Dr. Tan attended National University of Singapore where he received his BDS and MDS (Prosthodontics). He joined the Military Service Medical Corp and later National Dental Centre where he served as the Head, Orofacial Pain Program and Consultant Prosthodontist in the Department of Restorative Dentistry. He is a part time clinical lecturer at the Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore and spent his sabbatical leave at the Department of Oral Medicine, University of Washington, under the sponsorship of another Health Manpower Development Program award for the study of Orofacial Pain. Currently, he practices Prosthodontics and manages Oro-facial pain in private practice.