Dentists the most sought after medical specialist in S'pore

SINGAPORE - According to a recent study, dentists are the most sought after medical specialist in Singapore, followed by obstetricians and gynecologists.

The data was pulled from a medical appointment booking service available in Singapore, DocDoc.com.

It showed that 49.9 per cent of Singaporeans did a search for dentists, and 18 per cent of users searched for obstetricians and gynecologists.

General practitioners came in third with 6.5 per cent of all search requests, followed by opthamologists, cardiologists and dermatologists.

The study concluded that when it comes to medical procedures, patients in Singapore are actively seeking medical assistance in the areas of dental health, braces, gynae, pregnancy, pediatrics, eye and heart health and dermatology.

Plastic surgery and non-invasive skin rejuvenation procedures such as Botox and hair removal are also treatments that are rising in popularity across Singapore, the study said.

"This data highlights the huge demand for dental specialist care in Singapore," said John Sharp, President and CTO of DocDoc. "The findings indicate either an undersupply of dentists or an uptick in popularity for cosmetic dentistry, or a combination of both."

In a story published on HRMAsia.com, chief executive officer of Q&M Dental Group Dr Ng Chin Siau was quoted as saying that in developed countries such as Japan and Switzerland, the ratio is one dentist to about 1,000 people. In Singapore, the ratio is about one in 3,400.

Singapore Health Minister Gan Kim Yong was also quoted as saying that the number of dentists in Singapore must rise in order to meet the needs of an ageing population.

yamadak@sph.com.sg