1. What’s your most favourite thing you love being a dentist?

Dr. Juliana: I like it when my patients smile. I especially like it when I make them smile. 

2. What’s the most complex operation you’ve done in your dental career?

Dr. Juliana: The most complex operation would be performing extraction on a highly anxious patient. The procedure was not complex, but the execution was complex. Not only did I have to extract her teeth, but I also had to ensure she was calm and not fidgeting in chair. That appointment will forever be etched indelibly in my mind as not only did I perform the procedure successful, I also managed to get the patient to trust me. Moreover, she told my assistant and I after the appointment that she always had the stigma that dentists were scary but now, she did not feel so. 

3. What is the most important skill you think a dentist should have, and why?

Dr. Juliana: “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said”. I strongly believe that as dentist, we should have good communication skills. We should be able to read body languages and verbal cues to understand our patients better. For instance, whenever my patient starts to clench their fist or wriggle their legs, I will notice that and ensure my patient is comfortable before proceeding. 

4. How has being a dentist impacted your life so far?

Dr. Juliana: It has empowered me the ability to understand what people are saying with their mouths opened.

5. What do you love most about your workplace?

Dr. Juliana: At PureNZ, we are not a team because we work together, we are a team because we respect, trust and care for each other : )

6. What’s a typical day like for you?

Dr. Juliana: My typical day starts with breakfast with my family and a good cup of Kopi Siew Dai. After which, I will get ready and leave for work. I will usually run through my patient’s notes for the day to be prepared. After work, I will head home and have dinner with my family. We will end our evenings with a night walk around the nearby park. 

7. Who do you look up to as a role model?

Dr. Juliana: “You don’t become what you want, you become what you believe” – Oprah Winfrey 

8. When and how did you decide to become a dentist?

Dr. Juliana: I decided to become a dentist after giving up my dreams to be a make-up artist. I have always enjoyed making people pretty and thought that make-up was one of the ways. After one of my performance, as I was removing my make-up, I stared in the mirror and realized that make-up is not forever, but a nice smile will last forever. That sparked my interest in dentistry. From there, I did some shadowing at dental clinics and enjoyed it. Hence, I am here as a dentist : )

9. How was your first dental experience like?

Dr. Juliana: My first dental experience was having a clean in the school’s dental van. I remembered choking on a lot of water and being afraid to voice out. From then, I always had a phobia of dentist. Hence, I strongly believe that every dental visit should be a positive experience : )

10. What books are you reading at the moment?

Dr. Juliana: Where the crawdads sing.