Dr Seow Onn Choong
Modern dental clinics are all equipped with xray facilities. Some dentists attached the xray on the wall of their treatment so that the patient is still seated on the dental chair when the xray is taken. Majority of dentists build a special room to house the machines and in such cases may be more than one type.
This posed a a dilemma for me back in the 1981.
When I started my first clinic in Plaza Singapura then , my lease was only for nine months. Plaza Singapura in the 70's and 80's was a very popular shopping center with Yaohan supermarket as its start attraction. It had a mediacl centre on level 5. This medical centre was very popularwith the Indonesians who at that time came in big numbers. For some reason the owners of the of that building felt that a medical floor did not suit the image of the shopping centre and thus they were going to convert two floors to office building. Thus all the famous doctors and dentists were asked to leave.
I have found a unit on level 5 situated on level 5 located at he passage from the carpark to the shopping i.e a busy thoroughfare. I was hoping that after the short lease I would be allowed to have a clinic in the building at another location. This actually came true.
As I planned for the renovation works I realised I had only two choice for an xray room. The most common choice was to build a room with concrete wall of sufficient thickness so as to block off the penetrating xrays. This was not a good option as I needed a stuctural engineer's approval to check and approve the plans to see if the floor can take the the load of the concrete.
The next option was to import a special xray box from Japan. This box has special lead line walls and also a lead lined glass window. The only problem was it will cost me $8000 and 3 months for it to be shipped to Singapore. $8000 was a lot of money at that time and also I did not have 3 months to spare.
Well it was good that I had studied Physics in school. I know lead can absorb xrays and thus can prevent the rays from passing through the wall. Now I had plan to fabricate all the partitions of the clinic with gypsum board. Gypsum board partitions were very cheap then, and all the partiitions in the clinic can be done in 2 days. Futhermore when it comes to removal one can do it equally fast. The only problem was where to get the lead sheet.
The first thing that came into my mind was the lead sinkers you use for fishing. So without hesitaion I trooped down to the fishing tackle shopped to buy lead sinkers hoping to hammer them flat. The owner was taken aback when I asked to buy 200 sinkers. He could not control his laughter when I explained to him why I needed so many sinkers. You see to make sinkers he bought lead sheets which he melted down and poured into moulds into the shape of sinkers. Well as s dentist how would I know that.
The kind owner pointed out ot me that that hardware stores In King Georges Avenue were the wholesale merchants for lead and I found out later they sold all types of metal. The shop assistant was amazed that a finely dressed gentlement like me would come to his shop. He informed me they only sell lead sheet in rolls, they came in certain thickness and volume. Well it did not really matter to me as lead was a very cheap metal. So I bought 1 large roll. Fortunately at that time aI owned a coupe stationwagon nad I promptly carted it back to Plaza Singapura.
The renovation contractor was amazed when he saw the roll of lead. I had to show him how to cut the sheets and then hang them betwee the hollow gap of the partitions and also between the plywood of the door.
Inspection day for the clinic came .The renovation was done in record time leass than 10 days. It probably was the fastest renovation of a dental clinic ever. All thanks to my good friend and mentor. An engineer by training he enlightenes me on The Critical Path Analysis method . This was something very new to a dentist.
The inspector from the Radiation Department was not impressed when he knocked on the partitions and already he was shaking his head in disapproval. Well since he was here he might as well go through the motions. To his utter amazement he could not detect any xrays leakages. Obviously he wanted to find out how I did it.
Now in Singapore this format of lead lining gypsum board partitions is a standard feature. As the dental suppliers came to visit me they found out about my innovation as they were equally surprised that I had a xray room without concrete wallls. Soon they were recommending this method to other dentists intheir renovations.
I am sure I am the first dentist in Sinagpore to use this method of a xray room. I wonder how many other places in the world that dentist also use this method.
It is good to study all the sciences in school.
