Dr Thant Zaw Soe brings premium dental treatments to Myanmar
Visiting a dental practice is not a routine for most inhabitants in Myanmar. On the contrary, dental professionals in the country must put a lot of effort in educating the general public on the importance of oral health. Dr Thant Zaw Soe is one of the dentists who has made it his mission to raise dental health awareness and offer premium dental treatments to locals in Yangon at one of the most modern dental practices in the country.
Dr Thant Zaw Soe is the founder and owner of Dr Z Dental Care dental clinic, located in the largest city of Myanmar, Yangon. With two branch offices including 15 treatment rooms and a full dental laboratory, the practice is one of the largest and most modern dental centres in the country.
Currently, there are 17 dentists working at Dr Z Dental Care. However, many of them are practising dentistry only part-time, which is quite common in Myanmar. Dr Zaw Soe himself is a full-time dentist, specialising in aesthetic and general dentistry. He also performs implant treatments and manages the two offices of his practice alongside patient appointments.
For implant treatments, Dr Zaw Soe utilises the Planmeca Romexis® 3D Implant software module, which is specifically designed for digital implant treatment planning. Overall, his practice is equipped with high technology, including a Planmeca ProMax® 3D Classic CBCT unit, a Planmeca ProScanner® 2.0 desktop scanner, three brand-new Planmeca Compact™ i Classic treatment units, and Planmeca Somia™ intraoral cameras.
Although using Planmeca’s all-in-one software Planmeca Romexis® required some getting used to, Dr Zaw Soe especially appreciates the possibility to collect all patient data from X-rays to intraoral photos into the same system and using them for patient communication. Thanks to the convenient display of the Planmeca Compact i Classic, Dr Zaw Soe’s patients can sit comfortably in the chair while looking at the images – a feature, which the patients have found valuable, too.
“I like the design and technology of Planmeca. My patients also feel happy with the dental unit design and feel comfortable during the treatment,” Dr Zaw Soe adds.
Investing in better care
Some Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, are popular destinations for patients flying in from Europe, Australia and the United States. In these countries, dental tourism has largely contributed to the growth of the dental market and allowed dental practices to invest in latest dental technology.
Myanmar, however, is a country less attractive for tourists – let alone dental tourists. Although the country’s economy is one of the fastest growing in the world, Myanmar lacks adequate infrastructure and comprehensive healthcare services.
Nevertheless, Dr Thant Zaw Soe has not been afraid to invest in state-of-the-art dental equipment. As a forerunner in Myanmar, the practice is set up to deliver premium dental services to locals, who are slowly getting more and more aware of the importance of oral health and proper dental care.
Dr Zaw Soe has himself played an important part in educating the general public in dental health. For example, he has set up a popular website with which he boosts educational topics and publishes videos on dental care.
However, raising awareness on the importance of regular dentist appointments requires a lot of work. People in Myanmar are often reluctant to go to the dentists unless it is completely necessary, and not everyone can even afford dental services. Still, Dr Zaw Soe wants to offer the inhabitants of Myanmar a high level of dental care and continues to push dental education through various channels.
Combination of art and science
Dr Zaw Soe graduated from the University of Dental Medicine in Yangon six years ago. The pace with which he has grown his dental practice into a comprehensive dental centre with two offices has been almost breath-taking. The same applies for the development of digital dentistry in the past few years, too.
“Dentistry is growing fast. We can do treatments more comfortably in a shorter time and have less appointments,” Dr Zaw Soe tells. Of course, digital workflows also enable more predictable and accurate results.
Dr Zaw Soe sees great value in having one ecosystem like Planmeca’s, in which dental equipment and software are connected with each other. To make the most of it, he is interested in expanding to CAD/CAM and guided implant surgery soon. In the transition to digital dentistry, he relies especially on Mount Zion, the local Planmeca distributor in Myanmar.
For Dr Zaw Soe, dentistry is a combination of art and science, which is the reason he chose dentistry to begin with. Since Planmeca product development teams also emphasise scientifically proven solutions and beautiful design, it goes without saying that the company’s products are a perfect match for Dr Zaw Soe.
Copy: Mari Suominen
Images: Courtesy of Dr Z Dental Care dental clinic
Planmeca Oy and Planmeca Group
Planmeca Oy is one of the world's leading dental equipment manufacturers, with a product range covering digital dental units, CAD/CAM solutions, world-class 2D and 3D imaging devices and comprehensive software solutions. Privately owned and headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, the company offers a portfolio of products distributed in over 120 countries worldwide. Planmeca Oy is part of the Finnish Planmeca Group, which consists of several healthcare technology brands, each committed to innovation and design. With 4,500 employees worldwide, Planmeca Group companies achieved a combined pro forma turnover of EUR 1.2 billion in 2021.
www.planmeca.com
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