SINGAPORE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a woman who learned how to conduct medical procedures on herself began providing these services to customers in Singapore.
She would reserve hotel rooms in Singapore so that she could carry out procedures like applying patina and maintaining braces.
However, her ruse came when a furious customer complained to the authorities that she could n’t floss her teeth after having veneers put in by the so-called “dentist.”
Siti Shahrima Abd Rahim, a 37- year- old Malaysian, was fined S$ 2, 500 ( US$ 1, 850 ) by a district court on Monday ( Apr 8 ).
A second related command was taken into account as well, and she admitted guilt on one count under the Dental Registration Act.
Siti is alleged to work as a part-time waiter at a motel in Johor Bahru.
HOW SHE BECAME AN Unexperienced” DENTIST”
Siti, who was wearing braces at the time, often visited a physician in Johor in 2020.
But, when Malaysia imposed action handle orders to suppress the spread of COVID- 19, Siti was unable to go for her medical appointments.
She therefore watched YouTube videos to learn how to perform treatments on her own brackets.
After this, Siti advertised dental services such as facade white, teeth and dentures whitening and providing attendants on her Carousell accounts, quoting costs like S$ 650 and S$ 700 for various services.
She would use short-term visitor passes to travel to Singapore to perform these obscene medical procedures at establishments under the Hilton brand.
She would introduce herself as a Malay physician to prospective clients on Carousell or WhatsApp and let them know about the resort areas a few days before the techniques.
She also provided decorative braces to at least one customer, composite veneers to about 20 others, and brace maintenance for about 10 others.
At all times, she was never registered as a physician under Singapore’s Dental Registration Act and she did not had a true training certification.
THE Target
A Filipino lady contacted Siti for hybrid veneers after seeing her advertisement on Carousell in the early months of January 2022.
She was given a quote of S$ 700 to replace her existing crowns.
Siti explained to the person that she had come to Singapore to see patients and clients.
An unidentified man led the girl to a hotel room where Siti was waiting on January 30, 2022, and she agreed to pay the amount.
Siti instructed the woman to lay down on a couch. She therefore removed the woman’s old veneers using an instrument she purchased on Shopee and placed a medical medical drape on her.
The device was similar to the style used for removing a person’s nails.
Siti therefore applied the fresh composite crowns on the company’s teeth.
The lady realized the following day that the veneers had little room between them, so she decided to shampoo them.
Siti texted her, telling her that she was “in confinement” for COVID-19 and that she could hardly “do anything about it.”
The incident was then discussed in an email to the Ministry of Health ( MOH).
According to a report from an independent dentist, Siti’s treatment may have involved the use of a less-than-professional instrument, which could have resulted in the patient needing more difficult procedures.
Siti’s crime had the potential for more severe injuries, according to the MOH prosecutor, who requested a good for her.
Siti expressed her desire to return to Malaysia as soon as possible to commemorate Hari Raya.
She claimed she had borrowed money to pay the good but wanted to go back to Malaysia to get more income if necessary. She said she wanted to pay it in installments.
The victim was deemed unable to brush her teeth, according to the judge in sentencing.
Siti’s phase of offending was also not small, spanning one- and- a- third years, and she had misrepresented herself as a medical professional, said the judge.
Siti paid the fine in total.