Western Articulator - Edition 5, 2023

Head and neck cancer

Dentists key in early detection

CPD spotlight

Meet Dr Rada Haddadin

The giving lab

The pro bono work of Oceanic Dental Laboratories

A lived experience

Dr Zena Ibrahim on giving back to others

Photo courtesy of Centre for Stories

The President's report

Dr Amit Gurbuxani ADAWA President

As I near the end of my term as President of the ADAWA, it is important to reflect on the work of Council over this time and to recognise the importance of continuity. In line with past convention, Council is planning for an orderly transition of office bearers to ensure primarily that this important planned work progresses and secondly provides certainty in respect of the governance of the organisation.

Strategic planning

Council undertook a strategic planning process earlier in the year that would not only sharpen the focus of the organisation to meet the challenges in the years ahead, but also to position the ADAWA as the peak member body acting as the voice of oral health in Western Australia. To this end, the first ever ADAWA Strategic Directions 20232028 was unveiled at the July General Meeting of ADAWA. I firmly believe this plan will stand the test of time, but it means a lot more than that. Based on our ADAWA Member Survey earlier this year, we heard what members wanted in the present and for the future of our association. This plan is based on that feedback – to provide focus, clarity, and alignment.

CEO Trevor Lovelle

President Dr Amit Gurbuxani

ADAWA Constitution Committee

We have also started the process of the ADAWA Constitution review. Council has engaged an external consultant who brings more than 25 years’ experience at CEO level and a strong reputation as a Board Chairman and Non-Executive Director in not-for-profit organisations like ours. His experience will bring a fresh pair of eyes to look at our Constitution and make sure it’s contemporary and fit-for-purpose. We will keep you updated as the review progresses.

ADAWA CPD Committee

Based on the ADAWA strategic plan and member feedback, we are taking our high-class CPD another step forward. The ADAWA CPD Committee is working towards more competency-based learning. Look forward to the 2024 program.

Finally, as we head towards FDI in September, I hope members have booked their flights and locked in their hotels because it promises to be a great event and I look forward to seeing you in Sydney.

Editorial Brooke Evans-Butler

Designer Michelle Walker

CEO's report ADAWA Strategic Directions 2023-2028

Trevor Lovelle

As highlighted in the President’s Report, the ADAWA strategic plan was rolled out to members at the July ADAWA General Meeting, following final consideration by ADAWA’s Committees.

Entitled ADAWA Strategic Directions 2023 – 2028 the plan is the culmination of work commenced earlier this year by the ADAWA Council. It is a vital component of the change actions that underpin the organisation’s continuous improvement program, with the other two actions being the governance assessment process undertaken by Council, and the member survey, which were both completed late last year.

Core elements of the plan include focus of effort, desired results, the current operating environment, our identity, and importantly the strategic drivers that will enable the desired results to be achieved.

In essence, the plan identifies the key cohort for each of the three focus of effort areas for ADAWA, which are:

1. Our members – leveraging the principle that members should be our strongest advocates, the intention is to ensure members highly value what we offer and promote the interests of ADAWA.

2. Our stakeholders – the intention is to create a high profile ‘go to’ organisation that engages with and collaborates with all stakeholders.

3. Our organisation – we want to ensure ADAWA is a high performing, sustainable and well-governed organisation.

The desired results reflect vital qualitative and quantitative metrics for the membership, influence, and financial domains.

Strategic planning should consider the environment in which the organisation operates and accordingly the plan identifies a variety of assumptions in relation to key issues currently affecting the WA dental industry, and the consequent opportunities for the organisation. ADAWA’s identity comprises our ‘purpose’ and our ‘role’. In respect of our purpose, the plan describes that ADAWA: “exists so that oral health is advanced, and hence, the general health of the Western Australian Community because:

• Better, and happier, practitioners flourish

• Policy makers and regulators turn to us for credible and productive advice."

Our role succinctly describes ADAWA as “the peak member organisation in Western Australia acting as the voice of oral health”. The final element of the plan comprises the strategic enablers, which have been identified as education, advocacy, connecting, services, public awareness, and volunteers’ efforts.

These enablers not only frame the work that we do at ADAWA but importantly identify the benefits of membership.

