6381 SAC Journal AD-01(OL) - Malaysian Dental Association

NEWS
A publication of Malaysian Dental Association
Feb - Apr 2014
World No
Tobaco Day
18
Medical
Device Act
24
Article
Reviews
25
ONWARD
AND UP
Industry veteran
Rebecca Tiew shows
no signs of slowing
down. Discover the
secrets behind her
success and her plans
for the future.
Editor
A/Prof Dr Haizal Mohd Hussaini
Advertising & Classifieds Chairperson
Dr Eileen Koh Mei Yen
Contributing Writers
Professor Dr Rosnah Binti Mohd Zain
Dr. Chow Kai Foo
Assoc Prof Dr Haizal Mohd Hussaini
Dr Leong Kei Joe
Ex-officio
Dr Neoh Gim Bok
Dr Shalini Kanagasingam
Treasurer
Dr Darren Yap
Malaysian Dental Association
54-2, 2nd Floor, Medan Setia 2,
Plaza Damansara, Bukit Damansara,
50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Message
from the Editor
Dr Haizal Mohd Hussaini
rom now on the MDA Newsletter front cover will be splashed with
photos of beautiful smiles…. of people that have played a significant
role in the dental industry and our noble profession.
F
Welcome to the new and revamped MDA Newsletter. For so long, we have
been hearing complaints that our profession and in particular MDA, does not
have a face, a life, a family, a living beyond the art of making beautiful smiles
and our daily routine of relieving pain. So from now on the MDA Newsletter will
cover the people behind the scenes, apart from the daily updates within the
industry, we shall now in a nutshell, put faces to our profession. What better
way to start by covering women, our better halves and the dominant group of
our dental industry.
Apart from revamping the Newsletter, we are also reviving our MDA JOURNAL.
Please be advised that we no longer carry the print version of MDJ. Some of
you would probably ask why? This is the trend now and this is where almost all
journals are going. The ISI/Scopus game has eventually ‘killed’ most of the
small journals. In a way it is similar to English Premier League football where
everybody wants to get into the league. What happens to the 2nd and 3rd
divisions? They get minimal coverage in the newspapers; hence without
adequate funding, they might as well close shop. Nevertheless, the 3 years
transformation plan put forward for MDJ has seen its popularity grow amongst
international audiences when we went online almost 2 years ago. All our
monetary effort are now used to uplift the journal’s standard therefore we have
done away with the printing as it is very costly these days. Whoever wishes to
have a print copy will need to purchase a copy as agreed by the council. You
can access MDJ at www.mdj.org.my
Tel:
603-2095 1532
2095 1495
Fax:
603-2094 4670
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Website: www.mda.org.my
Conceptualised & Produced by
Paul & Marigold (DeCalais Sdn Bhd)
G-1-1 Plaza Damas,
60, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1,
Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
Website:
603-6206 3497
603-6201 0756
[email protected]
www.paulandmarigold.com
Note:
Views expressed are not necessarily those
of The Malaysian Dental Association. The
Malaysian Dental Association takes no
responsibility for the consequences of any
action taken based on any information
published in MDA News and neither shall it
be held liable for any product or service
advertised in the same. No part of this
publication may be reproduced without the
permission of the publisher.
Or go to MDA website and click on “access to MDJ”, just below the big panel.
Our new editor Associate Prof Dr Chai Wen Lin is working hard and together
we will make MDJ as grand as it was before New game, new rules, new MDJ.
I wish all of you the best!
February-April 2014
Inside
Activities
24
25
26
28
30
Walk for Autism 2014
CSR Kg Numbak
4th Borneo Dental Congress
Scientific Meeting
Oral Cancer Awareness
Oral Health Month
Features
06 Oral Cancer Control
12 Medical Device Act
15 Onward & Up with
Rebecca Tiew
11
20
23
World No Tobacco Day
Professional Indemnity
Review Articles
6
Promoting
Collaborative
Effort in Oral
Cancer Control
– Our Onward
Journey
Although oral cancer is not among the
top 10 cancers in Malaysia, given that
it is a debilitating disease with among
the lowest survival rates of <50%, it
is of paramount importance that
prognosis of this disease be improved
through prevention and early
detection; and also discoveries of
novel diagnostics/therapeutics.
Professor Dr Rosnah Binti Mohd Zain
FASc, BDSc(Queensland), MS(Michigan), Fellow,
AAOMP(USA)
Consultant, Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine
Dean, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya
Head, Oral Cancer Research and Coordinating
Centre (OCRCC)
University of Malaya.
ealizing the lack of concerted effort for oral
cancer research in Malaysia, coupled with adhoc research by small groups of individuals
using differing study criteria, a team of
concerned professionals from various disciplines
collaborated to work on this disease. This brief write-up is
to highlight the projects/programmes’ outcomes of the
past and existing collaborative efforts in combating oral
cancer which has/may potentially lead to changes in
patient managements and/or policies in oral cancer
control.
R
Initial large scale studies looking into oral mucosal lesions
have been conducted by the Oral Health Division, Ministry
of Health Malaysia as part of a Dental Health Survey
reported in 1976 where the prevalence of oral cancers
and precancers in Peninsula Malaysia was recorded.
Large-scale case series from Institite of Medical
Research, MOH had also reported a high prevalence of
oral cancer and precancer in the Indian ethnic group
despite a population of only 7.3%. Collaborative efforts in
the area of oral mucosal lesions began with the landmark
study which forms the baseline data for Malaysia i.e. ‘The
Nationwide Prevalence Study of Oral Mucosal Lesions in
Malaysia’ with Professor Dr Rosnah Zain leading the team
from University Malaya in collaboration with Oral Health
Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia and Aichigakuin
University, Japan. This collaborative study successfully
identified another ethnic group namely the indigenous
people of Sabah and Sarawak as having a high
prevalence of oral precancer next to the Indian ethnics.
The past studies by MOH and the Nationwide surveys led
to the inclusion of the indigenous people of Sabah and
Sarawak within the captive group screening and the
opportunistic screening as part of the ‘Mouth Cancer
Screening Programmes’ led by the Oral Health Division,
Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) since 2002. In addition,
these studies form the basis of the National Cancer
Control Blueprint 2008 and the National Oral Health Plan
2011-2020 which outlined early detection activities of
outreach screening in communities at risk and
opportunistic screening at clinics, with the target of 30%
cancers detected at an early stage (stage I).
