issue #03 2013 INsIDe Drs Nonie Polycarpou and Catherine Prineas discuss their experiences in the Australian defence forces Dr Adam Keyes-Tilley highlights his journey from candidate to mentor to examiner college news issue #03 2013 1
college information contents Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons President’s Message .................................................................................................. 1 CeO’s Message ................................................................................................................. 2 Incorporated | ABN 97 343 369 579 College interview .......................................................................................................... 3 Registrar, General Dental Practice .................................................. 4 Joint Patrons Registrar, specialist Dental Practice ............................................ 5 education ................................................................................................................................. 6 Her excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC Governor-General of Regional Committees ........................................................................................... 8 the Commonwealth of Australia Dental Careers with a Difference .................................................... 10 His excellency Lieutenant General The Right Honourable The College Remembers ............................................................................... 12 sir Jerry Mateparae GNZM, QsO, Governor-General of New insight ........................................................................................................................................... 13 Zealand. Boards of studies ...................................................................................................... 14 Regional Chairs Meeting ............................................................................... 16 Copyright What’s on at the College ............................................................................... 18 All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by Foundation Donors / Prizes ..................................................................... 19 copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or Perspective ....................................................................................................................... 20 any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical, including Admissions .......................................................................................................................... 21 photocopying, recording, recording taping, or information and retrieval systems) without the written permission of the editor. Disclaimer The Royal Australasian College of Dental surgeons inc., “the RACDs”, its officers, servants or agents will have no liability in any way arising from information or advice that is contained in the College News. The publication of statements, opinions, advertisements or other materials in this College News carries nor representation by or on behalf of the RACDs express or implied of any belief in their truth or otherwise, in whole or in part, unless an express statement to that effect accompanies the item in question. Contact Level 13, 37 York street, sydney NsW 2000 AusTRALiA Telephone: +61 2 9262 6044 | Facsimile: +61 2 9262 1974 agm email: [email protected] | Web: www.racds.org The Annual General Meeting of the College will be held on Friday 22 November 2013 at the Please contact the editor, susan Buchanan at College office, Level 13, 37 York street, sydney. [email protected] if you have some personal news The AGM will be held at 15:00, following the you would like published in the College News. meeting of Council. if you plan to attend, please advise Johanna elaro ([email protected]) at the College office so seating can be arranged. Issue 1 2014 if you are unable to attend, you are welcome to request a proxy form from the College Office. space reservation 7 December 2013 and deadline for Please note that proxies must be lodged with the submission of material 14 December 2013. Chief executive Officer no later than 48 hours Issue 2 2014 before the meeting, or by 16:00 Wednesday 20 November 2013. space reservation 6 May 2014 and deadline for submission of material 13 May 2014. Agenda: Issue 3 2014 1. Minutes of the previous Meeting held on 23 November 2012 space reservation 8 August 2014 and deadline for 2. Annual Balance sheet and Honorary submission of material 15 August 2014. Treasurer’s Report 3. Annual Report and other Reports Front cover photograph 4. special Business – proposed amendments to the Constitution An F/A-18 jet aircraft receiving fuel mid-flight from a Boeing 707 (out of shot). image taken by N Polycarpou
WeLCOMe members with CPD and help prepare members to meet with this anticipated regulatory requirement. Council considers supporting members’ CPD through on-line learning and study clubs would be beneficial and of value to members. Priority 2: Supporting member community As the College membership grows so too does the pool of talents and expertise among its members. Members should be able to more readily connect to these talents and expertise regardless of geographical location. Therefore one of the priorities of this Council is to establish a Membership Directory. This Directory will be a powerful tool for building a strong referral system between members of the College that draws on their various expertise. This is one way that Council President’s message feels will provide interdisciplinary support and raise the quality and standards of dental practice. i urge members to it was with great pleasure that i attended two very successfully look out for an invitation to help build this Members Directory. organised scientific meetings, one organised by the Western Priority 3: Growth of the College - to have a Australia Regional Committee on 14 June and the other by the New south Wales Regional Committee on 23 August. stronger presence in Asia Both scientific meetings were very well attended and i had The proposal to form stronger collaborative relationships with the opportunity to meet with Members and Fellows of the the College of Dental surgeons of singapore and the College College at both the scientific meetings and dinner functions of Dental surgeons of Hong Kong has been well received. afterwards. The inaugural joint meeting of the Presidents of the Dental For those who were unable to attend the regional committee Colleges was held in singapore on 26 August. i attended scientific meetings and for those where the one-day scientific along with the President-elect and the Chief executive programme was not enough to satisfy your insatiable quest Officer and our counter-parts of the other Colleges. The three for new knowledge, please pencil in your diary the next colleges agreed to have periodic joint meetings to explore Convocation in Gold Coast at the surfers Paradise Marriott opportunities for collaboration. We also agreed to have joint Resort and spa from 10 – 13 April 2014. The Continuing scientific meetings of the three colleges in the future with Professional Development (CPD) Committee has been striving the aim to include other colleges/dental organisations in the to organise an exciting programme that will be attractive Asia-Pacific region. This would be of great benefit for the to as many members and dental colleagues as possible. members of each college. Visit [email protected] for more details of the Council also puts priority on maintaining the strong scientific and social programmes. relationships with the uK Colleges and continues to A face-to-face meeting of the chairs or representatives of strengthen our relationships with universities in Australia and regional committees was recently held on saturday 24 August New Zealand and with other dental stakeholders, institutions at the College office in sydney. A wide range of issues were and organisations. discussed and goals identified. There will be increased support One of the newer collaborations we have established over provided by the College office for the regional committees’ the past few years is with the Royal Australasian College activities especially in areas of organising scientific meetings of Physicians - Division of Paediatrics & Child Health. The and there will be improvement in communication between initial collaboration through College members was in the Council, College office and regional committees. development of a Child Oral Health position statement. This As a way to improve and enhance communication between statement was recently updated to provide some key messages Council, boards, committees and members of the College, into the health policy debate of the recent federal election. the College website is undergoing a major upgrade to allow This collaboration has also led to the College’s support for easier use and navigation to a wider range of available being sought by the D3 Group for their newly released web information, accessible to all members. A fresh, or you may based learning resource for Developmental Dental Defects even call it a transformed website will have much improved (www.thed3group.org). it is important for our College to be functionality and is expected to be completed before end of involved in policy and advocacy as we share similar concerns the year. for our patients as our medical and health colleagues. To emphasise the efficiency and importance of communication You will have noticed the recent changes in the newsletter, between Council and members, beginning with this term of following this a major transformation of the website is also Council, strategic directions of the College will be accessible underway. There is also a change in the College organisational to all members on the website. in July, Council identified structure, with some recent staff structural changes in the three strategic priorities to pursue over the next two to four College office to meet the strategic objectives set by Council. years. some objectives will be ongoing with periodic reviews importantly this newsletter highlights a change towards to achieve the best outcome. in summary: efficient communication between Council and College members. Priority 1: Enhancing members benefits, values i would like to conclude by saying nothing is constant, except and privileges change. it is important and beneficial for the College and Council envisages recertification/revalidation of practising its members to be prepared for changes in our professional certificates will be enforced by the health profession undertakings including regulatory and CPD requirements, regulators in the foreseeable future. This follows a worldwide economics, job markets, ever-increasing patient demands trend whereby health professions require a certain amount and expectations, etc. Council has a leading role in helping of accredited continuing professional development as a members to meet these challenges. prerequisite for practising certificate renewal. Council felt Dr Francis Chau that the College should take a proactive role in supporting its college news issue #03 2013 1
