of Singapore and she is one
of the most powerful and visible brand
ambassadors for Singapore around
the world.
Holidaying in Italy.
Fast facts about Dr Edgar
I love:
New experiences and working with
dynamic and passionate people.
My favourite quote:
Nil Sine Labore, which means nothing
without labour. This is my old junior
college and secondary school motto
(Victoria School and Victoria Junior
College) which still serves as a guiding
principle for me till today.
My hobbies:
I have been volunteering
with People’s
Association for the
past eight years with
an interest in youth
empowerment and
education. I am also
the vice-chairman of
a School Advisory
Committee and a
Town Councillor for
my constituency.
Receiving a five-year
service award from the
People’s Association.
HealthNews 25