The need to do more for early detection and prevention of
oral cancers led to an increase in membership of our
collaborative group (consisting of University of Malaya,
Oral Health Division MOH, Cancer Research Initiatives
Foundation [CARIF] and University Science Malaysia)
where a Top-Down grant obtained from the government
(IRPA RMK-8 Project no: 06-02-03-0174 PR 0054/05-05’Oral Cancer & Precancer in Malaysia- Risk Factors,
Prognostic Markers, Gene Expression and Impact on
Quality of Life’) has enabled us to successfully develop a
system of banking of data and specimens from oral
cancer patients and normal controls thus initiating the
Malaysian Oral Cancer Database & Tissue Bank System
(MOCDTBS) which then became a basis for us to embark
on various aspects of research.
In trying to maintain the management of the database and
oral cancer tissue bank, the group agreed to the
formation of the Oral Cancer Research and Coordinating
Centre (OCRCC) in August 2005 at the University of
Malaya under the leadership of Professor Dr Rosnah Zain.
MDA News
7
Premalignant
Oral Lesions
Premalignant/precancerous oral
lesions are also known as
"potentially malignant" lesions.
Some examples of these lesions
are Leukoplakia, Oral Lichen
Planus and Submucous fibrosis.
These lesions can easily be
detected during routine dental
check-up in patients which only
takes less than 5 minutes of your
time. Although these lesions might
not routinely presented at your
practice, it is a good practice to be
wary of the common presentation
of these lesions. Whitish or red
mucosal lesions that does not go
off with time or associated with
any other pathological conditions
should be treated with cautious.
Association with smoking or betel
nut use in patients should already
raised alarm bells.
The goal of OCRCC’s development is to carry out
research in all areas of oral cancer, coordinate
oral cancer research in Malaysia to avoid
overlaps, create a conducive environment in
sharing of data and specimen to achieve research
excellence and innovation, to be a resource
center for oral cancer, to conduct training in
clinical expertise and research and also to
disseminate information and create awareness of
oral cancer among the public.
With the set-up of OCRCC, academics from
University of Malaya became members to
conduct all aspects of research on oral cancer
while consultants from MOH and academics
/researchers from other Institutes of Higher
Learning joined in as collaborative partners.
Through the years of managing the oral cancer
tissue biobank, knowledge and experience
gained has enabled us to further refine and
improve the system of data and specimen
collection, processing, storage and dissemination
to ensure as much sharing of data and tissue to
produce high quality research outputs.
February-April 2014
8
Earliest findings from the biobank indicated that about
two-thirds of patients come in at late stages. Realizing the
lack of awareness of the general public on oral cancer, in
2006 and in line with some countries like the UK, OCRCC
with its major collaborator MOH and CARIF launched the
Mouth Cancer Awareness Week. From then on, ‘Mouth
Cancer Awareness week’ became an annual event
nationwide (involving additional collaborators namely
UiTM, USM, IMU, SEGi) where various activities such as
free mouth screening, poster exhibitions, exposure in the
mass media and an awareness walkathon was held
during the week. Apart from the lack of awareness among
the public, literature has shown that delay in diagnosis is
also due to low awareness among general and dental
practitioners. From then on, research programs on Mouth
Cancer Awareness at different levels namely the general
public, dental and medical professionals are being
conducted by the collaborative group. While the general
public awareness is more into recognising the signs and
symptoms of oral cancers and its risk factors ad its
debilitating effect to the facial area, awareness to the
professionals is aimed to educate dental and medical
practitioners to be able to accurately diagnose oral
cancer at an early stage through opportunistic screening
which can be included in their routine oral examination of
their clinic patients, thus improving the patients’ quality of
life. Irrespective of whether the screening programme is at
public or private institutions, professionals are initially
trained in disease recognition where OCRCC’s tested and
developed training package with our years of experience
in conducting training for early detection for oral cancer
programme is used most of the time.
In ensuring the accuracy of detection and diagnosis of
oral cancer and precancer, regular training workshops on
Early Detection of Oral Precancer and Cancer are being
conducted since 2002 using the training package
developed by Prof Dr Rosnah Zain and an international
collaborative team from Malaysia, Japan and Sweden for
the Nationwide Oral Mucosal Lesions Survey in
1993/1994. This developed training package is being
regularly used to train dental professionals and is
currently organized by OCRCC in collaboration with its
current collaborative partners. Such training will ensure
that there will better information on whether a particular
lesion is precancerous requiring further management thus
leading to early detection, while also ensuring that nonprecancerous are recognised leading to less trauma and
money spent for further investigation for patient through
misinformation. Finally, training of professionals will also
ensure that oral mucosal lesions requiring further
investigations are not missed, thus reducing the delay in
diagnosis of oral cancerous and precancerous lesions.
Through this collaborative team effort, oral cancer
research outputs increases tremendously as compared to
before the setting up of OCRCC in 2005. Among these
research efforts is that realizing the economic impact of
the discovery of anti-cancer target for oral cancer,
OCRCC-UM, CARIF and University of Queensland
MDA News
Oral Cancer
Campaign
SOMETIMES
A BIG MOUTH
IS A GOOD
THING.
Tanya doktor gigi anda tentang kanser mulut
Ask your denst about oral cancer
向您的牙医询问关于口腔癌
www.carif.com.my
About CARIF: Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation
(CARIF) is a non-profit organization with a mission of
conducting research in prevention, early detection and
treatment, to transfer scientific findings to clinical settings,
and to ensure the best possible care for all cancer patients.
Registration & Information
www.mda.org.com or call or email Datin Dr. Amyza Saleh at
56391874/ [email protected]
9
initiated a preliminary study on valproic acid (VPA), a histone
deacetylase inhibitor (and an anticonvulsant), which has been
shown to cause growth arrest and cell death. It was found that VPA
is cytotoxic to the panel of oral cancer cell lines investigated, which
indicated that VPA could be developed as a novel therapeutic agent
in the management of oral cancers. While we have not proceeded
with VPA trials, the knowledge gained through this research has
allowed our collaborators and OCRCC to further use our
experiences in testing other drugs.
Finally, training of
professionals will
also ensure that oral
mucosal lesions
requiring further
investigations are not
missed, thus
reducing the delay in
diagnosis of oral
cancerous and
precancerous
lesions.