WeLCOMe Renewal and Collaboration As well as connecting with other specialties, the College is collaborating with our regional partners for the benefit of all our members, wherever they are based. Firstly, we recently attended the first joint meeting of singapore, Hong Kong, and Australasian Colleges in singapore. This was an historic moment that recognises the need for an academic context to what we do based here in the Asian and Pacific region. While not wanting to lose the important links to the united Kingdom College model, this meeting has provided an opportunity to consider how we can evolve regionally. The joint meeting was an initiative of the College’s President Dr Francis Chau, and has been developing for a number of years. it is a key strategy to continue to turn this dream of ceo’s message a regional alliance into a reality. The early, exciting direction is increasing co-operation and collaboration in regards Connecting through collaboration to scientific meetings, education, continuing professional development and examination. From there, who knows where Collaboration is one of those words that seem to be very much it will lead us? in vogue these days. Yet, it is a meaningful way to describe how we engage with each other in our professional work and Closer to home, we are emphasising continuing collaboration gives greater meaning to the outcome of our joint efforts. across the regional committees and renewing our working relationships to operate in an optimum collegiate environment. Our front cover of this issue demonstrates one of the more The College is strongly committed to looking at its continuing finely adjusted collaborations you could imagine. The pilot core roles and responsibilities, maintaining contact and of the Boeing 707 needs to collaborate with the pilot of the collaboration with all members to further strengthen future high tech F/A-18 jet aircraft, at 30,000 feet, to enable the collegiality to everyone’s benefit. capture of the refuelling nozzle. Considering the factors that could impact on this risky manoeuvre emphasises Shared Challenges the high stakes that make this collaboration between two As the region moves closer together, we are sharing many of individuals so important. This picture, taken by Dental Officer the same challenges. One such challenge is maintaining our Flight Lieutenant (FLTLT) Nonie Polycarpou also points to a practicing certificates in an environment of ever increasing perhaps less obvious collaboration: between the College and expectations for the health and safety of patients undergoing the Australian Defence Force (ADF) who collaborate on our treatment. One of the key mechanisms regulatory bodies use military’s oral health, as our profile of ADF dentists reveals. to ensure that health practitioners are competent to practice Not all collaborations are so adrenalin charged or risky, but in their scope is continuing professional development. they can be just as intricate. Our everyday collaborations in November the College collaboration with the ADA (NsW) may seem routine to us, but to patients receiving dental care Centre for Continuing Development to present the regional those collaborations that occur in the background between lecture series in Tamworth NsW will be highlighted. This practitioner and assistants, researchers, policy makers, collaboration will hopefully be the first of many opportunities funders and trainers are essential to the quality of the care ahead of us as we both seek to meet the CPD needs of that is delivered. our respective members, particularly in regional and rural Collaborating on Paediatric Oral Health Australia. As the College connects to other dental and health A New Look organisations, meaningful collaborations are occurring as we Part of our own commitment to quality improvement and work together on areas of mutual interest. We are continually providing easier access to the wealth of information on mindful of factors that can impact the outcome, yet skilfully College education programs, is a transformation of our navigating through those factors with each other. The work website into one that allows easy and clear access to that RACDs has done over the past year with the Royal everything our College members’ need. Beyond the website Australasian College of Physicians’ Division of Paediatrics & we are producing a handbook that collates the myriad of Child Health is a good example. rules and regulations around education into one reference, Both Colleges have produced a joint statement on Child Oral and ‘plain english’ documents and curricula for trainees. Health that seeks to ensure that all health practitioners who i always welcome any opportunity to discuss how the College are involved with the health care of children are aware of the can assist Members and Fellows in their professional capacity. need to include oral health. This is particularly so in the first three years of childhood. The strength of the collaboration in Gary Disher developing this statement has meant that the College was well positioned to respond to an approach from Professor David Manton who was seeking the College’s endorsement for his web based resource for dental developmental defects (www. thed3group.org), particularly chalky teeth. This is a world first and highlights a silent, global burden of disease that is in the billions of dollars. The college is proud to endorse this initiative. 2 college news issue #03 2013
COLLeGe iNTeRVieW One other challenge of the program was getting into the process of examinations again after so many years. sB: Did you feel that undergoing the program affected your practise of dentistry? AKT: Absolutely, dentists are always at risk of narrowing their focus to specific problems and tend to do what we are good at, and not those things we are less good at or less interested in. As a consequence, our treatment planning and diagnosis tends to follow our interests and our knowledge over time often develops depth however it can become less broad. The MRACDs(GDP) program made me study other areas of dentistry, which i had not done since i was an undergraduate student, and also introduced me to new technology and different treatment modalities. Further, the program gave me a broader view of general health and dentistry. the Path to fellowshiP sB: Did you have a mentor whilst on the program and how and beyond did you find that experience? AKT: Yes, Dr Warren shnider was my mentor and he was very An interview with Fellow, mentor and examiner, encouraging and helped me greatly with my case reports and Dr Adam Keyes-Tilley organisation in general. Dr shnider practices in a different area of dentistry from me however this did not matter as Associate Professor susan Buchanan, Honorary editor of the became clear during the process. He helped me think outside College News the box, develop a logical approach to my short answer questions (sAQs) and case reports and helped me convey my Dr Adam Keyes-Tilley is a general practitioner and one of thoughts in a professional manner. the College’s many supporters of the Membership of the Royal Australasian College of Dental surgeons Membership sB: Did the mentoring experience lead to you becoming a Program in General Dental Practice (MRACDs(GDP). mentor and subsequently an examiner? His talent and successes have guided him to completion of the AKT: Yes. i discovered that there are relatively simple things MRACDs(GDP) program in 2007, and subsequent completion which you can pass on to others which can really assist their of the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental learning and development process. i believe being a mentor is surgeons General Dental Practice (FRACDs) in 2011 where he about polishing candidates not teaching them. achieved the highest score in the examination and won the Most candidates are very competent and knowledgeable and Kenneth J. G. sutherland Prize. my job as a mentor is to enable them to develop strategies to Dr Keyes-Tilley has worked as a general practitioner for 21 convey their thoughts. Dentists have a huge knowledge base years and manages a private practice in st Kilda Road, and it can be a challenge to communicate the complexity of Melbourne. a problem. i have now been an examiner for 18 months and this is easier than i anticipated, due to my own experience as since becoming a Fellow, Dr Keyes-Tilley kindly volunteered a candidate and a mentor. as a mentor for the MRACDs(GDP) program and is now generously supporting the College as an examiner for the examinations require you to organise your thoughts and membership program. i asked him a few questions about his approach to the management and care of patients. You need experiences in these activities. to demonstrate that you will take time to get to know the patient and communicate with them rather than just treating sB: What made you decide to do the MRACDs(GDP)? the immediate problem in front of you. AKT: Having graduated in 1991, i was approaching 16 years sB: What were the reasons for continuing onto Fellowship in general practice, which i believed would be about the and did the MRACDs program contribute to your excellent midpoint of my career. i did not want to limit myself to one results? area of dentistry, but rather marry up my clinical skills with academia. i was looking for a course which would refresh my AKT: Once i had gained confidence by completing the knowledge in dentistry but also subject me to review by my MRACDs(GDP) i felt i could tackle the FRACDs. i thought peers. it would be a waste not to use the opportunity to go on to Fellowship, as i had gained a variety of new skills and sB: What were some of the challenges and highlights of the formulated a lot of study material. The information was so program? fresh in my mind – case reports, viva voces, research study, short answer questions and so on. i did not think i would pass AKT: Having worked as a clinical practitioner for some time, the FRACDs let alone win the Kenneth J. G sutherland prize! i recognised how quickly you form the habit of focusing on the patient’s immediate problem(s) as they present. The The MRACDs(GDP) program had honed my skills so that MRACDs(GDP) program encourages you look at the whole i could sit examinations and do viva voces again. Prior to patient and i found this a real challenge initially, after so studying for the MRACDs(GDP) i had completed many hours many years of solving the ‘problem’. of continuing professional development (CPD) but had never been formally assessed. it was a great opportunity for my The program made me appreciate the difference between thought processes to be assessed by my peers and there is discussing treatment with patients in layman’s terms and not a lot of opportunity for this to happen in private practice. with fellow practitioners using scientific language. When i talk to fellow practitioners, it is important to support my views sB: Following your experience as a mentor, you are now a with references and scientific data. college news issue #03 2013 3
ReGisTRARs member of the Board of studies for General Dental Practice registrar, and on the Victoria and Tasmania Regional Committee. How does you experience as a candidate and mentor support general your work as a Board Member and/or Committee Member? dental AKT: i have a greater understanding of the processes that candidates are going through. We have a lot of requests for Practice extensions and discuss issues around the structure of the course. The committee work gives me a good idea of where Examination Preparation the program is going and how the candidates are coping. Programs in addition, an understanding of the College vision for the program gives me a complete picture. The Final exam Workshop (FeW) was again very successful, Drs sB: Have you any advice for young practitioners considering Geoffrey Borlase and Paul Beath their options with the College? presented to a group of 63 i believe it is really important before embarking on the candidates with the support of the facilitators: Drs Peter serb, MRACDs(GDP) or FRACDs to gain very broad clinical erin Mahoney, Warren shnider and Geoff Young. experience. We all develop skills at different rates, but you Candidates particularly enjoyed the opportunity to present need to have honed some of those skills, those which you their own cases, lead discussion about the treatment provided are less interested in as well as those in which you are more and respond to questions from their peers: interested. The MRACDs program or FRACDs can take your practice to the next level and is tailored to creating General “i now have a better idea of what the examiners are looking Dental Practitioners or specialist Dental Practitioners. These for. And i was pleased to realize that this is high level learning programs will provide you with a very broad knowledge, for the purposes of understanding and interpreting material, identify your skill sets, teach you how to involve other without the didactic philosophy of “THis is the right and only practitioners with different skill sets, and provide tools to way”. i like the wide scope expected.” coordinate treatment so that you can provide optimum “The FeW gave me a starting point in my preparation, provided outcomes for a patient. i believe it is