THE EARLY DAYS

The earliest record of dentistry in Malaya dates back to 1869, to the island of Singapore, which was then a part of Malaya. The first practitioner was a dentist from Hong Kong by the name of Cheong Chun Tin, who started a private practice after obtaining his qualification in San Francisco. He never thought to formally train his own children. On his demise, his two sons continued their father's practice. They had no formal qualifications and their practice was reflective of a time when unqualified dentists thrived.

Subsequently, Mr James Logan was recorded as having established his practice in Penang in 1899. In 1912, Mr. Frank Moffat was recorded as the first dentist in Kuala Lumpur, describing himself as a 'surgical and mechanical dentist'. During World War I (1914-1918), a Japanese dentist was reported to have arrived on the scene in 1916. This began the migration of dentists into Malaya.