Our team’s research endeavour is further facilitated by grants from
our institutions, Ministry of Science and Innovation (MOSTI), and
Ministry of Education (formerly Ministry of Higher Education). One
challenge in managing oral cancer patients is the delicate balance
between arresting disease progression and not compromising the
patient’s quality of life. In our preliminary analysis, it was found that
apart from pain, patients also suffer from difficulty in chewing and
swallowing and also depression. In order to better evaluate the
quality of life of Malaysian oral cancer sufferers so that appropriate
adjunctive strategies can be employed, our researchers at OCRCC
have developed and then confirmed the validity of FACT-H&N, a
quality of life measure that was adapted for our Malaysian
population. In addition, one of the OCRCC members have also
developed a Patient Concerns Inventory (PCI), where patients can
identify what are the concerns that they have with regards to their
quality of life before seeing a clinician, thus assisting the clinicians
in the management of these patients.
With the completion of the human genome project, new high
throughput technology such as transcriptome sequencing and
microarray to advance molecular research was developed, thus the
start of the biomarker development era for us.
In view that there are several aetiological factor for oral cancer with
geographical variation, the collaborative team have compared the
gene expression pattern between oral cancer patients who smoked
against those who chewed betel quid (the two most common risk
habits) and found that although there are common genes that
contribute to oral cancer, there are also gene changes that are
specific to certain factors. This finding suggests that different
carcinogens affect cancer development and progression differently,
thus this knowledge should be taken into account when identifying
new biomarkers or developing potential diagnostics/therapeutics.
To better understand the underlying mechanisms on how oral
cancer develops, we also performed omic profiling where we
managed to identify several novel genes responsible for the
development of oral cancer. Several microRNAs important in oral
carcinogenesis were also identified. Another study identified that
certain gene signatures enables clinicians to correctly predict lymph
node metastasis and survival. All these early findings on potential
biomarkers could facilitate early detection and prevention of primary
oral cancers/recurrence through further research on their ability to
be predictive and prognostic markers of oral cancers.
Among the challenges in oral cancer detection is the heterogenous
nature of oral cancers where different anatomic locations within the
oral cavity exhibit different biological behaviour and genetic
expression/changes. Thus, due to the heterogenous nature of this
cancer, there is a need to identify and validate the many genes
involved in carcinogenesis for the purpose of development of
February-April 2014
10
biomarkers or targeted therapy such that a more
efficient clinical management can be made for an
improved prognosis of the patients.
Earliest findings from
the biobank indicated
that about
2/3
of patients come in
at late stages
Acknowledgements
All staff of OCRCC (in particular Ms Wan Maria
Nabillah and Miss Vimmitra Athirajan) and our
collaborating partners. Many parts of this write-up
arise from publications of members of OCRCC and its
collaborators – our gratitude to all. OCRCC is a
government funded research centre provided with
research grants and on minimal non-governmental
sponsorships. OCRCC needs more fund to further
continue with its noble effort. It aims to provide a
framework for oral cancer research via collection
and sharing of data and specimen such that there is
successful translation of basic research into clinical
practice, thus improving patients prognosis and
quality of life.
MDA News
A number of methods are currently used for the
detection of oral cancer. Given the accessibility
of the oral cavity, direct visual conventional oral
examination (COE) is currently the most common
method. However, whilst COE which uses
normal (incandescent) light has traditionally been
the mainstay of oral cancer screenings for
decades, its utility especially by inexperienced
general practitioners remains controversial as
while COE may be useful in the discovery of
lesions, it is not totally an objective way of
identifying lesions as their detection is very
dependent on the experience and skills of the
operator. Thus, for the purpose of early
detection, we are currently embarking on a
project to further confirm in our Malaysian
population on the feasibility of using an
adjunctive tool which uses an autoflourescence
technique to facilitate and improve visualization
such that any diagnoses are made objectively
especially by our general dental practitioners.
Concurrently, we are also looking into the
feasibility of using DNA content (ploidy) analysis
as a biomarker adjunctive tool where the noninvasive technique of using brush biopsies (in a
similar manner to Cervical screening) would
allow cell collection in areas of suspicion for
evaluation of the DNA content of these cells
brushings which may indicate abnormality or
otherwise. These painless, non-invasive
procedures, if proven to be effective in the
Malaysian context can be used in adjunct with
other diagnostic tools and will greatly facilitate in
early detection of the disease and could also
possibly predict recurrence, thus could lead to
an improved quality of life and better patient
outcomes.
The on-going journey of the search for
improvements in mortality and morbidity of oral
cancer in Malaysia towards output of
significance to the management of oral cancer
patients is very much dependent on maintaining
and increasing the collaborative efforts with
different institutions. To date, in addition to UM,
MOH, USM and CARIF, the national
collaboration has extended to local institutions
such as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM),
Universiti Technology MARA (UiTM),
International Medical University (IMU), Penang
International Dental College (PIDC) and Universiti
Tun Abdul Razak (UTAR). The credibility of the
OCRCC’s collaborating team as well as having
credible MOCDTBS data and samples at
OCRCC has also attracted international
collaborators from USA, UK, Indonesia, India,
Taiwan and Japan.
11
s some of you may have read, the President of the Malaysian
Council for Tobacco Control (MCTC) has released an open letter
to Mr Obama urging him to remove tobacco from this agreement.
There is no place for tobacco anymore in this century, especially
given the negative health effects it causes and continues to cause.
A
In May 2014, the world will also celebrate the World No Tobacco Day
(WNTD) on the 31st of May for the 26th time since its launch in 1988.
WTND is celebrated with the aim to reduce or stop tobacco use altogether
and is celebrated across the globe. For 2014, the theme will be ‘Increase
Tobacco Tax’. This is apt and is a tried and effective public health
measure that has been successful in reducing the prevalence of smoking.
Unfortunately, the World Health Organization reports that many countries
still do not have this simple yet effective public health strategy within their
health system. Malaysia, despite being a signatory member of the
Framework for Tobacco Control (FCTC) since its first inception in the early
2000s, has been inconsistent on this matter. Although we recently
reported Malaysia’s 2013 increase in the January edition of Tobacco
Control, the tobacco taxes of 14% were still at a low base. Therefore, the
impact in terms of cigarette price was negligible. As a result, consumers
reported in mass media that this price increase did not encourage them to
quit smoking, since the price was minimal.
