A/Prof Chan graduated from the University of Sydney and completed his Master of Dental Surgery in 1983. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and was also a fellow of the College of Dental Surgeons Hong Kong (Prosthodontics), Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (Dental Surgery), Pierre Fauchard Academy and the International College of Dentists. He was awarded the Pierre Fauchard Award 2010 for Excellence in the Science and Medicine of Dentistry by the American Biographical Institute.

He has practiced implant dentistry since the mid-1980’s and has published in international and Australian journals and has lectured extensively on restorative dentistry, implant surgery/GBR and prosthodontics in Australia, New Zealand, South-east Asia and United Kingdom.

He is an Adjunct Associate Professor in Oral Rehabilitation and is on the faculty for Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (Prosthodontics). He was Program Director of Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry (Oral Implants) at the University of Sydney and is also an Honorary Associate Professor (Oral Rehabilitation) at the University of Hong Kong. He was a past President of the Australasian Osseointegration Society (NSW) Inc. and was in full time referral practice in Sydney limited to implant surgery and prosthodontics.

Richard was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to dentistry in 2019.