My Experience at Brickworks Dental — A Same-Day Filling Failure

I visited Brickworks Dental on 25 February 2025 at 12:49pm for a small filling on a chipped tooth. The consultation and procedure took about 15 minutes. It was presented as a routine treatment.

By 5:10pm — less than five hours later, without having eaten anything — the filling completely fell out after I drank water.

Water.

It likely dislodged entirely and may have been swallowed. From that moment on, I experienced sharp, shooting pain in the exposed tooth every time I drink.

A basic dental filling that cannot even withstand a few hours — without chewing or pressure — is deeply alarming.

A filling failing within hours raises obvious questions:

• Was the bonding properly done?

• Was the tooth adequately prepared?

• Was moisture control sufficient?

• Was the material cured correctly?

While complications can occur in dentistry, a same-day total failure is not what most patients would reasonably expect from a basic filling procedure.

I called the clinic immediately. They were already closed.

The next morning, I requested that the head dentist, Dr Chua Ru Hong, redo the filling without charge, since it had failed on the very same day.

I was told:

• If Dr Chua handled it, I would have to pay again.

• I had to return to the original treating dentist instead.

Pay again — for a filling that did not even last half a day.

I also requested that the clinic inform Dr Wu Liting about my case. The receptionist refused. I was then told Dr Wu is only available on Wednesdays, meaning I would have to wait until 4 March 2026 while continuing to suffer sharp pain every time I drink water.

So my options were:

• Remain in pain and wait nearly a week, or

• Pay again to fix something that had just failed.

That is extremely difficult to accept.

While no medical procedure comes with an absolute guarantee, it is entirely reasonable to expect a routine filling to last longer than a few hours. It is also reasonable to expect prompt and fair handling when something fails almost immediately.

Instead, I was left feeling dismissed and unsupported while dealing with ongoing pain.

This experience was both physically painful and deeply frustrating. Based on what happened, I cannot recommend this clinic. Readers can draw their own conclusions.

A Frightening Encounter Near Hong Lim Park

On 22 February 2026 at around 7:53pm, my husband and I experienced a deeply disturbing encounter while walking towards Chinatown Point. We were passing the stretch of road along Hong Lim Park, and the area was extremely dark, with very little lighting. It felt unusually quiet. Inside the park, there were people drinking, which already made the atmosphere somewhat unsettling.

As we approached the area outside Clarke Quay MRT Station (Exit A), heading toward the bus stop, a man suddenly stepped directly into our path and deliberately blocked us. There was space on both sides, yet he positioned himself in a way that made it clear he did not intend to let us pass. It felt like an assertion of control — deliberate and confrontational.

His posture and attitude were aggressive. He pointed his finger directly into my husband’s face and shouted vulgarities — “Fuck your mother chow chee buy” in Hokkien. His tone was sharp and threatening, like someone accustomed to intimidating strangers.

When my husband attempted to walk past him without engaging, the man spat directly into his face. It was a blatant act of disrespect and provocation.

Although understandably angered, my husband chose not to retaliate. At that moment, the man dropped a plastic bag containing what appeared to be glass liquor bottles. The bottles shattered on the ground. Without warning, he struck my husband hard on the neck, causing immediate pain and difficulty breathing. He then picked up a shard of broken glass and held it in a threatening manner, as if prepared to escalate the attack further.

Sensing the danger, my husband firmly told me to move. We quickly walked toward a brighter area near the traffic lights, where there were more people around. Only after reaching the light and relative safety did we fully process what had just happened.

Later, I asked my husband why we did not call the police. He explained that the man appeared intoxicated and felt it might be difficult to pursue meaningful action, as drunkenness is sometimes used as an excuse for bad behaviour. He had been provoked and assaulted, yet chose restraint. He did not want to waste time escalating the matter further.

However, upon reflection, I realised that incidents like this should not simply be brushed aside. The encounter happened near the stairway of Clarke Quay MRT Station (Exit A), an area equipped with numerous surveillance cameras. It is very likely that the man’s actions — the deliberate obstruction, vulgar shouting, spitting, physical assault, and threatening gesture with broken glass — were captured on CCTV.

Public spaces, especially areas near MRT stations and bus stops, should be safe for everyone. Intoxication does not excuse intimidation or violence. Choosing not to retaliate was the safest immediate decision, but that does not make such behaviour acceptable.

For awareness, the man appeared to be between 50 to 60 years old, approximately 170cm tall, strongly built, and spoke Hokkien.

I would strongly advise others to avoid the darker stretch along Hong Lim Park at night, as it is poorly lit and can feel isolated. Personally, I will stick to the brighter side near Clarke Quay Central in future, where there is more lighting and more people around.

Sometimes we may simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, no one should have to endure aggression or fear while simply walking home. I share this not to spread fear, but to raise awareness. Please stay alert, trust your instincts, and prioritise your safety — especially in dimly lit areas.

If sharing this experience encourages greater vigilance, improved lighting, or timely intervention should similar incidents occur again, then at least something positive can come from what was otherwise a very frightening night.