The Council envisages that this plan will be frequently reviewed over the 5-year planning horizon to ensure it remains fit-for-purpose and enhances the member experience.

A lived experience

Dr Zena Ibrahim says she started volunteering during her final year of Dental School – and the impact was profound. “We did a couple of Dental Rescue Days at OHCWA and that is where I got a taste for volunteerism,” she recalls. “A lot of people know about my story personally. I went through a bout of living instability a couple of times during Dental School and there were some days I couldn’t afford fresh fruit and vegetables, so dental care was on the back burner.

“When struggling that way, you don’t want to get out of bed, you don’t want to shower, let alone brush your teeth if you are worried about where you are going to put your head that night, so it becomes difficult to prioritise self-care. I saw what we do as a job through a very different lens after going through that and that set me up for wanting to do volunteer work because of that lived experience.”

Rockingham Dental Centre

Being part of the team at Rockingham Dental Centre has given Zena the opportunity to work at a practice that has a strong volunteerism culture.

“I originally started at Rockingham Dental Centre when I was a new graduate and I am now back there again,” Zena says. “The practice has a strong culture of hosting Dental Rescue Days and volunteer work, so it was easy to slip into it because I was part of such a supportive practice.

“It is refreshing and comforting to know there is a practice out there that wants to give back and Rockingham Dental Centre is so community focussed,” she adds. “They are involved in the basketball team, (the Rockingham Flames), and they are really thinking about their role as a practice, not just making ends meet as a business but their

Dr Zena Ibrahim understands the huge impact giving back can have on others.

impact and how they can give back to their community. They are doing incredible work there and I am so lucky to be back. Since working in other practices, some are not necessarily set up to do pro bono work or might be hesitant because the cases can be complex, and the lab work can be expensive but with everyone chipping in, including Oceanic Dental Laboratory for Healing Smiles and the ADHF, it all goes smoothly, and it has been wonderful to be a part of the volunteerism opportunities at the practice.”

Zena says her own experiences have led her to be more relatable to patients she treats at Dental Rescue Days. “So many people say: ‘I’m sorry my mouth is so bad it is probably the worst you have seen’ and I say: ‘Trust me I have seen a lot’.

Healing Smiles

Zena says after a break from volunteering with Healing Smiles (she was previously working somewhere that didn’t quite line up to make volunteering with Healing Smiles work) she is excited to be able to volunteer with Healing Smiles again to support survivors of domestic violence by providing pro bono treatment.

“Now I am back at Rockingham Dental Centre I can volunteer for Healing Smiles again, which is really lovely as it is a cause that is very close to my heart.”

“The things that some of these women have gone through are unimaginable. When we talk about what a new smile will mean for them, often it means a new lease on life – they are able to get a job, they can start to rebuild. The thing I hear a lot from these women is they are afraid to even drop their kids off at school because they don’t want to be judged, so giving them a new smile is lifechanging.

“You can see them relax or let a breath out,” she adds. “There are people where I have chatted about my experience very briefly and they say: ‘Oh, if you got through it maybe all hope is not lost’.

“I really like volunteering with Healing Smiles because it is ongoing,” she adds. “You get assigned a patient and you get to follow them all the way through. It is nice to see someone through from their journey from beginning to the end.”

“I find sometimes sharing my own experiences humanises the experience for these patients and they look at you like another human being rather than as a dentist or someone in a position of power that is scary and unrelatable."

Photo courtesy of Centre for Stories

Support from the profession

Zena says volunteering has also been an amazing way to build interprofessional networks with specialists. “We are lucky that many specialists in WA are open to having a chat. I can shoot off an email or pick up the phone and chat to them outside their office hours. They are not charging for that. They are talking to you out of their good will. They give good advice or resources and papers to read and so that is nice to have such a supportive community.

“The patients you see can be quite complex and have nowhere else to go so you have to find the best way to make it work between everyone on the volunteerism team.”