We, in tobacco control, hope that Malaysia will respond to the WNTD’s
call for action for 2014 and act accordingly. A study conducted by the
Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) group reported that if
cigarette prices were increased annually by 10%, consumption will reduce
by 3.8% as a result. The government also collects an additional 23% in
revenue compared to existing profit. A more recent study by a University
Putra Malaysia group found that if the estimated optimal tax of 21.56%
was used, the government would collect an additional 18% revenue in the
short run and 23.6% in the long run, but more importantly this will reduce
smoking by 6.4% and 11.6%, respectively. Both studies strongly suggest
that within the local context, increasing cigarette prices by 10 to 22% will
not only result in a national drop in cigarette smoking amongst the
population, but will effectively increase revenues for the country, too.
Together with a reduction in health problems stemmed from a lower
smoking prevalence in Malaysia, the country has more to gain through this
initiative. However, it is important to note that apart from increasing taxes,
the country will need to increase the enforcement of illegal cigarettes and
also cessation activities, as poor planning in this department will nullify
any gains made by cigarette price increases.
Musings from
Afar: World No
Tobacco Day
2014
As the idiom goes, “Time flies
when you are having fun” and
without much warning we are
now in the second quarter of the
year. A lot has happened over
the past 5 months in tobacco
control in Malaysia, specifically
the last MDA news on the
Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPPA). By the time this article is
out, Malaysia would have been
graced by the US President.
Details on the conference can be found by
writing to [email protected]
On a final note, the MCTC will host its National Symposium on Tobacco
Control on June 14-15, 2014. The theme for this conference will be
“Tobacco Economic: Tax, Trade, Treatment”. This will be an excellent
avenue and opportunity for dentists in Malaysia to be more involved with
the Council, as well as to make their presence known to the group. With
the many positive tobacco control activities which are happening in
dentistry in Malaysia today, there is a place for all of us in healthcare to
make tobacco a distant memory for our future generations by shaping
strong, effective and practical tobacco control policies as a TEAM
(Together Everyone Achieves More).
February-April 2014
12
The Medical
Device Act and
Its Impact On
The Oral Cavity
“MEDICAL DEVICE” means
• any instrument, apparatus, machine,
appliance, implant, in vitro reagent
or calibrator, software, material or
other similar or related article:
• intended by the manufacturer to be
used, alone or in combination, for
human beings for one or more of the
specific purposes of:
• diagnosis, prevention, monitoring,
treatment or alleviation of disease;
• compensation for an injury;
• investigation, replacement,
modification, or support of the
anatomy or of a physiological
process;
• supporting or sustaining life;
• control of conception;
• disinfection of medical devices;
• providing information for medical or
diagnostic purposes by means of in
vitro examination of specimens
derived from the human body;
Dr. Chow Kai Foo
BDS; FDSRCS; AM(Mal); Cert. of Oral Implantology; FICD
Asst. Honorary General Secretary of the Malaysian
Dental Association
MDA News
or the dental practitioner, it means practically anything
we use in the mouth is classified as a “medical
device”. Devices are classified Class I Class II Class III
Class IV with subclassifications in between. Class I is
of the lowest risk and Class IV is of the highest risk with
various sub-classifications in between. An increasingly
connected and informed world demands that everything we
use or consume must have safety standards that are crossrecognized. This facilitates exchange of ideas and goods.
Malaysia as a nation aspiring to reach developed status must
lay down reasonable standards and regulations, thus the
medical device act with a medical device authority to
implement it. This means that the price of such consumerables
will rise in tandem. To enjoy higher standards of care and
safety costs more and that is also why we have to press to
become a higher income nation. The move to implement the
medical device act should be managed conscientiously and in
a fair manner so that the increase will be a fair reflection of the
costs incurred in the raising of the standards for our nation.
The following is a reprint of the advisory given to all our dental
traders to help them get themselves registered as a good
distributor of medical/dental devices. This will help us
understand what the whole deal is about and prevent any
exorbitant rise in prices.
F
MDA Advisory for Dental Traders To
Register As An Establishment To
Distribute Medical Devices In Malaysia
“Governments need to put in place policies that will address all
elements related to medical devices, ranging from access to
high quality, affordable products, through to their safe and
appropriate use and disposal.” Global overview and guiding
principles; World Health Organization, Geneva; 2003
1.
The purpose of the Medical Device Act is to conform to
the WHO guidelines for the safety of the patient both now
and in the future. The Malaysian Dental Association fully
agrees with the overall objective and will assist in the
smooth and fair implementation of the necessary
regulations for the sake of the health of the nation and of
all dental patients.
2.
All dental traders must determine whether they are a
manufacturer, authorised representative, distributor or
importer. Then the dental trader must apply to register as
an establishment to distribute medical devices by the
deadline of June 30th 2014. The deadline for registering
medical devices is June 30th 2015. Retailers who do not
import but get their supplies from a registered
establishment need not register.
3.
All registration must be done online where the form must
be completed.
Please read the attachments: How to Apply for
Establishment Licence under the Medical Device Act
2012(Act 737) and MEDC@St Hands-On Training
Programme for Establishment Licensing.
13
February-April 2014
14
4.
Now read the attachment: Good Distribution
Practices for Medical Devices(GDPMD). All dental
traders must be certified for this by a Conformity
Assessment Body(CAB). This may take some time
and it is advised to mark no in the form and then
engage a CAB or wait until advised to do so by the
Medical Device Authority Malaysia.
5.
Note that a Conformity Assessment Body is one of a
list certified by the Medical Device Authority. They are
different from consultants who are individuals or
companies who are not certified but may be able to
smoothen the process for clients. Dental Traders who
make an effort should be able to make the initial
application to register as an establishment on their
own.
6.
Then get ready all the following information before
going online to this link to fill up the form in order to
register as an establishment. You will need to register
into the website first: http://www.mdb.gov.my/
medcast/login/
Application Submission Preview
Establishment Details
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
Establishment
Business reg. no
Establishment name
Address
Telephone
Fax
Company website
Person responsible for
establishment
Nationality
NRIC
Full name
Place of birth
Date of birth
Designation
Correspondence address
Telephone
Fax
Email
QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Do you have established you Quality Management
System?
( You can put NO and submit the application first.)
7.
