Self-taught ‘dentist’ fined for executing illegal dental treatments on customers in lodges

SINGAPORE: A girl who learnt how to conduct dental techniques on herself all through the COVID-19 pandemic started presenting these kinds of products and services to clients in Singapore.

She would e book resort rooms in Singapore to carry out treatments this kind of as routine maintenance of braces and veneer application.

Having said that, her ruse was up when a disgruntled purchaser claimed to the authorities that she could not floss her enamel after possessing veneers set in by the so-known as “dentist”.

Siti Shahrima Abd Rahim, a 37-yr-outdated Malaysian, was fined S$2,500 (US$1,850) by a district court docket on Monday (Apr 8).

She pleaded responsible to one count less than the Dental Registration Act, with a 2nd very similar cost taken into thing to consider.

The court docket read that Siti operates as a portion-time waitress at a resort in Johor Bahru.

HOW SHE Turned AN Novice “DENTIST”

In 2020, Siti frequented a dentist in Johor on a regular basis as she was sporting braces to straighten her teeth.

Having said that, when Malaysia imposed movement control orders to control the unfold of COVID-19, Siti was unable to go for her dental appointments.

She then learnt how to carry out processes on her very own braces by looking at video clips on YouTube.

Soon after this, Siti advertised dental services these kinds of as veneer whitening, tooth and braces whitening and furnishing retainers on her Carousell account, quoting selling prices like S$650 and S$700 for distinct providers.

She would enter Singapore on shorter-term take a look at passes to supply these unlawful dental companies at hotels below the Hilton brand.

She would talk with prospective buyers on Carousell or WhatsApp and advise them of the hotel places a couple of days in advance of the processes, branding herself as a Malaysian dentist.

In complete, she supplied composite veneers to about 20 prospects, performed braces servicing on about 10 clients and furnished cosmetic braces to at minimum 1 consumer.

At all occasions, she was not registered as a dentist beneath Singapore’s Dental Registration Act and she did not have a legitimate practising certification.

THE Sufferer

In early January 2022, a Filipino lady arrived across Siti’s advertisement on Carousell and contacted her for composite veneers.

She was quoted S$700 for the removing of her current veneers and installation of new ones.

Siti instructed the woman that she was a dentist from Malaysia who entered Singapore to go to to people and buyers.

The woman agreed to the value and was explained to to go to the Conrad Centennial lodge on Jan 30, 2022, where by an not known man escorted her to a lodge place exactly where Siti was waiting.

Siti explained to the lady to lie down on a couch. She then positioned a dental surgical drape on the female, inserted a mouthpiece to continue to keep the woman’s mouth open up and applied an instrument she purchased on Shopee to take away her old veneers.

The tool was related to the kind employed for removing a person’s manicure.

Siti then utilized the new composite veneers on the customer’s teeth.

The adhering to day, the female realised that she could not floss her tooth, as there was little to no place in between them following the veneers have been utilized.

She texted Siti, who claimed that she was beneath quarantine for COVID-19 and could not “do everything about it”.

The buyer then despatched an email to the Ministry of Health (MOH) about the incident.

A report organized by an unbiased dental expert mentioned that Siti had employed a non-specialist instrument in her course of action, and that the technique she had executed could have led to the affected person necessitating extra intricate strategies.

The MOH prosecutor sought a high-quality for Siti, indicating her offence carried the probable for additional serious accidents.

In mitigation, Siti claimed she desired to go back again to Malaysia as soon as feasible to celebrate Hari Raya.

She requested if she could spend her great in instalments, indicating she experienced borrowed funds to fork out a high-quality but would like to return to Malaysia to get a lot more cash if desired.

In sentencing, the choose reported the target experienced endured some harm as she was unable to floss her teeth.

Siti’s period of time of offending was also not brief, spanning a person-and-a-fifty percent yrs, and she experienced misrepresented herself as a dental practitioner, said the judge.

Siti paid out the wonderful in whole.