Soft-spoken and courteous, Dr. Raymond Lam exudes quiet leadership and a sincere, assuring demeanour. His calming presence allows patients to overcome their fear so they can relax, sit back on the dental chair and receive the best dental care possible. 

Being a dentist is a decision that came easy for Dr. Ray. He has always been interested in healthcare. His mum’s work as a nurse inspired him to pursue a field that will enable him to take care of people. Growing up, he saw how dentistry could be a good fit for someone looking for a practical career that will be of service to others. 

Dr. Ray graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Science from the University of Western Australia. After graduating in 2007, he worked in both government and private practice in Perth, performing general dentistry and has spent a good portion of his years working as the principal dentist at One Dental Rossmoyne, before he decided to own and operate his own dental practise at Dianella Family Dental.

As a dentist, Dr. Ray finds fulfilment in being able to witness the full cycle of his patients’ dental health journey. He considers the relationships and community he has built with patients and his staff as highlights of his career. “It’s kind of nice to see the whole progression: to see the work you’ve done and to confirm it’s still in good condition years later, and this in itself is very affirming,” he says. 

Building dentist-patient trust 

An advocate of patient-centred care, Dr. Ray says one of his biggest goals when meeting a patient is to create a connection with them as a way of easing the anxiety that often accompanies dental visits. “Listen to them,” he says. “Just try to understand everyone's story and treat them as individuals.” 

He believes the skills it takes to build dentist-patient trust get better with experience and comes from a commitment to quality dental healthcare. “This ability to create connections comes with daily practice. You want to connect with patients because you want to improve yourself as a dentist and provide better service every time.” 

Delivering the best dental care

Dr. Ray acknowledges that having the best team around him is key to delivering this high standard of service. “We work in such a cohesive way, like cogs in a machine,” he says. “It’s so important to have everyone working well, working hard and also really caring about patient outcomes… Having a really good team around me means I can truly focus on delivering the best care for patients.” 

With this mindset of constant improvement, Dr. Ray is always keen on mastering more advanced techniques, findings and technologies in dentistry. His current interest lies in learning more about using computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems for more efficient, more accurate dental restorations. He is also looking into gaining more skills in the dynamic science of dental implantology. 

On his days off work, Dr. Ray loves to spend time with his wife and two boys. Patients may also be interested to know that the dentist is also a skateboarder and plays the guitar, but the boards and strings are parked for now while the family is delightfully busy with his two young children. Dr. Ray also enjoys the camping lifestyle, when time permits.