Dental Traders who have applied and have their
application in process can continue with their trading
activities as usual until further advised by the Medical
Device Authority. It is advisable to look into engaging
a CAB meanwhile. However, currently there are only
5 recognised CABs and pending another 5 to be
recognized. As there may not be enough CABs to
cater to all the traders within the deadline given, the
MDA will do its part to appeal for an extension of the
deadlines for registering as an establishment which is
June 30th 2014 and for registering of medical devices
which is June 30th 2015. We would urge all dental
traders to unite and make similar appeals. At the
same time, the traders should take steps to register
as an establishment first as it is simpler and the
deadline is very near. The MDA has been trying its
best to obtain a meeting with the Minister of Health to
make the appeal but to date has been unsuccessful.
8.
DISCLAIMER: This advisory has been prepared with
the best of intentions and research and the Malaysian
Dental Association will not take any responsibility
whatsoever for any error or inadequate information
that has been offered in this advisory.
Contact Person Details
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
ü
Nationality
NRIC
Full name
Place of birth
Date of birth
Designation
Correspondence address
Telephone
Fax
Email
MDA News
15
Onward
and Up
Successful dental practitioner
and business woman Rebecca
Tiew shows no signs of slowing
down. Her varied interests have
just shifted her direction as she
continues to reach for the stars.
Kashini Krishnamurthy sits
down and discovers the source
of her energy and
determination.
Interviewee:
Dr Rebecca Tiew (Bds (Um) Np)
CEO Of ST Tiew Dental Group
Managing Director of One Dental
Interviewed by:
Kashini Krishnamurthy
Paul & Marigold
February-April 2014
16
What inspired you to choose dentistry as
your profession?
To be honest, I first set my sights on medicine but when that was
unavailable at my university of choice, I pursued dentistry and I
can safely safe, no regrets here. It’s not so much what you are
doing as how you do it. I approach everything I do with love, care
and kindness and in return I am very happy with how my career
has evolved and the relationships I have formed with my patients.
How fulfilling has a career in dentistry
been for you?
There is still so much to do. I feel that even despite my blessed
career thus far in dentistry and in business management, I am
constantly looking at other business ventures that could pique
my interest. One of which is nutritional medicine. Over the past
10 years I have become very interested in nutritional medicine
and its curing capabilities. I have done a fair bit of research and
interviews with many patients that have come to swear by this
homeopathic style of medicine. So while my career in dentistry is
still ongoing, I find it important to also pursue other interests.
MDA News
17
Name one of the most profound
moments in your career thus far?
There have been proud moments but I am a woman that does
not take success for granted. There is still so much to do.
You’ll have to ask me that again in 10 years.
How did you make the transition from
dentist to business woman?
A guiding principle
of mine has always
been love. Whatever
it is I choose to
focus my time,
attention and
passion on, I do it
with an immense
amount of care and
love. This is then
reflected in the joy
that comes out of
fulfilling your
passion and goals.
After the opening of our 8th clinic, I decided to take a back
seat although I still see my regular patients till this day. But
apart from the business management of our family business, I
have ventured into going back to study, learning about
traditional Chinese medicine as well as lecturing in universities.
Share with us some of the challenges
you’ve faced with this business of yours.
One of the biggest challenges I’ve face is the acquisition of
doctors and partners. It was difficult in the beginning to find
doctors that shared the same vision and philosophies as we
did and that was very important to us. We were careful in with
the selection of doctors but were ultimately extremely blessed
to have gotten an amazing group of 40 doctors that share our
vision for the company.
You have been in the local industry
spotlight since your career took off but
now appear to be more private, any
reason why?
No reason in particular. I supposed as I mature and interests
expand, I am more inclined to explore new things like this
traditional Chinese medicine and also nutritional medicine. I
spend a lot of my time with this now.
What is a fundamental principle that you
have lived by throughout your career?
A guiding principle of mine has always been love. Whatever it
is I choose to focus my time, attention and passion on, I do it
with an immense amount of care and love. This is then
reflected in the joy that comes out of fulfilling your passion and
goals. I urge everyone to take the time to reflect on what it is
you are looking for in life and to pursue that with love. It will
undoubtedly change your view on life and the challenges that
lay ahead.
February-April 2014
18
What would you say to other dentists
trying to make the transition into
business?
Transitions are never easy but if there is a will, there is a
way. For me, the transition seemed more natural than
anything else but I did have to put it a lot of hard work,
extra hours and sacrifices were made but to me, the end
goal of seeing this family business prosper is worth it. I
also have such strong support from my husband, kids
and siblings and this made that will to reach higher
heights all that more meaningful and worthwhile.
I’d also like to point out that transitioning to business may
not be the right route for everyone, it is more important to
listen to your heart than it is to do what the mind tells you.
I hope that dentists in Malaysia enter the profession with
a sincerity to serve and if that passion evolves into
expanding a business or seeking a different path then it is
one’s duty to follow the lead of the heart.
You come across as an extremely
passionate and hard working woman.
How has this affected your family and
other personal goals?
I’d also like to point out
that transitioning to
business may not be the
right route for everyone, it
is more important to listen
to your heart than it is to
do what the mind tells you.
My family has always been very understanding and
supportive of the decisions and choices I’ve had to make
over the decades. They have always be onboard with my
quest for success and they understand how important it
is to me to contribute back to my community or society in
general. After all, dentistry is a part of medicine and the
traditional Chinese medicine I am venturing in is also part
of medicine and the goal of medicine is to heal and save
lives.
I’m extremely grateful to have been blesses with such an
understanding and supportive family unit but it is also a
responsibility of mine to give back to them when I can. A
balance of all things in imperative and I seek to find one
that suits my lifestyle.
Do you have any general advice for
the industry?
Serve with love. I cannot stress that enough. We need
more doctors and dentists that feel from the heart and
enjoy the work that lay ahead. The government has spent
so much on educating us and providing us with the
necessary tools and training to go out and serve our
fellow Malaysians and we must honour this responsibility.
This is the only way to raise the standard of medicine in,
by being a true professional who serves with love.
MDA News
20
Professional
Indemnity
Essential facts
at a glance
MPS has both medical and dental
members. Its dental members are
served and supported by Dental
Protection. We have summarised the
key advantages of the MPS/DPL
indemnity product (Pink), compared to
an insurance product from a commercial
insurance company (Blue).
