Rate My Professor Soo-Wee Ong

Dr. Soo-Wee Ong is a specialist oral surgeon affiliated with the Department of Oral Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences (ODSS) in the Faculty of Dentistry, Health Sciences Division, at the University of Otago. He earned his Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from the University of Otago in 2004. After practicing as a general dentist for nearly ten years, he pursued advanced training, completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry and a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (DClinDent) in Oral Surgery with distinction from the University of Otago in 2017. Ong holds specialist registration in Oral Surgery with the Dental Council of New Zealand since December 2017, with his annual practising certificate valid until September 2026. He established Origin Oral Surgeons, a purpose-built facility in Dunedin, in 2017, where he provides full-time specialist oral surgery services, including at Mercy Hospital Dunedin.

Ong's research contributions include his doctoral thesis, 'Third Molar Surgery Outcomes: A Comparison Between Intravenous Sedation and General Anaesthetic,' which earned him the Senior Category award at the Sir John Walsh Research Institute Research Day 2017. Earlier, during his involvement with the Department of Oral Sciences, School of Dentistry, he co-authored the peer-reviewed paper 'Heterozygosity and Functional Allelic Variation in the Candida albicans Efflux Pump Genes CDR1 and CDR2 in Clinical Isolates,' published in Molecular Microbiology in 2006. This study examined genetic variations in drug efflux pumps contributing to antifungal resistance in Candida albicans clinical isolates. Additionally, he contributed to several GenBank submissions documenting complete coding sequences for CDR1 and CDR2 genes from various Candida albicans strains in 2006. As an Oral and Maxillofacial Registrar at the University of Otago's ODSS, Ong continues to support academic and clinical training. He participates in professional development activities, such as presenting at the University of Otago ITI Study Club and New Zealand Dental Association courses on building confidence in oral surgery for general dental practice.