“If you have an endo that is hard for example, there is an endodontist you can refer to within the Healing Smiles team or you can call someone to have a chat to help guide you through it. Even in my workplace, although they don’t work with Healing Smiles because we only have female practitioners working with female patients, if I was to bring up a case with (Rockingham Dental Centre’s) Drs Hari or Vilas they are so willing to treat everything as a learning experience and go through things with you. They are mentors, not just clinically but also personally. Particularly Dr Vilas has been instrumental in my emotional growth, not just as a person but as a practitioner, and has helped with my outlook on things and perspective and has almost taken me under his wing and I am very grateful to him because I don’t think I would be where I am without him.”

Rewarding moments

“When you help someone go from not being able to smile to beaming from ear to ear there is a fulfilment you get from that,” Zena says.

“I remember a lady who had no teeth on her top arch or maxillary arch for 20 years and she had very few bottom teeth. Her treatment involved treating the remaining salvageable bottom teeth and providing a full upper denture and partial lower denture. She went from not being able to chew, talk, or function very well to having a mouth full of teeth. Seeing how emotional she was at the end that will stay with me forever."

“A lot of these patients are so ecstatic that someone wants to help them. There is a lot of gratitude there, which is beautiful to see.”

Avoiding burnout

Zena says avoiding burnout is a hot topic for her and as such, four days of clinical dentistry is enough to allow her to fit in her volunteer work with Healing Smiles and Women in Dentistry (as their secretary) without overloading herself.

“You can’t pour from an empty cup,” she explains. “When I first graduated, I was burning the candle at both ends, trying to work five or six days a week and trying to add volunteering into that – and that is diminishing returns at that point because you feel you are helping everyone and pleasing everyone, saying yes to everyone but then you are not looking after yourself.

“If you crumble, everything else crumbles as well,” she adds. “I have

Photo courtesy of YM Photography

learned sometimes saying no to that extra day of work is a good way of making sure you are sustainable in the long run. I am regularly in therapy because if I am not in a place where I can process what I see then I can’t be there for my patients so it is not only for people who are struggling or anxious; I think everyone could benefit from therapy. I also have a regular date with my physio. I go for dry needling and remedial massage. There is financial privilege to be able to do that for yourself, but doing what you can to safeguard your body and your mind is going to make things like volunteering or extra work sustainable.”

Advice to others

To other dentists considering volunteering, Zena says her number one tip is a supportive workplace. “Definitely my number one tip is a supportive workplace,” she says. "If volunteering is important to you, you want to make sure your employer is on board and that you are working towards the same end goal.

"You might need to take some time here or arrive a bit later there or take an hour in the chair, so you want someone who is supportive that you do that.”

There are also various opportunities to volunteer outside of dentistry. “For me even volunteering for things like Beyond Blue or working with Centre for Stories (which is a local storytelling and creative hub), all opened my eyes to how many different experiences they are,” she says. “I grew up very sheltered in some ways and going to university and Dental School, you are in this little bubble of the very privileged and you can sometimes not realise how bad life can get for people. Doing other things and broadening your perspective, whether it be through travel or other volunteering, allows you to be open to what other people are going through."

"I am in a position of privilege, and I can use that to help and uplift others in my community.”

“I don’t think giving money is as fulfilling as actually being part of an outcome.”

The giving lab

We are lucky to have a growing number of giving dentists who volunteer their time for ADHF programs, St Pat’s and Healing Smiles. But for every volunteer dentist, there are also works going on quietly behind the scenes, to help make pro bono dental care possible. A big part of this care is the lab work, which can be very expensive – and this is where the generosity of the Oceanic Dental Laboratories team makes such a difference.

Oceanic Dental Laboratories came onboard as sponsors of the ADHF in July 2018, and have provided pro bono lab services and dental prostheses to the value of over $40,000 (which includes chrome and acrylic dentures, bite blocks and custom trays). They also committed to sponsoring Healing Smiles cases. For Michael Moran, Nicholas Mann and Gerard Klingeholler and the Oceanic Dental Laboratories team, giving back is part of the culture.

“The values of Oceanic has always been around low-cost dentistry," Michael says. "We knew there were a lot of gaps in pathways for people to get assistance if they cannot afford it, so we were pleased to help ADHF. With Healing Smiles, we realised it was a space we could help to make a positive impact."

"We don’t get to see the patients often, but we definitely get a kick hearing a story about how someone has been positively impacted by what might have been just a couple of hours’ time for us.”

