Malaysian woman who offered illegal dental services in Singapore using skills picked up from YouTube fined $2,500
She had charged customers $600 to $700 per procedure, and was found out after one of her customers reported her to the Ministry of Health.
SINGAPORE — A Malaysian woman was fined $2,500 in court on Monday (8 April) for illegally performing dental procedures on customers in Singapore, using skills she had picked up from watching YouTube videos.
According to local media outlet CNA, the court heard that Siti Shahrima Abd Rahim passed herself off as a dentist online. She would enter Singapore on short-term visit passes to help customers with braces maintenance and veneer application in a hotel room.
The 37-year-old’s actions were uncovered when one of her customers was unable to floss her teeth after Siti had put in veneers for her, and lodged a report with the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Siti pleaded guilty to a charge under the Dental Registration Act. A second charge was also taken under consideration, CNA reported.
Picked up skills from YouTube and used inappropriate equipment
The court heard that Siti first learnt how to perform dental procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic when she was unable to visit the dentist despite wearing braces because of Malaysia’s Movement Control Order.
She watched videos on YouTube to pick up the know-how on performing various procedures on her own braces, CNA reported.
Thereafter, she posted on Carousell, offering dental services such as veneer whitening, tooth and braces whitening, and providing retainers, charging $600 to $700 for each procedure.
When potential customers contacted her, she would tell them that she was a Malaysian dentist and ask them to meet her at a hotel room a few days later.
Although she was not registered as a dentist in Singapore under the Dental Registration Act and did not have a valid practising certificate, it is estimated that she had over 30 customers – about 20 customers for composite veneers, about 10 for braces maintenance and at least one for cosmetic braces.
Did procedure on a sofa
In January 2022, a Filipino woman contacted Siti and was quoted $700 to remove her existing veneers and install new ones. After agreeing to the price, Siti asked her to head to a hotel on 30 January.
In the room, Siti asked the woman to lie down on the sofa and draped a dental surgical cape on her. After asking her to use a mouthpiece, Siti used a tool purchased on Shopee, similar to ones used to remove a manicure, to remove her old veneers before applying new ones.
The customer realised the next day that she was unable to floss her teeth as there was almost no space between them. She contacted Siti, who informed her that she could not “do anything about it” due to COVID-19 quarantine.
The woman then wrote an email to the Ministry of Health (MOH) about her experience, CNA reported.
The court heard a report prepared by an independent dental expert that said that Siti had not used proper instruments during the procedure. The report also said that Siti's actions could have led to the customer needing more complex procedures.
In asking for a fine, the prosecutor for the MOH said Siti’s offence could have caused more serious injuries.
Siti had requested to pay the fine in instalments, saying she needed to borrow money. She also said she wanted to return to Malaysia as soon as possible for Hari Raya celebrations and to borrow more money.
During sentencing, the judge said that other than the harm that the victim had suffered from, Siti had mispresented herself as a dentist for 18 months, a period of offending that was not short.
Siti ended up paying the fine in full.
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