University of Montreal student Marie-Claude Bourgeois receives the ICD Student Award from Dean Shahrokh Esfandiari.
Atlantic Region Regent Eric Hatfield died unexpectedly while travelling home from the NDEB examinations where he had served the profession. Eric had an undiagnosed aortic aneurysm according to reports. His loss diminishes all of us and the profession as he believed that service to his profession was important and he did so enthusiastically, serving on the Canadian Dental Association and the Canadian Dental Regulatory Authority Federation.
Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his wife Joy and their family on this tragic loss.
https://www.sourcesbc.ca/news/2019/10/10th-anniversary-of-sources-volunteer-dental-clinic/
Oct 22nd, 2019
The Sources Volunteer Dental Clinic celebrates its 10th Anniversary this October!
Located in the Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock, the one-chair unit in ‘the little clinic that could’ has helped approximately 3,000 people regain their smile and dental health.
The Volunteer Dental Clinic is in the Weatherby Pavilion at Peace Arch Hospital
The Dental Clinic was originally established in 1998 to look after geriatric patients in long-term care. It wasn’t until 2009 that the community outreach initiative was incorporated, and SOURCES (then Peace Arch Community Services) took on its administration.
Dr. Ken Stones kickstarted the community outreach arm 11 years ago, which eventually became known as the Sources Volunteer Dental Clinic. He was volunteering at a non-profit-run dental clinic in Abbotsford one day when it struck him there was a suitable space in his community hospital.
“I realized that the PAH dental clinic was available two to three days per week, and thought, why not make use of that time to help people in the community who struggle to afford or access dental care?”
It took a year to pull everything together, and once it was ready, the “Free Clinic” opened to community members with barriers to dental care. The first patient was treated in October 2009, Dr. Stones recalls, as he himself was one of the first volunteer dentists.
It hasn’t been a journey without challenge. A serious time-commitment to fund-raising activities was required to keep the clinic operational.
“We have had to cease certain services, and came close to shutting down at one point,” Dr. Stones said. “Without adequate funding or volunteer dentists, we would have had to stop operating.”
How often clients can be booked in for appointments also depends on the schedules of volunteer dentists who make themselves available.
“Right now, we’re lucky if it’s twice a week, though we can access the clinic three times a week,” Dr. Stones said. “Currently, we have a core group of about eight volunteer dentists, but that number has fluctuated to as low as four. Ideally, we would have 20 regular volunteers who might do a shift (4 hours) once every two months. Six times a year is all we ask.”
Thankfully, there is community support, most recently in the form of two key grants. One was from the provincial government and allowed the Volunteer Clinic to upgrade their older equipment which dated back to 1998! The other was a 3-year grant in May of 2018 from the PAH Foundation which secures operations of our Clinic during that time.
Dr. Ken Stones
However, Dr. Stones hopes to see it run well into the future, so the search for funding – as well as volunteer dentists – continues. Though this has been one of his passion projects, after 50 years of professional dentistry, he is feeling ready to pass on the torch. He hopes more dentists will consider donating their time and skills to this most rewarding work.
“Once, I had a patient who used to always hide their mouth – but, now, after coming here, they’re smiling all the time. Sometimes people are so touched they are in tears. For some, this means now being able to apply for a job, because they’ve regained their smile. Volunteering here, getting people treated and looked after, is very fulfilling work.”
Peace Arch Hospital Foundation Judy Freeman and John Hitchcock Semiahmoo Rotary Club The Block Family Foundation Other Foundations and White Rock Rotary Clubs
The Semiahmoo Dental Outreach project to Tanzania was a huge success. The report and photos below are courtesy of Fellow Les Ennis on behalf of the Semiahmoo team. Follow the link to read the report. This project was supported financially by the William J. Spence ICD Memorial Foundation. This is the humanitarian work your donations to the Foundation achieve.
ICD Tanzania report
Summary:
In summary, we treated 765 patients over 10 days and performed 1735 dental services. We performed 541 extractions, almost all were surgical, 356 amalgam restorations, 43 composite restorations and fluoride treatments on the children. The billable equivalent of those services according to the BC Fee Schedule would have been $217,000. For the ICD and the Spence Foundation Committee, the money you have invested in our team on a dollar for dollar value was an investment beyond compare. I am proud of our team, and proud of our mission. I am honoured to be an ICD Fellow and grateful for your support.
BCDA Award Recipients 2020 are:
Honourary – Myrna Halpenny and KK Wan
Distinguished – Will Gaede and Amanda Maplethorpe
Merit – Lorne Bergman, Kristy Chu, Joan Eaton and Russel Hamanishi
but ICD is still making headlines
Thanks to our partnership with Dental Tribune [DT] International, ICD and the Centennial are receiving global recognition with press coverage to 600,000 DT readers around the world. The screenshot above is from the Americas edition.
The publications’ regional links are found below. We also plan to have presence in native language Italian and French editions.
Please click on your area’s edition to read the complete article, and then send the link to newspapers, media personalities, leaders of Dentistry as well as current and potential Fellows in your part of the world. Write to the College Office if you are unable to find the article in your area’s DT edition.
Links to Milan article:
International:
https://www.dental-tribune.com/news/icd-delegates-converge-in-milan-for-their-annual-meeting-and-officer-elections/
U.S.:
https://am.dental-tribune.com/news/icd-delegates-converge-in-milan-for-their-annual-meeting-and-officer-elections/
Europe:
https://eu.dental-tribune.com/
Asia Pacific:
https://ap.dental-tribune.com/
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Its official. Only 365 days until the grand finale in Nagoya. Register as soon as possible and make sure Fellows in your Section are aware that space will be limited for this once-in-a-lifetime event!
Looking forward to seeing you one year from today in Japan
on November 13, 2020.
In Fellowship,
Dov Sydney
Editor | Director of Communications
General Chair College Centennial Committee
The BC Dental Association has recognized Fellow Amanda Maplethorp with it’s prestigious Distinguished Service Award. The Award will be presented to her in March 2020. The Canadian Section congratulates Fellow Maplethorp on this distinguished honour.
Hello Dr. O’Brien
My name is Alyssa and I was the International College of Dentists award recipient at the UBC Dean’s Night last Wednesday. I would like to thank you and your organization for this award and the beautiful plaque. I was truly honoured.
You requested some information on my extracurricular involvements at UBC. Please read the short blurb below:
Alyssa is a fourth year dental student at UBC. During her time at UBC, she has consistently held leadership roles on the Dental Undergraduate Society including Sponsorship director, Social director, and Orientation director. She is committed to community outreach and serves as co-director of The Dental Mission Project volunteer dental clinic at Richmond Hospital. She is also involved in the Conservative Cast Gold Student Study Club and is an evening practice mentor for her second and third year colleagues.
Hope this provides sufficient information about my involvements. If you would like any more questions answered will be happy to add to it.
Warm regards,
Alyssa Podrebarac.
–
Alyssa Podrebarac
University of British Columbia
DMD Candidate, Class of 2020
Alyssa Podrebarac received the ICD Student Award at UBC.
L-R: Dean Mary MacDougall, Alyssa Podrebarac, Past Regent Ed O’Brien.
Please note that the plaque should read “Student Award” and not “Presidential Citation”. It has since been corrected.
We note with great regret the passing of Fellow Gordon Nikiforuk. The article below is courtesy of Fellow Carlos Quinonez and is reprinted with permission of the Ontario Dental Association and Ontario Dentist, 2019. Please follow the link.
OD_October_2019_Editorial.pdf
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