Dr Tan first graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1988, following which he served in the Navy and at the Singapore General Hospital as a dental officer. He worked in London from 1991 at the King’s College School of Medicine and Dentistry as well as in St. George’s Hospital. He further obtained his Diploma in Orthodontics from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, followed by a Master in Science in Orthodontics from the University of London in 1993.   

Dr Tan is a fellow of the World Federation of Orthodontics and a member of the Association of Orthodontists, Singapore. He was registered as a specialist in Orthodontics, General Dental Council (United Kingdom) from 1999.