Dr. David Tay graduated from the University of Singapore with a BDS in 1979 and later pursued postgraduate training in Prosthodontics from 1981-1984 at Northwestern University, Chicago. He attained his specialist certification in prosthodontics in 1988 (MOH) and was a former full-time faculty member in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore (1984-1993). During his tenure at NUS, Dr Tay was involved in both the undergraduate and postgraduate prosthodontic teaching programmes and was instrumental in setting up the Dental School’s Integrated Core Curriculum in Occlusion and the Faculty’s Orofacial Pain Unit.

He founded Dr David K L Tay & Associates in 1993 and continued to serve as a Visiting Consultant in Orofacial Pain and Prosthodontics for the Singapore Armed Forces until August 2007. His private practice focuses on interdisciplinary occlusal rehabilitation, the management of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD), headache & chronic orofacial pain, and caring for patients with sleep disorders, especially bruxism and sleep-related breathing disorders.

He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore and has the distinction of belonging to both the Chapter of Prosthodontists, College of Dental Surgeons, and the Chapter of Sleep Medicine Physicians.

In 2015, he established the NUS Edmund Tay Mai Hiong Endowed fund in honour of his late father who was the founding Dean of the Dental School and a Professor of Prosthodontics. The NUS endowment and the annual ETMH Distinguished Speaker Programme serve to not only introduce sleep medicine to the local dental profession, but also to raise public and medical community awareness of dentistry’s emergent role in the early recognition, prevention and co-management of many sleep-related disorders, not only Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

Dr. Tay currently serves as a committee member on the Singapore Dental Sleep Medicine (DSM) Research and Training Advisory Group. This committee was tasked by its 4 sponsoring bodies i.e. National University of Singapore Faculty of Dentistry, National University Centre for Oral Health, Singapore, National Dental Centre Singapore, and SingHealth Duke-NUS Sleep Centre to plan Singapore-wide DSM curricula as well as to develop the requisite education and clinical expertise for dental sleep medicine practice. He is also a member of the Scientific & Educational Committee of the World Dentofacial Sleep Society. He has been Academic Advisor to the International Sleep Academy since its inception. He has published in biomedical journals, served on their editorial boards, contributed to prosthodontic textbooks and given many presentations and courses on Occlusion, Prosthodontics, Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) and Sleep Dentistry both locally and overseas.

He holds memberships in several professional organizations including the International College of Prosthodontists, American Equilibration Society, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, World Sleep Society, and is a Life Member of the Pain Association of Singapore.

He has held leadership positions in numerous national and international societies and is Past-President of the Prosthodontic Society of Singapore and former Chairman of the Chapter of Dental Surgeons, Academy of Medicine Singapore. He was also former Chairman, Specialist Certification Subcommittee on Dental Specialties and Convenor, Committee for Advanced Training in Prosthodontics, Academy of Medicine Singapore. His continued participation in academia has been in the role of external examiner for PhD and MSc research projects conducted in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, NUS.

His role as Clinical Director of the T32 Dental Group’s Specialist Division, is but the logical extension of his personal commitment to the development of evidence-based dentistry in Singapore and the region.

Dr Tay continues to be a keen golfer who has made pilgrimages to courses like St. Andrew’s, Gleneagles, K Club, Valderrama, Cape Kidnappers and Pebble Beach.

Membership in Professional Bodies

Fellow, Chapter of Prosthodontists, College of Dental Surgeons, Academy of Medicine, Singapore
Fellow, Chapter of Sleep Medicine Physicians, Academy of Medicine, Singapore
Life Member, International College of Prosthodontists
Member, American Equilibration Society
Member, Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (USA)
Member, World Dentofacial Sleep Society
Member, World Sleep Society
Member, Singapore Sleep Society
Member, Prosthodontic Society of Singapore
Member, Singapore Dental Association
Life Member, Pain Association of Singapore
Member, ASEAN Sleep Surgical Society
Committee member, Singapore Dental Sleep Medicine Research and Training Advisory Group
Member, Scientific & Educational Committee of the World Dentofacial Sleep Society

Past appointments

Senior Lecturer, Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, NUS
Consultant, Department of Restorative Dentistry, National University Hospital
Coordinator, Orofacial Pain Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, NUS
Visiting Consultant in Prosthodontics & Orofacial Pain, Singapore Armed Forces
Chairman, Chapter of Dental Surgeons, Academy of Medicine, Singapore (1992-!994)
President, Prosthodontic Society of Singapore
Convenor, Committee for Advanced Specialty Training in Prosthodontics, Academy of Medicine, Singapore
Member, Board of the Graduate School of Dental Studies, NUS
General Secretary, Asian Academy of Craniomandibular Disorders
Country Representative, American Equilibration Society
Editorial Board, Asian Journal of Aesthetic Dentistry
Editorial Board, Journal of Craniomandibular Disorders (USA)
Guest Editor, Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore
External examiner, MSc & PhD research projects, Department of Restorative Dentistry, NUS
Chairperson, 8th NUS-SDA Distinguished Speaker Programme and Workshops on TMD/ Orofacial Pain
Invited SDA Masterclass Speaker on Orofacial Pain, Combined Scientific Meeting of the Singapore Dental Association & The Pain Association of Singapore (2014)
Member, Dental Specialist Accreditation Board, Ministry of Health