A woman from Malaysia, who falsely claimed to be a dentist and performed illegal dental procedures in Singapore hotel rooms, was fined by the court. Siti Shahrima Binti Abd Rahim, 37, had no formal dental training and had taught herself how to perform dental procedures by watching YouTube videos. She was caught when a patient complained to the Ministry of Health (MOH) after realizing she was unable to floss her teeth through the veneers that Siti had installed.
learned how to be a dentist from YouTube
According to CNA, Siti began learning how to tighten braces in 2020 after she was unable to visit a dental clinic in Johor Bahru during the Malaysian Movement Control Order (MCO). She purchased the necessary tools and materials from Shopee and began advertising her services on Carousell, offering braces, veneers, and retainers. She would enter Singapore regularly to perform these procedures, booking hotel rooms at Hilton-brand hotels to carry out her illegal work.
One of her patients, a 36-year-old Singapore permanent resident, discovered that she was unable to floss her teeth through her new veneers after the procedure. She had found Siti’s listing on Carousell and had been quoted S$700 for the procedure. Despite Siti’s claims that she was a dentist from Malaysia, the patient was unable to floss her teeth through the veneers, and when she contacted Siti for advice, she was ignored and eventually blocked on WhatsApp.
The patient then emailed MOH, who took action and charged Siti under the Dental Registration Act. Siti pleaded guilty to one charge and consented to the other. The prosecution sought a fine of S$2,500 to S$3,000, citing the harm caused to the patient and the potential for more serious injuries. The fact that Siti had misrepresented herself as a dentist from Malaysia and entered Singapore multiple times to commit the crimes was also taken into account.
In sentencing, the judge highlighted the length of Siti’s period of offending, which was one-and-a-half years. Siti was fined S$2,500 by the court for her illegal activities. This case highlights the dangers of seeking dental care from unqualified individuals and the importance of verifying the credentials of healthcare professionals.