about being a team me with a guide as to how much time to spend on literature leader! search and how much on studying, and was very helpful in sB: You are obviously very busy in your professional career creating a reference library. The workshop also allowed me to and roles within the College, what do you do for recreation? meet people and form a study group.” i have two children, five and eight years old, and together A group of six candidates and two coordinators from the we do a lot of outdoor activities such as, skiing, windsurfing, university sains Malaysia also participated in the workshop. sailing and watching our beloved Melbourne Football Club. These candidates successfully completed the Primary i believe keeping fit is very important for a dentist to keep examinations last year and will present for the Final up energy levels. Clinical dentistry is a physically demanding examination in sydney in 2014. occupation so you need to maintain your core strength. The Orientation Course was held at Moore Theological College i also assist with the guided reading program for my from 1 July to 12 July. Primary examination candidates who daughter’s class and present science talks for my son’s class, attended the course benefitted from a series of stimulating loosely based on the human body and dentistry. and clinically relevant lectures covering the basic sciences. The College thanks Dr Adam Keyes-Tilley for agreeing to be Most of the sessions were presented by academics who have interviewed for this article. We also thank Dr Keyes-Tilley for tirelessly examined for the College over many years and once his invaluable contributions both as a mentor and examiner again the feedback from participants was that they were for the College. We hope to inspire other Fellows of the stimulated by the presentations: College, by highlighting Dr Keyes-Tilley’s experience and The success of the course is a result of the quality of the involvement. presentations and also the hard work of the College staff from if you would like further details about the MRACDs(GDP) the education Department, evelyn Mike, Kala Miranda and program or becoming a mentor, please contact Anna Gamlin sheridan Waddell. on [email protected] special mention should also be made of the support provided similarly if you would like to discuss Fellowship, please contact by four Fellows of the College who acted as co-ordinators over Kala Miranda on [email protected] the two week period: Drs Catherine Prineas, Zhen Mashen, Peter Mansour and Dimitra Mersinia and two staff from universiti sans Malaysia also attended the Orientation Course, accompanying their candidates. Examinations The Primary examination will be held from 25 November, commencing with the written papers in various regions, and culminating in the viva voce examination to be held in Hong Kong on 7 December. The Final examination will be held mid January, the written paper examinations on 14 and 15 January and the viva voce examinations from 20 – 22 January 2014. 4 college news issue #03 2013
ReGisTRARs in 2012, case-based materials were successfully implemented Dr Chris sealey (NZ) across all electives. This forms the basis of the clinical and Dr Miles Doddridge (sA) oral examination, with the case-based examination replacing Dr Dylan Hyam (ACT) the use of live patients. The general elective viva voce remains Dr Dimitrios Nikolarakos (QLD) unchanged. Dr Jocelyn shand (ViC) Dr Chris Poon (ViC) The web based preparation program is well underway, and candidates are further encouraged to establish study networks The surgical science and Training (ssT) examination in OMs with colleagues and peers. was conducted at the Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital, Brisbane on 9 & 10 August. Dr Alistair Reid once again A/Professor Liz Martin excelled in his organization of the examination, and he is to be congratulated for his efforts in sourcing an excellent facility. Of the 14 candidates who presented, 11 were successful. Again, registrar, sPecialist my appreciation to the ssT examiners, chaired by Dr Jocelyn shand: dental Practice Dr Martin Batstone (QLD) Dr Ben erzetic (QLD) Examinations Dr Mathew Hawthorne (QLD) Dr David sherring (NsW) The Final examination for Dr Carina Koorts (Anaesthetist) (QLD) Fellowship in the specialist Dental Dr Richard Wood (ViC) Practice Disciplines of Orthodontics Dr James Worthington (NZ) and Periodontics was held at the Dr John Harrison (NZ) College office in sydney on Monday 26 August. On behalf of the i thank the Assistant Registrar, Dr Julia Dando, who supported College i express my appreciation the examiners’ calibration and meetings for both these to examiners Drs John Pritchard, examinations. Rachel Garraway, Andrew Toms Membership examinations in the following specialist disciplines and Prof Jim Hawkins who gave of are being held conjointly under Memoranda of understanding their time and expertise to ensure a with the universities of Queensland, Western Australia and robust process. sydney: Membership examinations in the specialist Dental Practice disciplines of endodontics and endodontics Dental Public Health, endodontics Periodontics were also held at the College office for external Orthodontics candidates on 26 & 27 August. Drs Paul Fitz-walter and Oral Medicine stephen Dahlstrom examined in endodontics and Drs John Paediatric Dentistry Pritchard and Rachel Garraway examined for the Membership Periodontics examination in Periodontics. Prosthodontics i am pleased to advise that Dr unni Krishnan successfully special Needs Dentistry presented for Membership examination in endodontics and Drs The conjoint examination conducted by the College and Latfiya Al Harthi and James Van den Berg in Periodontics. the Royal College of surgeons, edinburgh, the MOrth/ The Final examination for Fellowship in Oral and Maxillofacial MRACDs(Orth) will once again be held in Adelaide in November. surgery (OMs) was conducted at the Adelaide Dental Hospital, Angus Cameron Adelaide, with the Clinical and Oral examinations taking place on 3 and 4 september. eleven candidates successfully presented for this examination. On completion of training, the At the time this issue went to press, the College received the new Fellows in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery will be: news that Associate Professor Angus Cameron will step down as Registrar, specialist Dental Practice. BADLANi, James (NT) BeRTRAM, Anthony (NsW) Angus has most generously supported the College for 15 years, BOBiNsKAs, Alexander (ViC) dedicating his time and extensive knowledge to candidates, CHeNG, Andrew (sA) Members and Fellows. COLLuM, Justin (QLD) De LOOZe, Jacob (WA) On behalf of Council, the registrars and the College membership, GARG, Ankit (TAs) we thank you Angus for your outstanding contributions as HARRis, Richard (QLD) Registrar, specialist Dental Practice. PATeL, Kush (WA) RiCCiARDO, Peter (WA) ROBeRTsON, Benjamin (QLD) Drs James Badlani and Kush Patel have already completed training, and can therefore be admitted as Fellows in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery. Dr Ben Grave coordinated the examination process for the first time. i congratulate and thank Ben for the hard work that goes into the organisation of such an important event. i also express the appreciation of the College to the examiners for their enormous contribution and in particular to Dr Anthony Lynham, the Chair of the Court of examiners: college news issue #03 2013 5
eDuCATiON The FRACDs demands a higher level of evidence and requires candidates demonstrate clear understanding through communication and citing relevant literature. The scope of the program embraces all aspects of General Dental Practice and requires candidates to demonstrate at an experienced practitioners’ level. This means that information can be evaluated, implemented and integrated in that candidate’s clinical practice. The volume of scientific literature now available has risen to over 500 clinical trials published annually in each specialty. There has also been an increase in the number of journals (more than 70) over which this is spread. Along with increasing complexity in the evaluation of this information, study covering the entire scope of general dentistry has become increasingly difficult for candidates and general practitioners. Arguably to college education the point of near impossibility. To locate, access, interpret and then commit this literature The College was recently represented at the American Dental to memory becomes no small task for practitioners. Time is Association’s Centre for evidence Based Dentistry’s (eBD) often short, literature is not always readily accessible, and Champions Conference in Chicago. Dr Paul Beath writes of his practitioners may have limited training in finding and evaluating experiences and how they relate to his reflections on examining literature. it is rarely a primary skill in General Practice and for the College for Fellowship in General Dental Practice. candidates are not usually surrounded by peers with these skills or with the desire to share the load in evaluating current in April this year i was invited to attend the American Dental literature. Association’s Centre for evidence Based Dentistry (eBD) Champions Conference as a representative of the College. self-directed learning has been an essential tenant of the The Centre provides an open access website which includes FRACDs program. The College’s future educational role should a database of systematic reviews, critical and plain language include the building of skills and ability of General Practitioners summaries of these reviews, clinical recommendations and to accurately evaluate findings and their implications as well guidelines as well as links to many other evidence based as simplifying the process of accessing current evidence. resources. This makes it an invaluable resource for those skills training in this would be required but also direction to preparing for College examinations particularly in the newly appropriate resources such as the ADA eBD site would be defined Division of General Dental Practice. desirable. Medicine has had publications and sites such as “up To Date” for some time, which give updated reviewed The “Champions” concept shows similarities to the important information on clinical conditions but these do not exist in role the Royal Australasian College of Dental surgeons (RACDs) dentistry. The more efficient the process of accessing reviewed plays in bringing current evidence into practice through information can become the more time becomes available to motivated and trained practitioners. This could well become implement and communicate with the stakeholders in the a more important part of the College’s role and narrative in process. relation to General Dental Practice. My own contact with the ADA eBD group began on the advice of ADA Centre for EBD as a Resource a previous candidate, and now mentor, Dr iovanna Timmerman, who suggested it as a useful resource for candidates for using my experience as an examiner for the Final examination most of the reasons given above. Databases like this with the in General Dental Practice (FRACDs) and later as presenter at resources links provided as the supplements and series of the Final exam Workshop (FeW) in addition to being a member topic related reviews available in the Australian, American and of the Board of studies FRACDs i have identified two central British Dental journals are forming a core of more accessible issues to consider: information. enhancing the candidate’s ability to locate and use the available resources should be one of our short term 1. The difference between the examiner’s expectations and goals for education. the achievement of the candidates who present for the Final examination for Fellowship (FRACDs); and The Translational Aspect of ADA EBD and the RACDS 2. The ideal level and manner of guidance, assistance and The Champions’ program seeks to train and engage influential educational material for candidates. early adopters with evidence Based Practice. The aim of the Champions’ concept is based on findings that valid evidence education and examination, the formative and the summative, alone does not change professional behaviour. The use of are the yin and yang of College existence. The MRACDs(GDP) influential peers has shown some success by helping bridge and FRACDs approach these with slightly different the difficult to close gap between early adopters and the early requirements and methods. majority in the diffusion of innovation model. in many ways this The MRACDs(GDP) Program was developed with a much more translational role is how the College can be most influential in defined syllabus and defined learning goals based around the general practice setting clinical practice. Candidates complete modules where the it is obvious when facilitating at the Final exam Workshop that preparation for, and completion of, open book examinations it is rare for candidates to use current treatment methods includes both the formative and summative and in doing so such caries risk assessment protocols, early caries treatment adds rigor, precision and review to the candidates’ continuing protocols, iCDAss charting in their everyday practice. professional education. Candidates improve their knowledge Diagnostic and treatment planning skills are also often weak and and skills based on current evidence. much work has been done on the development and training of 6 college news issue #03 2013
