Dental Asia January/February 2024

More documents

Recommendations

Info

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT delivery strategies and activities, MDA acts as an agency tasked with various actions contained within nine strategic thrusts of blueprint. Working in tandem with other agencies such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Higher Education, this ranges from initiatives concerning oral cancer screening, smoking cessation counselling, developing periodontal care protocols, and monitoring the use of dental amalgam. The MDA is currently gathering data on involvement among its members of participation in the initiatives outlined in the strategic plan. “We get feedback from our members so we can measure whether or not whatever initiatives that the policy makers and stakeholders are doing is actually impactful, and how we can strategise and collaborate for an improved outcome,” Dr Suryalis said. Another public initiative which Dr Suryalis is eager to promote is an increased role of community service among MDA members. Of the 20 CPD points required by dentists to renew their annual practicing certificates, up to five points can be earned through participation in outreach programmes or community service activities, depending on the level of involvement. The scope of community service activities varies from providing oral health checkups to giving educational talks and is not limited to dental care alone. It encompasses a wider set of community service activities depending on the organisation or association conducting the programme. By promoting and organising such progammes, Dr Suryalis hoped for dentists to see the benefits of community service activities for their professional development. “We would like to have more people empowered and engaged in these community service activities. We have collaborated with a few universities locally who have done community service projects across the country. We do not just keep it within just MDA, but we want to empower as many people as we can within the dental fraternity, including those in the private sectors and in the higher institutions,” she said. Dr Suryalis added that since promoting these community programmes, organisations have been becoming more active within their local communities. Moreover, the Ministry of Health was supportive of this mindset as it aligned the overall objective of improving oral health in the nation. The MDA also recently introduced the MDA Community Service Grant worth for all Malaysian Dental Schools and affiliated dental associations to conduct community service activities in conjunction with the World Oral Health Day. checkups and treatments are provided in rural areas for the indigenous community. “There are a lot of initiatives and programmes by the Ministry of Health, and they would like MDA to also be on board to help achieve the various goals and ultimately achieve the mission and vision of various policies and programmes,” she said. Dr Suryalis highlighted that oral health prevention and management strategies for different demographics of the population within Malaysia required different approaches given the differences in cultural practices and traditions. For example, studies have reported high daily sugar intake among the Malays, notably from Kelantan state, which may increase the risk of caries. Other studies reported betel/tobacco quid chewing habit in the Indian community, especially those living in the estates, which may predispose them to higher risk of oral cancer. For the wider Malaysian public, Dr Suryalis observed a growing demand and awareness of aesthetics and digital dentistry as beauty standards and knowledge of dentistry rises. While the knowledge and cost barriers to these trends remain, working with industry partners and training programmes would only spur demand further. With an acute grasp of the needs of the community and a course charted for the MDA, Dr Suryalis called on all dental professionals to cater for Malaysians from all walks of life. A community service activity programme with a local university designed to foster a sense of community responsibility within the dental fraternity Under the second strategic thrust which sought to increase accessibility, affordability, and equitability of oral healthcare services especially in under-served and rural areas plan, the MDA Eastern Zone presiding in the Borneo regions of Sabah and Sarawak has been actively participating in community service activities where “Whether you are in private or public practice, you have the responsibility to provide equitable access to quality healthcare service for everyone. Dental practitioners must be ready with essential knowledge and skills to provide services, whether it is for the higher socioeconomic patients or those who are at disadvantage.” DA 18 DENTAL ASIA JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2024
