Sweet Tooth

DR SHERILYN LOH, a dental surgeon at Dental Essence, chats to us about bringing smiles to faces whether that’s from the dentist’s chair or her kitchen!

- CHERRY LAI

Tell us about your background and what inspired you to become a dentist.

Although my parents are Malaysian, I grew up in Singapore and studied dentistry at the National University of Singapore.

From a young age, my grandfather told me stories of how bad childhood experiences left him very dentistphobic. His fear and lack of dental awareness led to years of neglect, resulting in serious issues and the need for complex treatments like gum therapy and implants. During his dental rehabilitation, he told me about how his dentist was very gentle and ultra-attentive to his needs, which helped him overcome his phobia. I’m happy to say he now visits the dentist regularly and is in good oral health.

His experiences inspired me to become a dentist who ensures that dental visits are comfortable and stress-free for all patients, both kids and adults.

You have a passion for working with patients who struggle with dental phobia or anxiety – tell us more.

My heart goes out to those with dental phobia or anxiety, especially because my grandfather’s experiences showed me how greatly it can impact one’s life. Dental phobia is difficult to overcome, but I believe that with a patient, systematic approach and a calm, gentle demeanour, it can be done.

I have found that the most important part of helping a patient overcome dental phobia is making them feel like they are in control during the entire course of treatment. This can be as simple as telling the patient to raise his or her hand any time, if she is feeling uncomfortable in any way.

Dental phobia often arises from fear of the unknown, so priming patients before and during procedures can greatly alleviate anxiety. Additionally, techniques like distraction are effective. At Dental Essence, we have television screens above every chair, allowing patients, especially children, to watch calming content on TV, which helps calm anxious patients.