eDuCATiON these skills in the FeW. Objective measurement of candidates’ Adult oral health and dental visiting in Australia: clinical practices and experience would be helpful and wise. results from the National Dental Telephone My experiences suggest that many skills are not adequately embedded at universities or do not survive the movement of Interview Survey 2010 graduates into practice. Once in practice the uptake of new paradigms and methods seems to be particularly poor. This recently released publication from the Australian institute of Health and Welfare reports on the oral health, dental visiting in addition, in an increasingly industrialised and commercial and dental treatment needs of Australian adults that were dental environment many young graduates are entering self-reported in the 2010 National Dental Telephone interview practices where the model is that of an ethically run business. survey (NDTis). Time series data across all NDTiss conducted They may not be in an environment where professional goals - since 1994 are also presented which provides a picture of how including that of translating high level contemporary evidence key measures have changed in nearly 20 years. international into their practice - are not part of the practice philosophy. comparisons have also been included. The report has a number of interesting findings for those if, as it appears, skills and knowledge are not being adequately interested in oral health status in the Australian community. transferred from university training into practice the College Our thanks to Australian Policy Online and the swinburne has a role on several fronts: institute of Technology for this posting. • By evaluating and reinforcing skills after graduates have Oral health entered practice in 2010, the majority of Australian adults reported good oral • By producing Fellows with the skills to find evaluate and health. However, 37% reported that they had experienced an rapidly implement scientific information into clinical practice oral health issue in the previous 12 months, including 15% who experienced toothache, 25% who felt uncomfortable with their • By providing support and ongoing training in the translation dental appearance and 17% who had avoided certain foods. of information into practice Adults who were from low-income households or held an • By evaluating: the current state, development and outcome Australian Government concession card were more likely to of knowledge translation. report having ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ oral health and to have experienced toothache than adults from high-income households or non- To support the translation aspects of evidence into practice cardholders. The analysis shows there was no significant of the College will mean skills training of candidates and the change over time in these measures. creation of communities of interest able to act in a cooperative and an effective manner. These could be web based and / Dental visiting or regional groups. it would also provide a foundation for continuing involvement within the College. This process may Around 60% of adults made a dental visit in the previous 12 also enhance the core needs of any functional community such months and the majority of these visited for a check-up (60%). as inclusion, enfranchisement, and contact between members Adults in the lowest income group (51%) and cardholders and an increased frequency and depth of communication. (those who hold an Australian Government concession card) (53%) were less likely than those in the highest household By organising information in a more accessible and income group (65%) and non-cardholders (64%) to have understandable manner the College may be able to increase made a dental visit in the previous 12 months. the knowledge candidates present at the Final examination Adults from Major cities were more likely than those from all and may help reduce the gap between expectation and other areas to have made a dental visit and to have visited for achievement. The translation of evidence based skills into a check-up. practice is already a function the college fulfils. This should be seen as a central component of the General Dental Practice Barriers to dental care use narrative. if the translational skills of candidates are to be developed, tested and supported we may need to develop Around 38% of adults experienced a financial barrier or new and innovative methods of doing this using resources and hardship associated with dental visits. Overall, 31% avoided or models such as those seen in the American Dental Association’s delayed making a dental visit due to cost. Of those who did Centre for evidence Based Practice. visit, around 11% of adults reported that dental visits in the previous 12 months were a large financial burden. Adults from Dr Paul Beath the lowest income households were seven times as likely to RACDs examiner, Facilitator and FRACDs Board Member report difficulty paying a $150 dental bill than those from high- income households. Reference: Changing the behavior of healthcare professionals: the use of theory in promoting the uptake of research findings International comparisons (in italics), Martin ecclesa,*, Jeremy Grimshawb, Anne Walkerc, Australian adults reported oral health similar to their Canadian Marie Johnstond, Nigel Pittse. counterparts but generally better than that of New Zealanders. The American Dental Association’s Centre for evidence Based Fewer Australians than New Zealanders had no natural teeth. Dentistry can be found at www.ebd.ad.aorg However, Australians were more likely than their New Zealand counterparts to have made a dental visit in the previous 12 months but less likely than those in Canada to do so. Australian adults were more likely at all ages than Canadian adults to report that they had avoided or delayed visiting due to cost. However, they were less likely to have avoided or delayed due to cost than New Zealanders in all age groups up to 45-54 years and less likely to report that they currently needed dental care. The report can be found at www.aihw.gov.au college news issue #03 2013 7
ReGiONAL COMMiTTees The Western Australia Regional Committee scientific Day, 14 June 2013 Western Australia the right amount and type of Alveolar Bone in the right place and the application of this to Clinical Dentistry”. The Western Australia Regional Committee hosted their annual scientific meeting “A Dental Double-Header” on 14 Professor Mark Forwood, Head of Griffith Medical school, June 2013. presented an excellent lecture on Bone Physiology, homeostasis and osteoporosis. He is a Professor of Anatomy Drs Andrew Bochenek, Tim Johnston, sanjivan Kandasamy and an expert Bone Biologist. Professor Forwood’s lecture and Kate Morlet-Brown presented on their respective field of was particularly relevant to dental practitioners working expertise and gave us valuable insights on the hot topics of with Alveolar Bone, specifically the hormonal and chemical lasers, The Wand, Loupes and Botox. control of bone resorption/remodelling. The significance of Osteoporosis drugs was reviewed. The afternoon took a different direction with the topic “Medical emergencies – what’s real, what’s possible and what Ms emily Chen, a Griffith Dental school final year student, you could have missed”. Drs Ray Williamson and Gareth Davies presented an illuminating lecture on endodontic Micro- and medical practitioners Dr Daniel Alexander (Paediatric organisms. emily also presented her research into laser intensive Care specialist) and Dr David Watson (specialist assisted endodontic therapy which she is currently completing Physician) provided interesting and informative insights and with Associate Professor Glen ulett from the Griffith school kept the audience entertained with their presentations. The of Medical science. special thanks to emily stepping into the variety of topics during the day was well received. role at short notice and travelling all the way from Mount isa. The event was once again well supported with over 100 The final speaker, bringing a clinical perspective to the lecture delegates attending, including final year dentistry students. series, was Dr Gary smith, a Brisbane Prosthodontist. Gary We were fortunate to host the President, Dr Francis Chau for presented an entertaining and thought provoking lecture on the meeting and the fellowship dinner that followed. The edentulous ridge morphology and full denture construction. dinner was held at the uWA Club and was a great opportunity using his thirty plus years of removable Prosthodontics for members and fellows to network in a relaxed social setting. experience, Gary provided many hints and tips for dealing in August, an informal networking event was held providing with challenging cases. candidates the opportunity to meet with College members and Members and Fellows profited from the opportunity for mentors; Dr elizabeth Day and Dr Albert Tan. special thanks fellowship and networking at the annual dinner which to student Advisor Dr Andrew savundra who coordinated a followed the scientific program. it was good to see old thoroughly successful and well attended event with ove. friendships rekindled at the dinner; it was a pleasure to have Dr. eric Carter visiting from sydney, who caught up with well Finally, the Western Australia Regional Committee is proud known Queensland fellow, Dr Pat Jackman, whom he hadn’t to welcome new members: Drs Amy Hope, Raymond Lam, Dr seen for many years. Zahida Oakley and Dr Peter Mack. The Western Australian members are well supported by a diverse regional committee All fellows expressed the same sentiment; that the scientific - all with fresh ideas and energy! Preparations are already program and dinner was an enjoyable and productive event under way for the next scientific meeting to be held in June for College members in Queensland. 2014. Following the scientific day, the Queensland Regional Queensland Regional Committee Committee membership was established for the coming term of 2013-2015. Professor Newell Johnson was elected as Chair An excellent half day lecture series was presented at the and i will continue on as secretary/Treasurer. Queensland Regional Committee scientific Day on Friday 2 August 2013. Dr Marcus Todd, after many years of commendable service, is stepping down from the regional committee. On behalf of Professor Newell Johnson presided over the day which the committee, i sincerely thank him for his service over the focused on the theme “Bones, Bugs and Bites: Maintaining past two decades! 8 college news issue #03 2013
