A 55-year-old retiree, Ms. Qiu (surname transliterated), paid a total of S$12,000 for dental implants at a dental clinic in Singapore. However, before her treatment was completed, the clinic abruptly closed, leaving her unable to recover her money.
The incident began on December 29, 2023, when Ms. Qiu visited the Ping An Dental Centre in Jalan Sultan Textile Centre. After two appointments, she underwent bone grafting and had five metal implants installed, totaling S$12,000, of which S$7,500 was paid by credit card and S$5,350 by MediSave.
As she was about to proceed to the next step—creating implant models—the clinic informed her via WhatsApp on June 9, 2024 that it would be temporarily closed for one to two weeks for “renovations.” Initially unconcerned, she waited patiently, but when she sent another message three months later to inquire, the clinic had stopped responding.
Ms. Qiu and her husband visited the clinic in person and found it locked. Repeated visits revealed no change. Last November, she decided to report the matter to the police. In June of this year, the husband contacted the clinic’s owner by phone, who said they were discussing a refund, but there has been no further response since. She also filed a complaint with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).
When Shin Min Daily News contacted the clinic’s owner, they admitted that the clinic had closed in June last year due to unpaid instalments totaling approximately S$100,000 from customers. The owner stated that few customers paid in full, and ultimately, the clinic had to close due to debts exceeding assets.
When reporters visited, they found the clinic’s interior equipment still in place, but the door was locked. Neighboring businesses confirmed that the clinic had been closed for about a year, though it had been closed for a long time. Recently, people were still coming to the clinic seeking unfinished treatment.
Due to her persistent discomfort, Ms. Qiu ultimately chose to travel to Malaysia for further treatment. In November of last year, she paid RM12,000 (approximately S$3,600) for a dental implant model. She said the treatment in Malaysia was less expensive and the process was smoother.
CASE revealed that from January last year to August 12 this year, they had received 10 complaints against the dental clinic, most of which involved situations where customers had paid but did not receive the promised services and could no longer contact the clinic.