Oceanic organises everything for the pro bono cases, including paying for the courier for delivery. And even though the work they are doing is pro bono, no corners are cut. “There is no differentiation between a pro bono case from any other case and I think that is important that we keep it that way," Michael says. Everyone here knows we do a

lot of ADHF and charity work but in terms of the day-to-day stuff, we just do the best that we can on each individual case."

"The volunteer dentists and practices appreciate the smooth process involved in utilising Oceanic’s lab support for pro bono cases. They pride themselves on their professionalism, friendly customer service and high standards. I’m very grateful for Oceanic’s ongoing support of our ADHF volunteer programs,” says Andrea Paterson, ADHF WA State Coordinator.

“It is always a pleasure speaking with Andrea, Sandra, Debbie at St Pats and everyone else involved with ADHF and Healing Smiles programs helping people in the community needing dental treatment,” Gerard says.

To other dental laboratories considering volunteerism, Nicholas says to do it. “What have you got to lose?”

“It really is a no-brainer,” Michael adds. “If you have any time, you should do it. It is good for the soul, and I find it is much better than getting stopped at the shopping centre and being asked to donate to a cause you don’t know much about.”

New beginnings

The Oceanic team are currently doing improvements on their new premises, in Technology Park, near Curtin University, which they moved into a year ago. “We are probably three and a half times bigger than where we came from,” Michael says. “This actually used to be the old police forensics lab.”

Currently in their eighth year, Oceanic has grown from a two-person team to employing more than 14 people, and they are constantly looking for new talent. They are also supporting over 1200 clinicians nationally. Watch this space!

oceanicdentallab.com.au

We spoke to the amazing team from Oceanic Dental Laboratories about their pro bono work.

Leadership and academic excellence

ADAWA is proud to sponsor awards in leadership and academic excellence for the UWA Dental School Annual Prize-Giving Ceremony.

KAYLEE WONG – recipient of the Australian Dental Association (WA Branch) Prize.

Third year dental student, Kaylee Wong says she feels incredibly honoured to be awarded the ADAWA Branch prize. “Dentistry is something I am passionate about and I am always looking to become a better clinician for my current and future patients,” she says. “Receiving this award demonstrates to me that whilst the learning curve may be steep, hard work does pay off! I am very grateful for the Dental School staff, my family, and my friends for their support in making this achievement possible.”

Kaylee adds she extends a massive thank you to ADAWA for their generosity in sponsoring the award.

“ADAWA’s support of the UWA Dental School and the University Dental Students’ Society (UDSS) helps to ensure the DMD student experience is educational, enlightening and enjoyable,” she says. “Receiving this award would also not have been possible without the continuous support and mentorship I have received within the Dental School.

I would like to thank the lecturers, tutors and other staff who have so willingly and generously shared their knowledge with us students, so that

we can grow and develop as future dentists.” To other Dental School students, she gives the following advice to ensure they make the most of their degree: “Maintain a good study-life balance and get involved in things outside of Dental School,” she says. “Whether it is joining a committee (UDSS or the Australian Dental Students’ Association are both great), playing a sport, hanging out with friends or picking up a new hobby, keeping a balanced lifestyle is important. Dentistry can be a full-on degree but you should also enjoy the journey there.”

SARAH BOON – recipient of the Australian Dental Association (WA) Prize for Academic Excellence in Dentistry

Dr Sarah Boon says it was a lovely surprise to learn she was the recipient of the award. “I am very grateful to receive recognition for all the hours I put into my studies during Dental School, however, it was not a sole effort,” she says.

“I will forever be grateful for the wisdom and guidance of the Dental School academics, tutors and nurses that has shaped me into a clinician I hope they can be proud of. And to my family and my DMD friends, you guys are the best. Thank you all for your patience, kindness and support without which I would not have gotten to where I am.”

Sarah says she thanks ADAWA not only for their generous donation but

also for their unwavering support of the DMD students. "The ADAWA has supported the DMD students and the student society (UDSS) for countless years,” she says. “They are always happy to help, and I have no doubt they will continue to show their support as I learn to navigate the professional world as a graduate dentist and beyond. Another huge thank you goes to the Dental School. The Dental School provided a welcoming learning environment where we could safely develop as clinicians. All the staff were always so supportive of the DMD students in their own ways and often went above and beyond to guide us through the dental course.”