ReGiONAL COMMiTTees Dr simon Franks was elected as a new member to the regional committee elections committee. As a new College Fellow and young practitioner, simon will bring some new vigour to the committee and Over the last few months, the regional committees have held their develop strong connections with young private practitioners. biennial elections to elect members for the period 2013 – 2015. i am pleased to welcome Dr sarah Ting as the new Candidate On behalf of the regional committees, the College is pleased to Advisor / Liaison Officer. sarah is currently a post graduate welcome all new members and wishes each of you, the best of student at the university of Queensland Dental school where luck in your positions. she is completing a D.Clin.Dent in Orthodontics. We wish a fond farewell to those members who are stepping down Asia Regional Committee from regional committee positions and thank you most sincerely for your contributions to the College’s regional community. Members of the Asia Regional Committee supported the College by attending the RACDs stand at the HKiDeAs At the time of going to press, the College received the details of the conference held 9-11 August 2013. 2013-2015 membership from the following regional committees: Dr s F Leung coordinated with the support of Drs: Nancy Lo, Queensland regional committee Rony Cho, CK Lee, Jason Wong and Albert Lee. Professor Newell Johnson, Chair Delegates were interested in all areas of the College Dr Dwight elvery, secretary / Treasurer programs: General Dental Practice, specialist Dental Practice and MRACDs(GDP). interestingly, all those attracted to Dr Robert Junner Dr Andrew Thomson the disciplines in specialist Dental Practice were not locals Dr edward Ohlrich Dr simon Franks (except for two candidates who will take the coming Primary examination) they were graduates from Nepal, China, and the Dr Peter Carr Dr sarah Ting united Kingdom. Dr Raj Nair, Councillor (ex officio) Following the conference, the Asia Regional Committee western australia regional committee planned a conjoint meeting with the Hong Kong endodontic society of which most members are general dentists. Dr Cathy Alford, Chair New South Wales Regional Committee Dr Dina Papas, Treasurer and Dr Fleur Creeper, secretary Dr Andrew savundra Dr Andrew Bochenek The New south Wales Regional Committee celebrated 2013 with a splendid annual scientific meeting at the Hilton Hotel, Dr Chris Wholley Dr Phil Cockerill in sydney. This year’s program captured the attention of the Dr Amy Hope (co-opted member) Dr Barry Walsh wider profession and marked a record 200 delegates and Dr Raymond Lam (co-opted member) Dr Zahida Oakley (co-opted member eleven trade sponsors. Dr Peter Mack (co-opted member) Dr Peter Gregory, Councillor (ex officio) Associate Professor elizabeth Martin presented on the “the effect of composite resins on pulps”, Dr soni stephen Victoria / tasmania regional committee presented on “current concepts in paediatric dentistry”, Professor (Affiliate) Terry Walton on “occlusion often forgotten Dr Warren shnider, Chair but still game changing”, Associate Professor Malcolm Dr Adam Keyes-Tilley, secretary / Treasurer Coombs on “risks and rewards of cone beam imaging” and Dr Dr Luke Moloney Dr Aovanna Timmerman Russell Vickers on “complementary/alternative medicine with an emphasis on dental applications”. Dr errol Kilov (co-opted member) Dr Matthew Chan Following on from the success of the scientific day on the Dr sophia Jing (co-opted member) Dr Claudia Yung (co-opted member) Friday, the annual dinner was held on the saturday evening at Dr Theresa souter(co-opted member) Dr Kan Kan (co-opted member) Aqua dining restaurant in Milsons Point. The intimate group Dr sirisha Penmetcha (co-opted member) Dr Lee straddon (co-opted member) was treated to a superb degustation menu, which was only surpassed by the view of the sights of sydney. Dr Michael Yoon (co-opted member) A/Professor Werner Bischof, Dr Patrick Russo and Professor Nicky Kilpatrick, Councillors (ex officio) new south wales regional committee Dr ian sweeney, Chair / Treasurer Dr emma Black, secretary Dr Peter Mansour Dr Vasuki DeLillio Dr soni stephen Dr Dimitira Mersinia Dr Aden Tran Dr Peter Duckmanton, Councillor (ex officio) new Zealand regional committee Dr erin Mahoney, Chair and student Advisor Dr Karl Lyons, secretary / Treasurer L–R: Dr Vasuki De Lillo (student Advisor - Final examinations), Dr Peter Dr suzanne Hanlin Dr Lara Friedlander Mansour, Dr soni stephen, Dr ian sweeney (Chair/Treasurer), Dr Dimitra Mersinia (student Advisor, Primary examinations), Dr emma Black (secretary), Dr sergio salas David Coburn Assoc Prof Peter Duckmanton (Councillor and member ex officio) Thomas Butchard James Martin Dr Robin Whyman, Councillor (ex officio) college news issue #03 2013 9
dental careers with a difference before commissioning with their respective ADF service, they embarked on their general officer training with no obligation to stay for any period of time. Nonie also underwent additional Aviation Medicine training. Once accepted (after undergoing medical and psychological tests) into the ADF Nonie and Catherine both found the general mandatory officer training a grueling “culture shock.” “i went to the Royal Military College at Duntroon,” Catherine recalls. “it was four weeks of sleep deprivation, exams, stress, being barked at by sergeants, being paranoid about ironing your clothes the right way and being on time, which doesn’t come naturally to me. We did a lot of physical activity. i’d done ballet throughout school but this was a totally different level of exertion. An individual’s fitness was then tested with As the Hercules sat on the tarmac at the Royal Australian Air physical fitness tests twice a year.” Force (RAAF) Base in Richmond, NsW completing its engine Both Nonie and Catherine were trained to use a rifle, although test run on the airfield, Dental Officer Flight Lieutenant as medical personnel, being designated non-combatants (FLTLT) Nonie Polycarpou and her colleagues, waited until under the Geneva Conventions they were authorised only they could erect their air transportable hospital. Their work to fire in self-defence. in east Timor, Catherine rehearsed would contribute to preparations for exercise Crocodile 99 the warning in indonesian: “uN – BeRHeNTi, ATAu sAYA which would be held in far north of Australia. TeMBAK”, which translated to “uN - stop or i’ll shoot”. As part of her new career as a RAAF dental officer, this was “They train you carefully,” Catherine says of the rifles. “They just another day at the office. Nonie joined the RAAF after go over and over the steps so you can do it instinctively. At my graduating from the university of sydney, whilst her friend general officer training, i thought, “six months ago i had my and colleague Captain (CAPT) Catherine Prineas embarked head in books and now i’m doing crazy things, so far removed on her dental officer career in the Australian Army. from dentistry”. “i was abseiling and i’m scared of heights,” They are among 7903 women in the ADF employed to maintain Nonie recalls. the oral health of the military service men and women whilst Routine room inspections were known as a PANiC. “At times at home and on overseas deployment. during my officer training i thought ‘What have i done?’ With postings as diverse as RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern However, now i reflect on my training and smile. ultimately, Territory, Nonie also served at Bougainville, Papua New the training is all about instinctive obedience, discipline and Guinea as relief for Catherine, who was also an ADF dentist in knowing how to lead by example – all imperatives for ADF east Timor during the country’s historic inaugural presidential personnel”. elections. As medical specialists and graduates, Catherine and Nonie “it was like MAsH when we were deployed,” says Catherine, were awarded the rank of Captain and Flight Lieutenant as now an Army Reserve dentist. “i was packing years of life soon as they were commissioned as ADF officers and held experience into six months. At the end of deployment you this rank during their training. As early twenty-somethings, get debriefed with a psychologist, but i thought i was being they were both officers as well as dentists. subordinates had debriefed about the most amazing experience. i needed more to salute, which a minority struggled with, as Catherine and debriefing after a holiday with my family!” Nonie were young women with no military background. in turn both had to acknowledge their superiors. Catherine still reports for duty at Randwick Barracks every week as well as working in private practice. Nonie has also The weapons training was a comfort when she had to perform returned to private practice after six years in the ADF but dental surgery in east Timor with a rifle slung across her back. feels her career is richer for the surprising decision she made back at university. “Both Catherine and i were looking to work in hospitals but then the Commonwealth Dental Health scheme was axed,” says Nonie. “in our fifth and final year, ADF dental officers, representing the RAAF, Army and Navy came along and spoke to our year for recruiting purposes. To me it sounded like an exciting way to practice dentistry, being provided the opportunity for exceptional mentoring and professional development, whilst providing optimal dentistry to service personnel”. in her Defence force application, Nonie expressed preference for the RAAF and Army. “i get sea-sick” she says cheerfully, “so i knew that there was no looking at the Navy as a career path”. For Catherine, it was her cousin, an army dentist, who had encouraged her to join. As both Catherine and Nonie had completed their degrees 10 college news issue #03 2013
using Commonwealth funds so you have to be ethical about your decisions on how to treat and keep in mind your charter as a military dentist.” “You have to be flexible in changing situations and deal with managing varieties of people,” Catherine continues. “You have to work as a team and look after the people around you, and you are in charge of subordinates and a dental facility. You have responsibility for the welfare issues of the young dental assistants who are your soldiers and may also have non-work related problems but don’t have the life lessons yet to deal with it. They might also be posted far away from home and family. it’s good management experience.” “i’m a more confident person as a result of my military experience,” Nonie agrees. “You are thrown in at the deep end and often have to multi-task and you are taught to lead by example. The ADF gave me experiences i wouldn’t have east Timor was Catherine’s second deployment with the army had elsewhere - i’ve been in a Boeing 747 whilst it refueled after the period in Papua New Guinea. There was no choice two Hornets midair; i have worked in remote outback regarding deployment. locations from Katherine in the Northern Territory, Oakey “it’s not Club Med,” Catherine quips. “Papua New Guinea in Queensland and singleton in New south Wales as well was exciting however i felt the weight of responsibility. i was as overseas in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Now in my the only dentist on the island and i’d been out of university private practice, i have a picture of a Hornet on the wall, and just three years. Whilst there we treated the Australian, one of a field portable dentist chair from World War Two. My New Zealand, Vanuatuan and Fijian defence forces as well experiences in the air force are often a talking point for my as emergencies in the local civilian community too. The patients.” experience certainly fast tracks your diagnostic skills.” “i left so i could gain broader clinical experience with the Like Nonie’s Air force MAsH dental tent, Catherine performed elderly and children and with the medically compromised,” in a similar sterile environment in Papua New Guinea. “We says Catherine. “While i did see a broad demographic had a portable field dental surgery. everything could be put among the local community on deployment, the majority of in boxes and be assembled in a couple of hours under a tent. your patients back home were fit young men. But i miss it it was quite rudimentary but we had everything we needed, sometimes.” and it was better than the local dentist had; she had less equipment than us, so we felt we were working in luxury.” When Catherine returned to Australia for College exams, Nonie relieved her in her first overseas deployment, she remembers treating a local man who had an abscess on his lower lip the size of a golf ball. His genuine gratitude was huge – “[it was] an unforgettable experience” Nonie recalls. “My main role whilst posted to a base was to provide annual dental examinations and regular dental treatment to ADF personnel, as well as ensuring any personnel due to go on a deployment met their deployment dental fitness category.” Nonie continues. “You don’t want someone in charge of an operation or a multi-million dollar aircraft developing a toothache.” The cabin pressure in an aircraft like an F/A-18 Hornet often exceeds the normal cabin pressure experienced in a commercial airline. “Pain in a tooth caused by pressure changes (barodontalgia) is significant and could compromise an exercise or mission. Therefore, dental fitness in aircrew, for example, is an imperative. Nonie describes four levels of dental fitness: A1: dentally fit and able to be deployed; A2: mild infections (such as gingivitis but still could deploy) then A3 and A4 which required treatment before deployment. sometimes their patients would tell them where they were going to be deployed and other times, it was on a need to know basis. As well as pre-deployment checks and treatment, all ADF personnel had an annual checkup on their birthday, and whether abroad or at bases in Australia, Catherine and Nonie always kept their charter in mind. “We were not there to provide unlimited cosmetic treatment - that’s not what the taxpayer is paying for,” Catherine explains. “The occasional patient would try and dispute declined treatment that could not be justified on functional grounds but on the whole, patients understood the situation. You were college news issue #03 2013 11
