Dentistry, largely viewed as a niche within the wider medical field, is a highly attractive career prospect. The outlook for dentistry in Malaysia has been optimistic. For one, the country’s capacity to build its dental workforce has been boosted by the establishment of dozens of dental schools. Dentistry is now flourishing, backed by a booming private sector and greater awareness of dental health in general. In recent years, it has also been gaining recognition as an additional frontier in Malaysia’s healthcare tourism.

One of the largest dental clinic chains in northern Malaysia, SmileBay is well-equipped to tap into this potential by nurturing and expanding the depth and breadth of the dental talent pool in the country. We have long emphasised cultivating the right skillsets within our SmileBay family. From the day he first opened his practice in 1999, our founder, Dr Yong Peng San, has always been committed to taking his employees under his wing, and personally guiding and mentoring them.

One of only a handful of certified implantology experts in Malaysia, Dr Yong is fully cognisant of the benefits of lifelong learning and the need to stay abreast of breakthroughs in dentistry, and he does his best to inspire the team to do the same. Consistent engagement with each and every member of the SmileBay family alongside regular training sessions are among his approaches in ensuring that everybody is up to speed in techniques and technology. In addition, SmileBay’s experts routinely attend knowledge transfer sessions with industry leaders worldwide to stay on top of emerging trends.

Not one to rest on our laurels, we are also upping our game in training future dentists. Our soon-to-be-launched SmileBay Signature is also home to our premier Signature Dental Academy – the first of its kind on Penang Island. This dental academy will serve SmileBay’s upskilling and talent needs, providing an avenue for existing dentists and fresh graduates to advance their professional careers.

Apart from hosting training sessions, workshops and seminars, the academy will be offering an attachment programme for fresh graduates entering the dental workforce, be they dentists or support staff such as dental surgery assistants, dental technologists or digital dental professionals.

“We are adopting the long-term view that to support the expansion of the dental industry, there needs to be a solid foundation based on cultivating a workforce with sound skillsets to meet the growing needs of the wider population. It is my hope that this academy will be a prominent platform that nurtures the talents and capabilities of the next generation of dentists and enable them to truly reap the rewards of dentistry,” shared Dr Yong.