Month: December 2017

1987 reunion, Saturday 11^th November

Caroline Drugan

The 30-year reunion of the Class of 1987 was expertly arranged by Maurice Trotter, all the way from Queensland, Australia after he promised he would do the next one five years ago.

The day kicked off with Susan Hooper leading a group of us on a tour of the dental school. There have been many changes over the years but the most notable were the demise of the student bar and the replacement of the library with a computer suite. In the evening, we gathered at the Bristol Hotel for dinner and conversation. About half the year were able to attend, many with partners; unfortunately two had to drop out at the last minute due to family circumstances.

It was great to see everyone again, in particular those who haven’t attended other reunions. Reg Andlaw was able to join us for the evening, which was lovely. Many stayed in the bar talking until the early hours, although some of us had beds to get to. We are now looking for volunteers for the next reunion – living at a distance from Bristol is no excuse, as Maurice so ably demonstrated!

 

 

’66 Society reunion, Saturday 2^nd December, 2017

Bob Binnersley

A gathering of twenty-three intrepid reunionists met for the 51st consecutive reunion dinner of the Society. Nearly all members can still walk and all talk almost incomprehensibly about times long since, exaggerated by most.

The meeting was graced by the presence of Dr Reg Andlaw, Chairman of the Bristol Dental Alumni Association, who is a staunch supporter of alumni reunions. His attendance is always much appreciated. A toast was offered before the meal to mark the passing of Professor David Berry. Dave was a great teacher and gave total support to all students who passed his way. Members’ thoughts were also expressed about those members who are not well and unable to attend.

For anyone who is associated with members of the ’66Society and would like to attend, please contact me at bobwbin@aol.com

 

Patient-dentist communication in Cambodia

   

Christina Tran & Lu Huey Khoo

Our first week in Cambodia was spent in a makeshift dental clinic at a school in Phnom Penh’s poorer outskirts (Image 1). Conditions here were vastly different to the Bristol Dental Hospital, with portable lamps and handpieces powered by an unreliable generator (Image 2), and instruments (including burs) being sterilised in a pressure cooker (Images 3, 4). We performed a wide range of treatment on patients, from routine fillings and fissure sealants to multiple extractions. The resilience of the patients we treated never ceased to amaze us; children of no more than eight years old could tolerate palatal infiltrations with less than a whimper. Most impressive of all were the staff, who were able to deal with long queues of patients, crying infants, and exploding equipment without batting an eye.

Our second week, spent in a modern, established clinic in central Phnom Penh, was somewhat quieter, which allowed us to make some key observations on patient-dentist communication in a Cambodian dental setting.

  

Image 1: (left) Entrance to the makeshift dental clinic, set up in an empty classroom. Patients were seen at the desk for registration, medical history taking, and post-op instructions.

Image 2: (right) Dental chairs, portable handpieces, and lamps set up at the makeshift dental clinic.

   

 

 

 

 

 

Image 3: (left) Pressure cooker used to sterilize instruments on-site.

Image 4: (right) Instruments laid out in the clinical area of the makeshift dental clinic.

We completed separate diaries of observation at the end of each day, reflecting on our own experiences. Communication between patients and dentists often took on a paternalistic approach, with the dentist using physical contact as a form of instruction. A culture of openness in the dental setting was not observed, as patients did not seem willing to acknowledge their right to raise concerns regarding pain during treatment. Although most patients initially adopted an ‘open position’ in the dental chair, indicating a relaxed attitude, this often changed to a ‘closed position’ once treatment started, indicating anxiety. Due to the time constraints, little could be done to address their discomfort.

From our observations, the current paternalistic model of communication enabled patients to be seen more quickly, as less time was spent building rapport and discussing treatment options with patients. This fulfilled the main priority of the ‘One-2-One Foundation’: to provide critical care to as many patients as possible. However, this paternalism also resulted in little patient understanding or motivation for the maintenance of good oral health. Previous studies in developing countries have shown that a patient-centred approach to a consultation can improve patient satisfaction and compliance with treatment. We therefore theorised that a more patient-centred model of communication in Cambodian dentistry may help to improve adherence to oral hygiene and dietary advice, reducing the caries incidence in the population.

In conclusion, our time in Cambodia has been a valuable experience in many aspects. We have not only vastly improved our own practical skills under great time pressure, but have also gained key insight into patient-dentist communication.

All that remains to be said is how grateful we are to the Bristol Dental Alumni Association for making this valuable learning experience possible.