THe COLLeGe ReMeMBeRs... Geoffrey Michael William and his generosity in giving of his time to all who asked his McKellar | 1949 - 2013 advice and help. He was much loved by patients as evidenced by the many tributes both on line and in messages to his family Geoffrey was born in Brisbane on 13 and the huge attendance at both his funeral and memorial December 1949 and grew up in the at Westmead; when he was remembered by so many family, suburb of Corinda with his parents, friends, colleagues, staff and patients. The recurring theme brother David who is exactly 2 of the tributes was his kind and caring nature and his greatly years younger being born on the appreciated surgical skills. same day and his sister Margo, 10 He was dearly loved by his family and friends. He was a hero to years younger than Geoffrey. his nephews and nieces who adored their uncle; a best friend His adolescence was full of and wonderful brother to David and Margo; just Dad to David sporting achievements making and Katie who loved him immensely; a special Grandpa ; and representative teams in Youth for Ann he is the love of her life! AFL (u15) and cricket (Brisbane secondary team v NZ) with “And what is as important as knowledge, asked the mind, the highlight winning the Queensland AFL premiership in 1967 Caring and seeing with the heart, answered the soul” when playing for Wests. After matriculating from Corinda High school he commenced work for a year in the Harbours and Marine department before undertaking his dental studies in the Faculty of Dentistry, Dr. Gerald David (Gerry) university of Queensland, where he finished near top of his Dalitz | 1927 - 2013 year in 1972. Dr. Gerald David Dalitz, born in Following work in Brisbane and Hobart he commenced his Bentleigh on 6 March 1927, became Oral and Maxillofacial surgery (OMs) training in Melbourne one of the inaugural Fellows of qualifying with the MDsc. subsequently he passed, by the College on the establishment examination, both the FRACDs in 1984 and the FRACDs (OMs) of the Fellowship of the Royal in 1985. Australasian College of Dental He was appointed as a specialist Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon surgeons (FRACDs). For many at Westmead Hospital in 1981 soon after the hospital had been years Gerry worked as the only commissioned. Geoff not only carried out a busy Oral and Victorian dentist working in the field Maxillofacial surgery (OMFs) service but was also involved in of Forensic Odontology and human under- and post- graduate dental and medical teaching. identification. in his field of Forensic Odontology, Gerry used the method of Cranio-Facial superimposition for identification He was appointed Head of the Department in 1994 and purposes and became the first person to be allowed to Associate Professor at the university of sydney in 1988. He present this technique in a court of law, during a murder case. was also appointed to the New Children’s Hospital when it opened in Westmead in 1994 and undertook the oral to read the full obituary, please visit the college website surgical management of significantly medically compromised www.racds.org and syndromic children. His successful private practice in Westmead with Ann had an emphasis on orthognathic surgery. His research interests were wide and included: • Tissue engineering and Regenerative Medicine, which led to his membership of the council of TeRMis and running the first TeRMis AP conference in sydney; • The use of biodegradable materials in facial reconstruction which led to his research work operating on 150 lambs; • Orthognathic surgery and distraction osteogenesis; • The use of Botulinum toxin in the management of maxillofacial disorders; • TMJ prosthetic reconstruction; • And cleft lip and palate surgery which was demonstrated by his involvement for 20 years in the Operation Restore Hope mission in Cebu. He was actively involved in both ANZAOMs as a federal councillor and treasurer and in the RACDs OMs Board as a member of the Accreditation and education Committees and subsequently as Chair of the Board of studies OMs. He was respected as an examiner for both the university and RACDs in under-and post- graduate examinations. He lectured extensively worldwide at international conferences and ran the successful Westmead OMs course for 25 years. He was well respected by his surgical and medical colleagues who recognized his surgical skills and compassion with patients 12 college news issue #03 2013
iNsiGHT of loved ones is an important aspect to helping families and communities cope and rebuild. Whilst shows like Csi and the use of DNA evidence might reign supreme on TV, it was dental identification that was the dominant method of identifying victims of the Boxing Day Tsunami. Forensic odontologists from the university of Adelaide’s school of Dentistry played a part in victim identification. From January 2005, Drs Helen James, Giacomo Cirillo, Tony Lake and Kain Rowlings joined other Australian and international forensic odontologists at the coalface of the tragedy, putting in 12-hour shifts at temporary mortuaries, comparing dental structures to records held in an international database (Plassdata, based in Denmark). a different dental Dr Helen James, Acting Director of the Forensic Odontology sPecialty under the unit, described it as a “surreal experience”. microscoPe “From the first report of 4,500 victims, the bodies to be identified just kept on coming,” she said. “We were working with teams of forensic dentists from Thailand and other Asian You might not think that dentistry is the stuff that inspires countries, New Zealand, europe, uK and Canada. We had to television series, but forensic odontology is one dental create a mortuary and implement a number of processes for specialty where real life and fiction can get along well together. disease control as well as information management systems Forensic odontology involves the application of dental science under very difficult situations. to issues of the law. The role of the odontologist covers fields By May 2005, forensic odontology had contributed to 87% as diverse as: of identifications, 9% of victims had been identified by their • identification of unknown deceased persons either in single fingerprints and only 0.5% by DNA evidence, which is called cases or mass disaster incidents into play later in the identification process due to cost factors. • assessment of bite mark evidence following assault, rape, “identifying the victims is a process of pattern association and trauma and child abuse you quickly discover the search is only as good as the data that has been entered. identification of very young victims who • assessment of facial trauma following head and neck injury were yet to have seen a dentist was particularly difficult, but we • assessing age from dental development could estimate their age from the stage of dental development. • craniofacial superimposition to match the underlying facial Richard Bassett agrees that accurate record keeping by skeleton and teeth with a photograph of the living person dentists is essential to their work in identification. “electronic records have been a great advancement in our practice, but • providing dental opinion in cases of dental fraud and there are still a lot of old paper records out there that i need to malpractice. use in my identification work. Most of these are of pretty poor quality, useful and readable by the originator of the record, but Dr Richard Bassett, a Forensic Odontologist with the Victorian no one else.” institute of Forensic Medicine and recent speaker at the Victorian and Tasmanian Regional Committee scientific Dr Bassett estimates that most Forensic Odontology units Day said a number of events have helped to bring forensic usually works on about 100 cases every year, mostly local odontology into the spotlight. identification problems, but also bite mark analysis from crime scenes, age estimates and superimpositions. Whilst “Firstly there was the Lindy Chamberlain case, where holes the traditional method is to use photography, CT scanning is in a baby’s jump suit were said to be made by scissors. There quickly showing its reliability and reproducibility. was always a question as to whether it could have been the teeth marks from a dingo. Odontology was one of the sciences The ‘science’ of bite marks is pretty flimsy according to Dr brought to focus on this question.” Bassett. “We are mostly looking at patterns of bruising on skin where teeth are said to have been the culprit. But skin is “There have been other high profile criminal cases recently a physiological organ not a static piece of dental impression where forensic odontology has been able to assist in the material. so the ability to match a bite pattern is very much an identification of victims. “Bodies in the Barrels” in Adelaide inexact art.” and those bodies found in rugged bushland in southern NsW are both examples where dental records have helped identify Dr James agrees “The job requires lateral thinking, a keen victims.” understanding of human pathology, an awareness of procedural aspects of the work and the potential legal outcomes from “Thirdly, the rise in television series such as Csi which feature your results”. forensic sciences has really brought our disciplines into the popular culture. We can all acknowledge the fact that the ability The Australian society of Forensic Odontology was established for Csi to sort out issues during an ad break is not realistic, but in the early 1980’s to bring together dental graduates with an this type of TV show has increased student interest in all areas interest in developing and promoting forensic dental science of forensic science, odontology included.” as a subspecialty within dental academic pursuits. Dr Bassett indicated that the identification of victims from our Drs Bassett and James are two of a very small number of bushfire tragedies makes up a large proportion of odontology forensic odontologists in Australia. in New Zealand there are work. Both Victoria and south Australia have had a number of approximately 80 dentists in this specialty. deaths from bushfire over the past few years and identification college news issue #03 2013 13