Since graduating, Sarah says she has been enjoying growing as a dentist. “I am learning new things every day with the support and wisdom of my mentors and colleagues and am starting to find my feet as a new graduate,” she says. “Outside of dentistry, I have also been spending some time travelling and have been enjoying having more downtime to bake and be more active.”

To current Dental School students, she says Dental School will have its ups and downs, so hang in there and be there for each other, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. “Remember to also prioritise your mental health and regularly put aside time to do nondentistry things,” she adds. “Try to enjoy the journey and I look forward to you all joining the profession as budding new dentists!”

SCOTT SANTAROSSA – recipient of the Australian Dental Association (WA) Award for Leadership Excellence

Dr Scott Santarossa says he was stunned when he found out he was the recipient of the ADAWA Award for Leadership Excellence in Dentistry and the Sally Joyston-Bechal Study Group Prize. Unfortunately, a misdirected email meant he was not at the prize ceremony.

“I am really grateful and thankful for the awards,” he says. “At the time I didn’t really think about all the work I was doing; I just did it. But looking back, although it was a lot of work it was worth it. It is nice to have that recognition by receiving the leadership award.”

Scott, along with then fellow student, Anooshree Katwe, won a Healthy Smiles Community Grant, which they used to make videos explaining dental procedures for the Deaf population. The Smiling Signs videos were launched at a Deaf Awareness Training event held at ADA House last year.

“I feel many of the leadership opportunities I was given throughout Dental School were achieved with much help and support from ADAWA,” Scott says. “We did a lot of work with the Deaf community and teaching dentists about the Deaf community

and hosted our launch event for Smiling Signs here at ADAWA.”

Scott says currently, he is working on more Smiling Signs videos behind the scenes, and is trying to pull their resources, which are currently spread over the Eastern States, to bring everything closer to Perth. Additionally, a research paper about Deaf awareness training was recently published, and a second paper about dental anxiety in the Deaf community is currently going through review stages prior to publication.

To current dental students, Scott advises to make the most of being at university and get involved. “There is a lot of opportunity; you just have to look for it and ask questions,” he says. “A lot of the things that I did throughout university was a result of me talking to people and asking if things were possible. Try to make the most of being there in a space where there are so many very intelligent and passionate people that you can collaborate with.

“Secondly, try to set up a good support system so when you leave you transition from student to working dentist smoothly,” he adds. “You go from a very safe and sheltered environment to being on your own, so make sure you have people around you within the profession and outside of dentistry.”

A bright start

The year-long contract as a Graduate Dental Officer at The Oral Health Centre of WA has always been a highly-coveted position – and now even more competitive with the position only offered to one graduate. Dr Pauline Wong considered the Graduate Dental Officer position carefully before applying, speaking to a number of dentists, including those who have previously worked in the position.

“Weighing up the advantages and disadvantages, I thought that this would be a good fit for me,” she recalls. “It was an excellent chance to really put into practice what I learned.There was only one position offered this year, so I didn't want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity either. What sealed the deal was the offer of mentorship from Dr Alex Park.”

Pauline has jumped into the full-time role and says she is enjoying the experience and what the role is offering.

“The majority of my patients are concession/healthcare card holders in the catchment area,” she says.

“In addition to providing oral and dental care, I do patient screenings, emergency care, education and research/scholarly activity, and play a part in multidisciplinary treatments.

“I work with a good variety of cases and treatment plans of various complexities, on patients who may have complex medical histories or

require more carefully tailored patient management,” she adds.

“I am so grateful for the fantastic mentorship and the OHCWA laboratory, and I am always keeping busy with the workload,” she says.

“It's not just check-ups, scale and cleans all day. It is wonderful to be working with the general dentists, specialists, registrars, and on a few occasions, the students too. My colleagues are supportive and willing to help me with some difficulties at short notice. It's reassuring that there is always someone I can ask for a second opinion if I'm stuck. I have access to quality materials and can work without the significant financial pressures because this is a public setting.”

