SINGAPORE: A Malaysian woman who learned dentistry skills by watching videos online during the pandemic and practising them on Singaporeans in hotel rooms was fined S$2,500 on Monday (April 8) for illegally performing dental work.
Quite naturally, commenters have expressed concern over what the woman did, saying that she could have caused harm to her “patients.”
But many others commenting on the story have expressed admiration for the self-taught woman, with some even suggesting that now that she has paid her fine, perhaps she can enter formal training to become a dentist.
Siti’s story
The woman at the story’s centre is 37-year-old Siti Shahrima Abd Rahim, a part-time waitress at a hotel in Johor Bahru.
She had been wearing braces when the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, so she had to stop her regular dental appointments during the lockdown.
However, she learned how to maintain her braces and perform other dental procedures by watching videos on YouTube.
After purchasing the tools she needed on Shopee, Siti advertised her services on Carousell, including veneer whitening, tooth whitening, braces maintenance, and retainer fitting. She charged between S$650 and S$700 for the services she offered.
Upon obtaining short-term visit passes, Siti would enter Singapore and perform these procedures at hotels owned by Hilton, contacting “patients” through WhatsApp or Carousell and claiming to be a Malaysian dentist.
However, Siti’s schemes were discovered when a 36-year-old Singapore permanent resident lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Health in February 2022 after the veneers Siti had installed could not be flossed.
A CNA report says that the Malaysian woman was later charged with two violations of the Dental Registration Act and fined S$2,500, which she has fully paid.
What Singaporeans are saying
In comments to reports of Siri’s offences, a number of netizens condemned her actions as dangerous, underlining that there’s a reason why dentists undergo years-long extensive training to ensure that their patients stay safe.
Some felt that her penalty had been too light and wondered why she didn’t end up in jail.
Others, however, expressed admiration for Siti.
“I mean it’s kinda impressive she taught herself something during the pandemic that normally takes 8 years,” one wrote.
“Gotta applaud her for entrepreneurship,” wrote another, while one called the story “Extraordinary.”
“I can’t help but be impressed by her,” another chimed in.
Many commenters said she has shown a knack for dental skills; she should maybe now get the proper training.
“She paid the fine (2,500) in full, however since nobody else has come forward to say she did a bad job I conclude she’s pretty smart and maybe a real dentist should step up, recognize her initiative, skills and talent and mentor her,” wrote one netizen. /TISG