BOARDs OF sTuDies MRACDs Board Chair Neil Peppitt OMs Board Chair Paul Sambrook accreditation, accreditation, Legend: seated: Dr Jocelyn shand, Dr Julia Dando Assistant Registrar (OMs) standing: Dr Dylan Hyam, Dr Dimitrios Nikolarokos, A/Prof Anthony accreditation! Lynham (Chair), Dr Miles Doddridge, Dr Chris Poon, Dr Chris sealey At the recent Board of studies meeting key issues for This is a competitive process and standards were high. For discussion included the accreditation of the Oral and training commencing in 2014, there were only eight positions Maxillofacial surgery training program by the four regulatory available. A special thanks to Dr Jocelyn shand, Dr David agencies; the requirements for verified CPD; and the changing sherring, Ms Claudia Arrage and Ms Vicky Dominguez for nature of continuing professional development with particular their hard work in ensuring the process was implemented reference to recertification, and mandatory research. smoothly. Flying out to the New Zealand, the accreditation team met Surgical Science & Training Examination (SST) with Dental Council of New Zealand (DCNZ) representatives: Professor Lindsay Richards, Dr John Bridgman, and DCNZ The surgical science and Training examination (ssT) was Chief executive Officer Marie Warner. One key take home conducted on 9 and 10 August 2013 at the education Centre message from Professor Richards was that the OMs Handbook of the Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital in Brisbane and at is of a very high standard in relation to all the accredited sites the Health sciences Building, university of Queensland. The across Australia and New Zealand. examination was coordinated by Dr Alistair Reid, who ensured that it was well organized. in Queensland, an accreditation visit took place on the 24 – 26 July 2013, resulting in three hospitals granted full accreditation The examination panel comprised Dr’s Batstone, erzetic, for a further five years and six hospitals granted conditional Harrison, Koorts, shand, sherring, Wood and Worthington. accreditation for 12 months to allow time to address several A special thanks to Dr Jocelyn shand and the examiners areas of mandatory criteria. The Accreditation Review Report for their hard work in organising this process. Fourteen has been finalised and sent to the Chief executive Officer at candidates presented for the examination and eleven were each Hospital. successful. Congratulations to all successful candidates. The Queensland hospitals that were visited were: Gold Coast i would also like to acknowledge the College staff support Hospital, ipswich Hospital, Logan Hospital, Mater Hospital of both the ssT and Final exams, and thanks to Assistant (Children and Adults), Princess Alexandra Hospital, Royal Registrar (OMs) Dr Julia Dando for supporting both. Thank Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Royal Children’s Hospital you also to Ms sheridan Waddell, examinations Assistant for and Townsville Hospital. The accredited post at the Royal supporting the ssT. Darwin Hospital was assessed via teleconference during this Queensland site visit. Education Committee special thanks go to the accreditation review team; Dr Nick The ssT examination preparation course was held in Adelaide Rutherford – Accreditation Team Leader and Dr Paul Meara - on 21 - 22 June 2013. Presenters were; Mr Newton Panicker, Accreditation Team Member supported by Ms Claudia Arrage, Mr suren Krishnan, Mr Marcus Lloyd, Dr Chris Acott and Dr education Officer. edwin Figueira. All applicants sitting their ssT examinations (15) attended the course. The course was very successful and Selection Process for 2013 Eligibility and Positions will be held in Adelaide over the next two years. A total of 25 applicants for selection into the OMs Training Final Examinations Program participated in three structured interviews of approximately 15 minutes each (total 45 minutes) conducted The written section of the Final examination took place on by three panels and two training centres. each panel had 12 and 13 August 2013 and was held in Adelaide, Melbourne, up to three representatives per training centre and one Northern Territory, Queensland, sydney and Western independent panel member. This enabled each applicant for a Australia. training position to be interviewed by all six centres. There are The Clinical and viva voce examinations were held in Adelaide three major elements underpinning the selection process for on 3 and 4 september 2013. Twelve candidates presented entry into surgical training. The tools utilised in this process and eleven were successful. Congratulations to all successful are: curriculum vitae (20%), professional performance candidates. special thanks to Dr Julia Dando and to Anna appraisal (35%) and interview (45%). Gamlin, education Officer, GDP for their support. 14 college news issue #03 2013
BOARDs OF sTuDies success in the MRACDs(GDP) program continues with two candidates passing their viva voce examinations in February and five candidates passing in May. i personally congratulate Drs Grant O’Donnell, Mohamed elfar, enyu Jin, sara Lou, Krishanti Mahadevan, Patrick Meaney and Patrick Oxborough. Following the viva voce examination to be held in November, i predict the College will gain many new Members, with a record number of candidates presenting. Registrations for the 2014 program opened on 1 september and i encourage any interested practitioners who are interested to contact Anna Gamlin: [email protected] to avoid disappointment. Thirty places for candidates in Australia and New Zealand will fill fast! Adj A/Professor Neil Peppitt Front Row L>R: Dr Carina Koorts, Dr Jocelyn shand(chair), Dr Alistair Reid, Dr Julia Dando(A/Registrar, OMs) Education Resource Update Back Row L>R: Dr David sherring, Dr James Worthington, Dr Martin Batstone, Dr John Harrison, Dr Richard Wood, Dr Ben erzetic Online education resources are an important part of the learning Elections and reference material available to health professionals. Two recent releases from the sydney university’s Centre for Health A call for for nominations for three members elected from Governance, Law and ethics and the Centre for Values, ethics ANZAOMs has been made. The Board comprises the six and the Law in Medicine (VeLiM) provide information to help Directors of Training from our six training regions, three you stay up to date with new developments in health law and members elected from the OMs membership, the President, clinical ethics. RACDs, the President, ANZAOMs and Assistant Registrar (OMs). ethics and Health Law News (www.ehln.org) provides up-to- date information on developments in Australia and around the At the first meeting of the new Oral and Maxillofacial Board world, while the Clinical ethics Resource (www.clinicalethics. of studies, on 5 October 2013, the Board will elect a Chair info) gathers information and resources on clinical ethics issues. and Deputy Chair, along with Chairs and members of each These services are provided for free. There are sections for Committee. dentistry which are incredibly useful for MRACDs Candidates, i will be stepping down as Chair of the Board of studies at the practitioners, researchers and administrators. end of this October meeting. i wish to thank all members of the Board and its subcommittees as well as all College staff for As mentioned in the CeO Welcome, the D3 Group have their continued hard work and support over the years. i also produced an online education resource on Developmental wish to acknowledge the support of the Board of studies and Dental Defects (www.thed3group.org). the aim of the site its activities by the College Council and ANZAOMs Council. is to enable as many practitioners caring for the health of children to pull together and help get D3 problems such as Dr Paul sambrook Molar Hypomin better recognised, better understood, and better cared for. The ultimate goal is to make many of these continuing Professional problems go away through prevention. This site is not just for the dental practitioner, but is a valuable education resource for deVeloPment for mracds children, families, communities, researchers and other health practitioners. The recent continuing professional development (CPD) day for MRACDs(GDP) candidates was an overwhelming success! Adjunct Professor John Dale coordinated the event which focused on the MRACDs(GDP) module area of Practice Management, Law, ethics and Risk Management. Candidates reported that it was hardest to find CPD courses in this area, so the College responded by providing a full program of essential and relevant information to candidates in practice today. Our speakers: Adjunct Professor John Dale, Dr stephen Harlamb, Conjoint Associate Professor Bill O’Reilly and lawyers Don Grant and Marianne Nicolle presented on targeted subjects including consent to dental treatment, contract and negligence, and ethics and conduct in dental practice. The session was extremely well received, with 100 percent of feedback from participants indicating that the sessions fully met or exceeded their expectations and that they would recommend the CPD day to others. college news issue #03 2013 15
ReGiONAL CHAiRs MeeTiNG regional chairs meeting 2013 We would like to share with you just a few of the positive outcomes from the recent, and very valuable, meeting of the chairs of Regional Committees, held in August. Representatives from New south Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, New Zealand, Queensland, and Western Australia joined the President, President elect, Chief executive Officer and Director of Professional services to discuss key issues for the College’s regional committees. College growth The College has grown enormously over the last 50 years and the regional committees play an important role in understanding the needs of members and fellows. The feedback received from members and fellows, via the regional committees, will be considered by Council when making decisions from an educational or political viewpoint. The educational events provided by the Regional Committees are of great benefit to the membership. The CeO has committed to providing resource support to the Chair of Regional Committees in the organisation and delivery of these important events. mracds registrations Communication for 2014 are now open Communication to the membership through the College The Membership of the Royal Australasian College office and each of the regional committees is vital. The of Dental surgeons, General Dental Practice College office will communicate to the membership all future (MRACDs(GDP)) is a clinically relevant, educational meetings of the regional chairs and, working with regional program designed specifically for GDPs; a programme committee representatives, will increase communication on that enables you to advance your practical GP clinical events, policy, governance and other relevant matters. so skills and develop a strong educational and financial that recent dental graduates can be better supported and base for your practice. encouraged to consider membership with the College, each of the regional committees will improve the level of contact This achievable, flexible programme allows you to pursue with graduates. your clinical interests whilst at the same time gaining valuable CPD credits. The programme can be completed Meetings of the regional chairs over a minimum of 2 years and involves completion of: • The equivalent of 120 hours of appropriate CPD All regional representatives agreed to work to ensure courses, to match core and elective modules. maximum value at the meetings of the regional chairs and • selected reading Assessment by the College communicate outcomes and progress to the membership Achievement of post-nominals across each of the regions. • Core modules include infection Control, Law, ethics, Membership of College committees is a great opportunity Risk Management and Practice to both contribute to the development of the profession • Management, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning, and learn from colleagues. This is particularly so at the Medical emergencies, Pain and Therapeutics, Regional Committee level where the issues are local. All those • examination Technique and Dental imaging. present at the Regional Chairs meeting agreed to encourage committee members to commit to attend regional meetings There are many appropriate courses to select from, and contribute to the profession at the local level, and for including those run by local universities and Dental the Chair or representative to contribute to the College more Associations, as well as College-run courses. The globally. Membership programme is also a pathway for those who wish to pursue Fellowship, with holders of the MRACDs eligible to present for the Final examination in the General Dental Practice. If you are interested in this programme and would like further information, please visit our website at www.racds.org or contact Anna Gamlin, education Officer (GDP) via phone on +61 2 6292 6044 or via email at [email protected] Please see the interview with Adam Keyes-Tilley on page 3 where Adam shares his experience of the MRACDs(GDP) Program. 16 college news issue #03 2013