Occurrence-based vs Claims-made
This article is reprint from Riskwise
Malaysia, Dental Protection Malaysia
You can read more about this subject on the
website where there is an illustrated downloadable
guide http://www.dentalprotection.org/malaysia/
AboutDentalProtection/
When you pay an annual subscription as a dental member
of MPS you are buying the benefits of membership
including a right to request assistance and indemnity for
claims arising from the treatment that you carry out in that
year (‘occurrence-based’ indemnity). That protection is
enduring, and includes claims that may not come to light
for many years after your MPS membership ends. This is
crucially important because of the long delays that can
occur between the time of treatment, and the time when a
claim or complaint is made arising from it.
Commercial insurance companies sell ‘claims-made’
insurance. When buying a claims-made insurance policy
you are buying protection for the claims actually made in
that year, plus (in some cases) a proportion of the claims
that might be made for a limited time after the end of that
year. It does not include all claims arising from treatment
provided in the year in which you pay your premium, and
this partly explains why it can be cheaper initially. A
particular area of vulnerability lies in the fact that the
larger and more costly claims are usually those that take
many years to come to light – this includes claims which
are allowed to proceed despite being made well outside
MDA News
21
you stop practising temporarily or permanently, without
any additional payment being necessary.
If you stop practising for any reason you need to keep a
claims made policy ‘active’ because it will not respond to
claims that arise when the policy is no longer in force.
Most claims-made policies make limited provision to
cover some of these potential gaps, but not all of them. It
may or may not be possible to cover some of these gaps
by paying additional premiums – in some cases these
gaps may be left unclosed and you (rather than the
insurance company) would be at risk for claims that are
not covered by the policy for any reason.
Unlimited
There is no predefined financial limit on the indemnity that
MPS can provide, either for the cost of an individual claim
or investigation arising from a single incident, or for the
total of all the incidents in any period of membership.
A claims-made insurance policy will usually have a predefined financial limit on the level of payments that the
policy will cover. This limit may apply not only to the cost
of an individual claim or investigation arising from a single
incident, but also to the total of all the incidents in any
period defined in the small print of the policy.
Flexible and responsive
the normal Limitation period in Malaysia. Claims
relating to orthodontics, and other treatment carried
out on children do not need to be made until 3-6
years after the child has reached adulthood which
may be 10 years or more after the treatment.
Another simple example of an extended delay would
arise if a patient is not informed of the presence of a
retained root following an attempted extraction, or a
broken and retained endodontic instrument, and
many years pass before the patient first becomes
aware of this fact when told by another dentist. The
Limitation period then begins from their date when
they first became aware of the facts that form the
basis of their claim. In any event the Limitation
period only applies to legal proceedings - there is no
time limit for disciplinary (Dental Council) matters or
other complaints.
Seamless and secure: no gaps
You can stop and start your indemnity subscription
and pay nothing for any periods of three months or
more when you take a break (maternity leave,
postgraduate study, time spent abroad etc). You pay
only for periods when you are practising and your
protection for those periods remains in place when
As a dental member of MPS you have no long list of
terms, conditions and policy exclusions to worry about.
You are simply a member of an organisation that you coown (a ‘mutual’ membership organisation) and which
exists to protect all its members fairly and consistently
against claims arising from the practise of dentistry. We
have absolute discretion to assist members with matters
that arise from the practise of dentistry and this allows us
the flexibility and responsiveness to assist members in
the unusual situations that can be encountered in a
rapidly evolving healthcare profession such as dentistry.
An insurance policy will always include a list of definitions,
exclusion clauses, terms and conditions that protect the
insurance company and limit its financial exposure by
tightly defining what the policy will and will not cover. In
taking out a policy you are entering into a legally binding
contract and agreeing its terms. The basis on which any
claim might be refused will be contained in the detailed
wording of the policy. A commercial insurance company
must always act in the interests of its shareholders, and
will generally only pay out to the extent that it is
contractually obliged to do so.
Specialist international dental experience
on a massive scale
Dental cases are different from medical cases and general
personal injury claims, and they are best managed by
people who have a detailed first-hand understanding of
dentistry. Dental Protection is currently assisting dental
members with 13,000+ dental cases arising in 70
countries around the world. This gives us a unique width
and depth of experience that means that we can
February-April 2014
22
anticipate and are already prepared for types of
cases that other indemnity providers may never
have seen. Dental members in Malaysia have
access to a team of over 50 dento-legal advisers (all
experienced dentists, many of whom also have legal
qualifications) who really understand dentistry and
the situations that can arise in dental practice.
CLASSIFIEDS
Dental
Associate
Wanted
Kota Kemuning
Contact Dr Ching 0166219496
Evening
Locum
Wanted
Bandar Mahkota
Cheras (6-9pm)
Contact Dr Tan 0166087859
Large commercial insurers will generally bulkpurchase legal services from selected providers
who may have had no previous experience of
managing dental cases. In many cases the practical
management of claims may be delegated to case
managers who are neither dentists nor lawyers.
Stability and long term commitment
MPS has been serving and supporting Malaysian
dentists continuously for well over 30 years. The fact
that MPS offers its dental and medical members the
long-term security of occurrence-based cover, is the
clearest possible confirmation of our long-term
commitment to remaining in the Malaysian dental
professional indemnity market.
Especially since the global financial crisis, many
large commercial insurers have moved into new
fields which they view as less risky and more
profitable for them in the short term, until the global
economy returns to more normal times. Such
insurers have a long history of entering and leaving
markets in response to changing economic
conditions and this is particularly true of the medical
and dental indemnity market worldwide. Offering
claims-made insurance allows an insurer to leave a
market at short notice much more easily than if they
were to offer occurrence-based cover – it keeps
their options open.
Dedicated dental focus
Dental Protection can offer a dedicated focus upon
protecting and supporting the dental members of
MPS in Malaysia. We only exist to serve and
support dental members, and we have no other
distractions or products to sell you. We have named
people (all dentists) who you can approach for
advice and assistance, and lawyers to represent you
who can draw from decades of specialist dental
experience.
The larger a global commercial insurer becomes, the
less likely it is that looking after dentists in Malaysia
will be a major priority for them. They are unlikely to
be able to offer you help to prevent dental problems
(risk management) because their focus is wholly on
claims, collecting enough premium income to pay
for them and making a profit margin for themselves
in doing so, by keeping their operating costs to an
absolute minimum.
MDA News
Uncertainty Remains About
Effectiveness Of Antibiotic
Prophylaxis For Bacterial
Endocarditis
Full Text: Journal of the Canadian Dental
Association (JCDA)
J Can Dent Assoc 2014;80:e40
This article discussed necessity of giving
antibiotic prophylaxis to patients at high
risk of developing bacterial endocarditis.
