A Respected Clinician

His vision for providing dental services to the disadvantaged and less-fortunate children has made it possible to help tens of thousands of children in Vietnam.

In this edition of the Western Articulator, we acknowledge the ongoing contributions of oral and maxillofacial surgeon and oral pathologist and CHAT co-founder, Dr David Booth.

“I was unable to study medicine in WA in 1952,” David recalls, when asked what initially drew him to study dentistry. “But if you got a dental degree, you could add a medical degree at an eastern states’ university in three years and work as a dentist to earn money to live on at the same time.” David went on to become the first oral surgery post-graduate student, before doing a further six months’ study in London and Washington DC to become an OMF pathologist and surgeon. As well as a well-respected practitioner, David also gave much to the profession in a teaching capacity as a Clinical Associate Professor at the School of Dentistry. When he retired from full-time work, he continued part-time to allow him entry overseas into part-time volunteer practice. It has been volunteering where David has made another huge impact. It was during a visit to Vietnam that David became aware that basic medical and dental care was not available to many of the Vietnamese people. In 2005, David, along with Dr Gabby Ly, founded CHAT (Christian Health Aid Team, later Children’s Health Aid Team), with the vision of providing dental services to disadvantaged children in Vietnam. “Dr David Booth is one of the founders of CHAT and he has played an integral role in establishing our organisation since 2005,” says Dr Jennifer Chan, CHAT President. “His vision for providing dental services to the disadvantaged and less-fortunate children has made it possible to help tens of thousands of children in Vietnam. Since 2007, Dr Booth facilitated a program with UWA School of Dentistry to include final-year dental students to have placements on our trips. He also established the David Booth Travel Grant to enable a dental student in financial hardship the opportunity to participate in an overseas placement with us. We are extremely grateful for all the contributions Dr David Booth has made and continues to make within the CHAT community.” The organisation’s volunteering trips are hugely popular with dental practitioners and dental students – giving participants an amazing opportunity, that also gives back so much to the Vietnamese people. When asked why volunteering opportunities in dentistry are so important, David says they allow you to set up valuable post-grad experiences before you have obtained the requisite qualification to register with the Dental Board as a specialist.

“If you do the volunteering overseas, say in Vietnam, you contribute to that country’s specialist needs without setting up a full-time specialist practice there,” he adds. “When you go you can take dentist colleagues and dental students with you to give them appropriate experiences.” An ADAWA member for over 50 years, David has seen many changes, both for the good and the bad of the profession. “High-speed dentistry came into use while I was a dental student,” he recalls. “But the Dental School did not introduce it into the teaching program immediately because they were concerned that dental students

might damage teeth too much while using a highspeed drill. So, when I graduated as a dentist I worked with dentists in WA and in the UK, who had high-speed drills in their practices, and the dentists there taught me how to use a high-speed drill safely." He adds when he first graduated, they had to use chemical antiseptics and boiling water to sterilise their instruments. “Eventually, small steam sterilisers were introduced into dentistry, then sterilisation in the dental clinic became more reliable. “All these changes were expensive to buy so setting up a dental practice has become very expensive,” he adds. “You usually want to arrange a mortgage to buy a house as well at the same time. So many young dentists have to work for someone else or for the government until they have saved up enough money for a mortgage to set up a practice or to buy a partnership.”

High-speed dentistry came into use while I was a dental student, but the Dental School did not introduce it into the teaching program immediately because they were concerned that dental students might damage teeth too much while using a high-speed drill.

Jasmine Li in Vietnam

As well as the changes and the challenges, there have been many rewards. “You are working to make someone’s smile better or their dentition more reliable to chew on, so the results of your work are always an improvement,” he says. “The good salaries allow you to pay off a mortgage and buy a house, get married, pay children’s school fees as well as live comfortably – if simply – at first. With the increase in dental practices and government dentistry, this gives more opportunities for paid experience as soon as one graduates.” To recent graduates entering the profession, David advises talking to experienced dentists and ADAWA to progress in dentistry financially. “The ADA looks after its members well and guards against government rules and financial constraints interfering with its members’ dental practice,” he adds. Student gratitude

The experiences gained from CHAT trips are very valuable, as demonstrated in the following thank you letter from Jasmine Li (2019 David Booth Travel Grant recipient):

Dear Dr David Booth,

My name is Jasmine Li and I was the recipient of the David Booth Travel Grant 2019. I travelled with CHAT to Ho Chi Minh City in November 2019. I was supporting myself and working two jobs while taking on a full study load at UWA Dental School. Without the travel grant, a Vietnam overseas placement would have been out of reach for me. Your generosity allowed me to undertake this amazing opportunity. It was truly an eyeopening experience to see how dentistry was practised away from home. Since graduation, I have developed a special interest in paediatric dentistry, and I believe this is influenced by all the amazing work by CHAT and your donation. I have been itching to get back to Vietnam. Unfortunately, I will have to wait a while before I can give back to this amazing cause. Thank you for your generous donation. I am forever grateful. Yours sincerely,

Jasmine Li

DMD (dist.) Class of 2019

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