You’re not mainstream Nor are we Have you ever wondered why the mainstream banks seem to ignore the fact that dentists are a special breed? All you get is stock standard product, one size fits all. Yet you have highly individual and distinctive needs – at Investec, we never lose sight of that. Investec is a leading Australian specialist bank offering a full range of financial services to the medical sector. Our team knows the idiosyncrasies of your profession inside out, so you won’t have to deal with people who have no idea about your world. Nor will you have to put up with off-the-rack solutions – our financial products and services are designed by the dentists, for the dentists. Take a look at investec.com.au/medical or call one of our financial specialists on 1300 131 141 to find out how we can help. Out of the O rdinar y™ Home loans | Car finance | Transactional banking and overdrafts | Savings and deposits | Credit cards | Foreign exchange Goodwill and practice purchase loans | Commercial and industrial property finance | Equipment and fit-out finance | SMSF lending and deposits Income protection and life insurance Issued by Investec Bank (Australia) Limited ABN 55 071 292 594, AFSL 234975, Australian Credit Licence 234975. The information contained in this document is general in nature and does not take into account your personal financial or investment needs or circumstances. Terms and conditions, fees and charges apply. Insurance products are offered by Experien Insurance Services, the preferred supplier of insurance products to Investec Bank. college news issue #03 2013 17
what’s on For more information about courses, examinations and events, please visit the College website at www.racds.org october 2013 noVember 2013 this month Various regions will hold examinations under the Registrations close for Final Memorandum of understanding december 2013 examinations in General Dental (Mou) for specialist Dental Practice. Practice MRACDs. The Web based education From 25 November to Program segment 2 commences. 16 noVember 7 December, the General Dental Practice Primary examinations MRACDs(GDP) viva voce will take place: written papers 16 october examination 3 will take place at will be held on the College office, Level 13, 37 25, 26 & 27 November, Registrations close for York street, sydney. viva voce from 2-4 December MRACDs(GDP) viva voce in sydney and on examination 3. 7 December in Hong Kong. 22 noVember Council will hold their final meetings for 2013, including the November Council meeting, the for more information on AGM and the Annual Meeting of the coming committee Council. January 2014 events in your region, please visit the college 25-27 noVember website: The specialist Dental Practice General Dental Practice Final examinations (written) will be held http://www.racds.org/RACDs/ MRACDs(ORTH), M(ORTH) on 14 and 15 January 2014, the Regions/RegionaleventsNews conjoint examination will be held viva voce will take place from in Adelaide 20-22 January 2014. eVents across the regions Regional Lecture series friday 1 noVember 2013 university of New england (uNe) Tamworth Centre, 24 Fitzroy street Tamworth, NsW The Royal Australasian College of Dental surgeons in conjunction with the Australian Dental Association (NsW Branch) North & North West Division is proud to present Professor Meyers, A/Professor Bischof and Dr sykes as part of the forthcoming ADA (NsW) Divisional meeting in Tamworth. For more information on the regional lecture series, including the provisional program and to register, please see the College website at www.racds.org/RACDs/events/ and follow the prompts to download the registration form. 18 college news issue #03 2013
FOuNDATiON DONORs / PRiZes foundation donors Dr Catherine PRiNeAs (NsW, Australia) Dr Kerrilee PuNsHON (ViC, Australia) Thank you to the following Members and Fellows who have Dr sawindar RANu (TAs, Australia) made a donation to the RACDs Foundation between 24 May Dr James ROBeRTsON AM, (ViC, Australia) and 11 september 2013. Dr Anthony seLVARAJ (NsW, Australia) Dr Abdullah ALATAL (saudi Arabia) Dr David sHeRRiNG (NsW, Australia) Dr Hessa ALKHAL FAKHROO (Qatar) Dr soni sTePHeN (NsW, Australia) Dr Nectarios ANDReWs (NsW, Australia) Dr Graeme TiNG (Netherlands) Dr Andrew BOCHeNeK (WA, Australia) Dr Matthew WiLLiAMs (New Zealand) Dr John BRABANT (NsW, Australia) Dr suzanne BReNT (NsW, Australia) Dr Donald CHANDLeR (sA, Australia) racds academic PriZe Dr Yvonne CHOW (NsW, Australia) Dr Paul CROWe (TAs, Australia) Congratulations to our most recent recipients of the Royal Dr Andrew DiAs (ViC, Australia) Australasian College of Dental surgeons Academic Prize. Dr Peter GReGORY (WA, Australia) Tsz Ying Cryal Lee won the Academic Prize for her performance Mr Paul HAGLeY (NsW, Australia) at the BDs V Assessment in 2012 at the university of Hong Mr Graham HALL (TAs, Australia) Kong. A/Prof John HiGHFieLD (NsW, Australia) Mr Andrew HOWe (NsW, Australia) Keith Willis won the Academic Prize for his achievement as Dr Leone HuTCHiNsON (NsW, Australia) the university of Queensland Most Outstanding student in Dr issam JAWMAR (saudi Arabia) the Clinical Dentistry BDsc Course for 2012. Dr Tissa JAYAseKeRA (ViC, Australia) Dr Hugh LeNeHAN (sA, Australia) Dr Albert LeuNG (Hong Kong) mufti news Dr Zuliani MAHMOOD (KeLANTAN, Malaysia) Dr Michael MANDiKOs (QLD, Australia) This month’s we contributed $50 of the mufti money Dr Dimitra MeRsiNiA (NsW, Australia) to Tashya Miranda who again took part in the 40 hour Dr Colin NeLsON (QLD, Australia) famine. This year Tash gave up electronics for 40 hours! Dr Chi Hong NG (Hong Kong) For more information on the World Vision 40 Hour Dr ian O’LOuGHLiN (New Zealand) Famine, please visit their website at: Dr Leigh PAGONis (ViC, Australia) http://www.worldvision.com.au/40hourfamine.aspx Dr edward PeeL (NsW, Australia) college news issue #03 2013 19
PeRsPeCTiVe working to close the gaP suffer from edentulism which may lead to further health deterioration due to poor nutrition. A sad but well documented fact is the decline in Aboriginal The Faculty of Dentistry at The University of oral health. As recently as in the 1970s, the oral health of Aboriginal children was better than for other Australian Sydney has responded to these serious issues children. However with the introduction of fluoridation and a in partnership with the Poche Centre for indigenous Health at range of clinical services which people in remote communities The university of sydney, our faculty is involved in providing cannot access this position has reversed markedly. The oral dental services in Aboriginal communities. health of our Aboriginal people has deteriorated alongside their general health and is now a significant National problem For example, since 2008 clinicians and final year dental which worsens with age. students have been travelling regularly to Bourke to provide a much valued dental service. Before our arrival the nearest Children often have undiagnosed and untreated caries on clinical service was in Dubbo, four hours away and so multiple teeth, and advanced decay and tooth breakdown unattainable for most Aboriginal families. Working with the requiring hospitalisation for treatment is not uncommon. Aboriginal Health service this faculty initiative extends the such children are not thriving, and their ill health and pain scope of dental care beyond the alleviation of acute problems limit their social interactions and education development. focussing on the areas of priority identified by the community Across all ages Aboriginal children have twice the number members. of teeth with caries when compared with non-Aboriginal children and the disparity is increasing. One of our clinical lecturers Dr steve Naoum has now been seconded to drive the Poche Healthy Teeth strategy school dental services, if available, are often underutilised in clinical services, dental student clinical placement and because of a variety of factors including population mobility, capacity building in regional communities. As part of this we low school attendance, short duration of dental visits to the are currently evaluating the Bourke service delivery model community, limited awareness of the importance of preventive to inform the rollout of additional dental services to more oral health checks, and children not obtaining consent from regional centres. carers. The Poche Centre has recently purchased a mobile dental clinic The dental problems with adults are frequently more difficult with the assistance of the Centre for Oral Health strategy, with the need for dentures, complex restorations, and surgical NsW Department of Health. Commencing in september a extractions. They have more severe periodontal disease regular service will be offered to the communities around the often due to complications from other chronic diseases towns of Boggabilla and Toomelah in the Central Tablelands which further increases the risk of chronic diseases such as of NsW, as well as Mungindi and Goondiwindi. involving diabetes and cardiovascular disease. our dental students is very much a part of this strategy Limited access to fluoridated water and toothpaste, and and an important experience for their development both barriers including cost, to regular and timely professional professionally and from a community outreach perspective. dental care are major issues in Aboriginal communities. The success is a result of a collaborative partnership between The level of complete tooth loss is almost five times higher the community, university constituents and the Government. among Aboriginal people aged 35-54 years than among their Personnel in remote hospitals / clinics without access to local non-Aboriginal counterparts and 21% of the 55-74 year old 20 college news issue #03 2013
ADMissiONs dental specialists are being trained in how to handle dental Join us in supporting this work. Time, skills and dollars are emergencies and so improve patient outcomes. needed to make a make a major and sustained impact. Professor Blinkhorn, in collaboration with Newcastle For further information on how you can be involved you university and with funding from the NHMRC is piloting a can contact the faculty on 02 9351 8334or by emailing dental education program in seven NsW communities. The [email protected] . program smiles not Tears was designed in consultation with Professor Chris Peck Aboriginal Health Workers (AHW) and Aboriginal families and Dean of Dentistry targets children from age 6 months to 3 years. Trained AHWs The university of sydney provide advice to mothers on weaning, night time bottle use, brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste and having children’s teeth screened. it is an innovative approach responding to the limited availability of dental personnel, early onset of dental diseases in Aboriginal children, and recognises the importance of AHWs to their local community. Where to from here? As Australians and health professionals i believe we must all do our bit to improve the oral health of indigenous Australians. As dentists we hold the key to unlocking better health. admissions to membershiP and fellowshiP Admissions to Membership & Fellowship 1 May 2013 to 1 September 2013 MRACDS MRACDS(Paed) enyu JiN (NsW) John Charles WiNTeRs (WA) sara su Yin LOu (ViC) Patrick Joesph MeANeY (NsW) MRACDS(Pros) Patrick Michael OXBROuGH (TAs) Michelle Yu-Chun HuANG (WA) Andrew Lloyd NeWsOM (New Zealand) MRACDS(DPH) Lyndon Paul shaun ABReu (WA) sathananthan KANAGARATNAM (New Zealand) MRACDS(Orth) Pantea MAKHMALBAF (ViC) college news issue #03 2013 21
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