Most countries maintain the
recommendation of such procedure such
as in patients with previous endocarditis
problem and prosthetic heart valves.
However, in the UK, guidelines published
by National Institute of Health and Care
Excellent (NICE) has indicate that patients
with risk of developing infective
endocarditis do not require antibiotics for
any interventional dental surgery
procedure. The Canadian Dental
Association reaffirmed that they will
follow the American Heart Association
(AHA) 2007 guidelines for antibiotic
prophylaxis prior to dental procedures to
prevent infective endocarditis.
23
Review
Articles
Review Author:
Assoc Prof Dr Haizal Mohd Hussaini
Deputy Dean of Postgraduate and Research
Faculty of Dentistry
UKM
Titanium Particles In PeriImplant Tissues: Surface
Analysis And Histological
Responses
Full Text: Clinical Advances in
Periodontics 2012
Tawse-Smith A, Ma S, Siddiqi A, Duncan
WJ, Girvan L, Hussaini HM
In this article, the author evaluated the
influence of other confounding factors
apart from the role of bacteria in the
aetiology of peri-implantitis. Periimplantitis can be associated with bone
resoprtion due to the inflammation. The
author described case-series of patients
with peri-implantitis which indicated the
presence of metal particles in all periimplantitis specimens. SEM and EDS
examination conclude that these metal
particles are titanium. Whether the
presence of titanium particles in the
surrounding tissue constitute a
biocompatibility issue is still unclear and
needs to be further investigated.
February-April 2014
24
Our Dental Practitioners among the hundreds in the event
Walk For
Autism 2014,
Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah
Dr Leong (in black T shirt)
with Dental Practitioners
and Dental Auxiliaries at
the event
Report written by:
Dr Leong Kei Joe
or the first time ever in Sabah, Persatuan
C.H.I.L.D Sabah organised the Walk For
Autism in Sabah to raise awareness of this
condition to public. This event was held
simultaneously at Tawau and Sandakan. Dr Leong
Kei Joe, member of the MDA Eastern Zone, sat in
the committee as Assistant Treasurer, helped to
organised this event and at the same time promote
this activity to all medical – dental colleagues. In
Kota Kinabalu, this event was held at Perdana Park,
Tanjung Aru, on the 5th April 2014. A staggering
total of 1765 individuals registered for this event.
Sabah Women and Children Hospital alone sent in a
total of 500 participants. Dr Leong took this
opportunity to meet up with families with Autistic
children to provide advice on oral health care and
seeking oral health treatment.
F
MDA News
25
his CSR project was jointly organised with Tzu Chi
International Medical Association (TIMA) Sabah,
Kementerian Pembangunan Masyarakat dan Hal
Ehwal Pengguna and MDA Eastern Zone which
was headed by Dr Leong Kei Joe. It was held on the 30th
March 2014 (Sunday) at Kg. Numbak, Likas, Sabah. A
total of 14 dental surgeons (both from the government
sector and private sector) and 14 dental auxiliaries (from
government sector) participated in this project with 5
dental chairs utilised to serve the people at Kg. Numbak.
A total of about 320 patients were treated in this one day
project. 3 of our Executive Committee members from the
MDA Eastern Zone took part in this CSR project. They
were Dr Abd Rashid Hassan, Dr Sonia Pang and Dr
James Chhoa Jau Min. Dr Abd Rashid Hassan provided
oral health education to patients at the waiting area while
Dr James Chhoa and Dr Sonia Pang were providing onsite dental treatment. Dental officers also benefited from
tutorial and guidance on extractions from Dr James
Chhoa. Also present at this event was our Honourable
Minister YB Datuk Hajah Jainab Datuk Seri Panglima Haji
Ahmad Ayid, ADUN N12 Karambunai, from Kementerian
Pembangunan Masyarakat & Hal Ehwal Pengguna Sabah.
T
Dr Abd Rashid
giving oral health
education to the
public at the
waiting area.
Members from
MDA Eastern
Zone (standing)
with volunteers
from government
dental clinic.
CSR Project:
2nd Medical –
Dental
Outreach
Project at Kg.
Numbak,
Likas, Sabah
Report written by:
Dr Leong Kei Joe
Dr Abd Rashid with YB Datuk
Hajah Jainab Datuk Seri
Panglima Haji Ahmad Ayid (far
left) and volunteers from the
Tzu Chi Buddhist Association.
February-April 2014
26
4th Borneo Dental
Congress Scientific
Meeting and Trade
Exhibition cum 5th
Malaysian Dental
Association Eastern
Zone Annual
General Meeting
alaysian Dental Association Eastern
Zone kicked start the year 2014 with its
4th Borneo Dental Congress Scientific
Meeting and Trade Exhibition cum 5th
MDA EZ AGM. This annual event is once again
held in Kuching on the 22-23 Feb 2014 at Pullman
Hotel. The event was graced by the YB Datuk Dr.
Jerip Susil, Assistant State Minister of Public
Health. The opening ceremony saw MDA Eastern
Zone facilitating a donation to 2 local charitable
bodies namely, Kuching Autistic Association &
“Persatuan Bagi Kebajikan Kanak-kanak Terencat
Akal Sarawak” on behalf of one of the Congress
speaker. The choosing of these 2 charitable bodies
is in line with MDA Eastern Zone support and its
commitment towards “giving back” to society
especially to individual with special needs. A short
video clip on Special Olympics was presented
during the ceremony to further inform the
delegates about the Special Smiles project.
Another highlight of the opening ceremony was the
traditional musical instruments which showcased
the talents of young dental officers in playing
Indian and Chinese traditional instruments.
M
The theme for the Congress this year was
“Emerging Challenges & Advancement in Oral
Health”. Overall both the main scientific congress
and the allied health program were well-received.
A good mix of international and local speakers was
invited for the event. One pertinent current issue
presented during this meeting was on Tuberculosis
and it was particularly apt as the number of cases
has shown an alarming rise in recent times. One
pre-congress masterclass and also a hands-on
Report written by:
Dr. Nurshaline Pauline Hj Kipli
Local Organizing Chairperson
The newly elected MDA EZ Executive Committee members with
the advisors and MDA Council member representative.
MDA News
27
workshop were also conducted during the event. A
total of over 250 delegates registered for the 4th
Borneo Dental Congress and these consisted of not
only Eastern Zone members but also counterparts
from West Malaysia and overseas.