Four countries and counting: Another step in Oracare Group's 'pan South East Asian' dental network Oracare Group's latest partership with Uy Dental Clinic Group (UDC) represents not only a tried-andtested business strategy, but also a step forward in realising regional co-operation and entrepreneurship to advance dental care in South East Asia. Dental Asia speaks with co-founders of Oracare Group, Leon Luai and Andy Cropp, on this collective vision. By James Yau First Singapore, then Indonesia, Thailand, and most recently — the Philippines. Under its ambit, the Oracare Group (Oracare) manages dental clinics across four countries in South East Asia with Family Dental Centre and Expat Dental in Singapore, Tawa Dental in Indonesia, MOS Dental in Thailand, and UDC in the Philippines, collectively boasting a network of 62 dental clinics, 652 staff members, and over 316,000 annual patients visits. Oracare's business model is centred on providing professional management expertise to complement the dental entrepreneur's passion, which coupled with investment capital, unlocks further potential enabling the entrepreneur to achieve their growth ambitions. From left: Cropp, Dr Charlston, and Luai at a celebration event in Manila, the Philippines to welcome UDC into Oracare Group UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT Following Oracare’s venture in Thailand in 2019, where it scaled the MOS Dental brand from 14 to 30 clinics within the span of four years despite headwinds from the pandemic, the group has similar ambitions for its newest clinic partner since its partnership on 27 Oct 2023. “Our goals for UDC in the Philippines over the next five years are ambitious yet strategic, drawing inspiration from the successful growth of the MOS dental partnership in Thailand,” said Andy Cropp, CFO of Oracare. Demographics such as a dentist to population ratio of 1:4,000 and a large economy drew Oracare’s attention to the Philippines as an under-served market with significant growth opportunities. “We want to position UDC as the market leader in the Philippines, particularly focusing on expanding access to high-quality dental care in both urban and provincial areas, surpassing industry standards. This would increase UDC's presence beyond the capital Manila, by strategically establishing clinics in key provinces, ensuring a wider reach and impact on dental healthcare accessibility,” Cropp added. Leon Luai, CEO of Oracare, echoed his cofounder’s enthusiasm: “Collectively, we are confident in achieving the same trajectory of growth in the major cities and provinces. Oracare is about backing dental entrepreneurs in South East Asian countries in their growth journey.” To achieve this market leadership, the co-founders, together with Dr Charlston Uy, founder of UDC, have set out three primary goals. First, they intend to develop UDC into a recognised centre of excellence for dental care; this would involve elevating its clinical standards, offering cutting-edge treatments, and ensuring exceptional patient care. Second, the group aims to leverage the expertise within UDC to establish it as a hub for dental training and education to contribute to the growth and development of dental professionals in the Philippines. Third, they will foster partnerships with local healthcare institutions, industry influencers, and government bodies to strengthen UDC's position within the dental healthcare landscape. DENTAL ASIA JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2024 19
Page 1 and 2: www.dentalasia.net JANUARY / FEBRUA
Page 4 and 5: 19 25 CONTENTS DENTAL PROFILE 25 Tu
Page 6 and 7: www.dentalasia.net Under The Spotli
Page 8 and 9: DENTAL UPDATES Pearl appoints new C
Page 10: DENTAL UPDATES SmileDirectClub shut
Page 13 and 14: DENTAL UPDATES Diego Gabathuler nam
Page 15 and 16: DENTAL UPDATES Myanmar Dental Healt
Page 17 and 18: TRENDS practice is between 17-23 ye
Page 19: UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT at the forefron
Page 23 and 24: Leaders of the dental brands in the
Page 25 and 26: UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT healthcare prog
Page 27 and 28: DENTAL PROFILE Turning customer fee
Page 29 and 30: How to future-proof a dental school
Page 31 and 32: DENTAL PROFILE The layout plan of t
Page 33 and 34: DENTAL PROFILE “We aim to not onl
Page 35 and 36: CLINICAL FEATURE The necessary reas
Page 37 and 38: CLINICAL FEATURE The harmful effect
Page 39 and 40: CLINICAL FEATURE Efficient layering
Page 41 and 42: CLINICAL FEATURE Same-day dentistry
Page 43 and 44: CLINICAL FEATURE Before insertion,
Page 45 and 46: CLINICAL FEATURE room, Dr Teh’s p
Page 47 and 48: USER REPORT All about the All-on-4
Page 49 and 50: BEHIND THE SCENES Advocates of digi
Page 51 and 52: BEHIND THE SCENES Recognising such
Page 53 and 54: IN DEPTH WITH 3D3 Mini 2 printer Th
Page 55 and 56: IN DEPTH WITH of indirect bonding.
Page 58: PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS Amann Girrbach r
Page 61 and 62: PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS Carbon introduce
Page 63 and 64: SHOW REVIEW Joint 37th IADR-SEA ann
Page 65 and 66: EVENTS CAL NDAR 2024 JANUARY 13 - 1
Page 67 and 68: Beautiful in eight colours VarseoSm

Dental Asia January/February 2024

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?