The trade exhibition was also well-received with all
the 26 booths offered were taken up by the various
traders. Glaxosmith & Kline was once again the
main sponsor for the event and Advantechs
Laboratory Sdn Bhd as the main Congress bag
sponsor. Kaldera Sdn Bhd and One Dental on the
other hand, were the 2 speakers’ sponsors.
Opening ceremnony of the 4th Borneo Dental Congress
officiated by YB Datuk Dr Jerip Susil
Malaysian Dental Association Eastern Zone 5th
Annual General Meeting went smoothly with the
election of the new executive council being
conducted in an orderly manner. The immediate
Past Chairman, Dr Leong Kei Joe thanked the
outgoing executive council members for their
tireless work and commitment to the zone. The new
MDA Eastern Zone Executive Members for
2014/2015 is now headed by Dr. Edric Kho Chik
Eurn from Kuching. The new Chairman promised to
continue the good work of the previous committee
especially in organizing continuous professional
development activities and CSR projects.
Guest of Honour
visiting the trade
exhibition area
Young talented Dental officers perfoming traditional Instruments
February-April 2014
28
It Just Takes 2
Minutes to
Save a Life.
You Can Make
a Difference!
Dentists are usually the first to
be approached to treat ailments
in the oral cavity, and because
they are highly skilled in
examining the oral cavity they
could be our hope in detecting
oral cancers early.
About CARIF: Cancer Research Initiatives
Foundation (CARIF) is a non-profit organization
with a mission of conducting research in
prevention, early detection and treatment, to
transfer scientific findings to clinical settings,
and to ensure the best possible care for all
cancer patients.
To register or to obtain more information go to
www.mda.org.com or call or email Datin Dr.
Amyza Saleh at 56391874/
[email protected]
* Saleh et al, 2014. Asian Pac J Cancer
Prevention, 15(1): 229-37
** The “Be Frank. Help Beat Cancer: Dentists
Programme” is a collaborative effort
between the Cancer Research Initiatives
Foundation (CARIF), the Oral Cancer
Research and Co-ordinating Centre
(OCRCC), the Malaysian Dental
Association (MDA) and the Malaysian
Private Dental Practitioners Association
(MPDPA). This programme is financially
supported by Berjaya Cares Foundation.
MDA News
hen detected early, survival rates for oral cancer
can be as high as 90%; however, in Malaysia about
70% of oral cancer patients are diagnosed at late
stages where the 5-year survival is less than 40%.
There is hope to change this. A proportion of Malaysian dentists
already offer oral cancer examination in their clinics and many
dentists believe that they have a role to play in early detection of
oral cancer*.
W
Recently, more than 20 dentists took part in the “Be Frank. Help
Beat Cancer: Dentists Programme” led by the Cancer Research
Initiatives Foundation (CARIF)**. This is a comprehensive
programme to enable dentists to run oral cancer detection
programmes in their clinics. Systematic examine of the mouth
takes no more than 2 minutes, and techniques to do this were
shared by a team of oral medicine specialists from the Oral
Cancer Research and Co-ordinating Centre (OCRCC). Further,
lesions consider to be suspicious of oral cancer were
highlighted during this training. Collectively, these dentists
conducted oral cancer examination on their patients and
reached out to more than 1800 individuals in their community to
improve awareness on oral cancer within a short period of 3
months.
“This is a good programme because it is simple and educational.
Dentists are the first-liners in detecting any anomaly that could
arise in the mouth, and we can make a difference in a patient’s
life” Dr. Gloria Andrews, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
29
“As dental GP, I truly believe that we can
determine the oral health status in our patients. In
this programme, GPs will help to detect oral
lesions early and this could result in more
successful treatment of the disease. I would
recommend other private dental GPs to join!” Dr.
Malliga Vadivello, President of MPDPA (2012/2013).
“We dentists have the opportunity to examine the
patient’s mouth in our line of work, and in addition,
we can impart knowledge on oral cancer
effectively to the public” Dr. Tan Bee Hong, Shah
Alam, Selangor.
Because of this encouraging outcome, we are
extending the Be Frank Dentist Programme in 2014.
Come and join us in our next training session:
1.
Date: 30th May 2014 (In conjunction with the
MIDEC 2014)
2.
Venue: Balai Ungku Aziz, Dental Faculty,
University Malaya
3.
Registration Fee: Free
4.
CME points: 6
We need you to make this a success. You. Me. We
can beat cancer!
Professor Dr Cheong
thanking Prof Dr
Rosnah Zain and her
team for conducting
the Be Frank Training
session.
From left Kong Yink Heay
(CARIF& UM), Dr. Malliga
Vadiveloo(President of
MPDPA 2012/ 2013), Datin
Dr. Amyza Saleh (CARIF),
Prof. Cheong Sok Ching
(CARIF& UM), Prof. Dr.
Rosnah Zain, Dr. Thomas
George, Dr. Anand
Ramanathan (OCRCC, UM)
February-April 2014
30
Oral Health
Month
pril 2014 celebrates the 11th anniversary of
the MDA-Colgate Oral Health Month. Since
its initiation in 2004, this annual program
has been supported by the Oral Health
Division, Ministry of Health and the Armed Forces
with the goal to increase awareness of good oral
health and to make dental check-ups accessible to
the Malaysian population.
A
In opening the door to another decade of Oral
Health Month, the goal is to move towards a cavityfree future. In line with the Ministry of Health’s
(MOH) oral health initiative, we aim for the goal of
50% of 6 year old children to be cavity free by
2020.
The OHM 2014 campaign will be focused on family
centric activities to engage children and their
parents to have the opportunity to learn new oral
care habits in a fun and entertaining way. This will
promote good oral health habits from a young age
and the activities will include tooth brushing drills,
dental check-ups by qualified dental nurses, a
special video message from ‘BoboiBoy’ and friends;
as well as educational take away items for the
children to share with their families.
The success of this program is made possible by all
fellow dentists and nurses who volunteered with
good grace, to provide free dental check-ups to the
public throughout April. Many thanks too to all MDA
OHM zone co-ordinators who worked tirelessly
under the leadership of OHM Chairman, Dr The Tat
Beng and the support from the Ministry of Health.
The Oral Health Month is a great example of how
the public and private sector, by working jointly for
the greater interest of the rakyat, can create a
landmark event for the benefit of public health.
MDA News