Talking to Pauline only a few months into the role, she says the highlight so far has been the variety of work (especially restorative, fixed and removable prosthodontics, exodontia, endodontics) she has done in a short period of time and being able to learn something new from every case. It has also been rewarding building up a great rapport with her patients.

“It warms my heart having patients tell me that they'd want to keep me as their dentist – it’s a shame I'm only here for one year!”

During Dental School, Pauline was involved in a plethora of extracurricular activities, for example volunteering with TIMA, Healing Smiles, UWA Guild; plus dental assistant

We caught up with 2023 Graduate Dental Officer, Dr Pauline Wong.

work, research and conference presentations, University Dental Students Society (UDSS), Australian Dental Students Association, UniMentor, UWA Open Days, illustrations for Pelican and Probe magazines, the UWA 2023 diary cover, and the current UDSS logo. As a new graduate she is continuing her commitment to giving back.

When asked about her advice to final year dental students considering applying for a Graduate Dental Officer position, Pauline says she would like to give an informal seminar to the students later in the year about her experiences in the role. “Chances are you'll have similar questions to your classmates, I'll be happy to answer them all together,” she says. “Otherwise feel free to ask

me privately! I will be honest with my answers so you can decide for yourself if this is the role for you.

“There will be different challenges/ issues no matter where you go. I’ve always believed in trying to make the most out of wherever you are. In my opinion, I don't think you could get this much experience variety elsewhere, especially for a new graduate.”

After her contract as the Graduate Dental Officer has finished, Pauline says she would like to work in rural WA and broaden her horizons. “I have done a lot of rural shifts as a locum pharmacist, including during the holidays,” she says. “I really enjoyed serving the community, and I am looking forward to the challenge of working rurally now as a dentist too.”

Meet Dr Rada Haddadin

Dr Rada Haddadin was always interested in the medical field and loved art, so when she graduated, she looked for something that would combine both.

“I found dentistry was something that would suit both interests and when I started, I loved it. Surprisingly, I fell in love with endo, which is less artistic.”

After graduating with a Bachelor of Dental Science degree, as one of the top students in her course in Jordan, Rada was offered a scholarship to continue her training as a specialist.

“The scholarship was a great opportunity; I could choose anywhere in the world to pursue my studies,” she says. “I was offered more than one acceptance from different universities, but I chose Australia, specifically Western Australia, to continue my studies. I had met Paul Abbott in Jordan and did a course of his and had spoken to him about my interests and plans.”

Rada moved to Western Australia in February 2007, and completed her advanced specialist training in Endodontics (Master of Dental Science) and a higher

research degree (Doctor of Philosophy) at the University of Western Australia.

Rada is a passionate educator, teaching post graduate students at UWA, as well as lecturing locally and internationally to the dental community. When she is not lecturing, Rada is also working in private practice. “Teaching is my passion but I also still like the interaction with patients so the combination of both clinical and academic has been enjoyable,” she says. Rada will be presenting, Rotary Endodontics: Basic Principles and Techniques, on August 26.

This course will show participants the basic principles for rotary endodontics and an overview of the manufacturing improvements and technological advancement of rotary endodontic files. This course will provide step-by-step techniques for effective and safe use of rotary endodontic files. “The course is a good introduction to rotary endodontics files,” Rada says. “We cover some of the history and the properties of the files. We will talk

about how to use these files safely and efficiently. There is also going to be a hands-on component, where attendees will have a chance to practice on plastic and natural teeth.”

Rada suggests attendees bring extracted teeth if possible. “Any extracted tooth would be fine, but molars would be good because molars are more challenging. The teeth should have the access cavity done.”

Rada says she hopes attendees gain more confidence using the files. “They will also learn the limits of these files and know when to use them, when to select a case, how to do it safely or when they need to refer their patient to an endodontist,” she explains. “They are great files but there are still limitations, because the files are not magic.”

Dr Rada Haddadin will be presenting Rotary Endodontics: Basic Principles and Techniques

on August 26, and The Cracked Tooth Dilemma, alongside Drs Ahmed Saleh and Paul Gorgolis, on October 20

adawa.com.au/cpd

Prior to the upcoming course, Rotary Endodontics: Basic Principles and Techniques, we caught up with specialist endodontist, Dr Rada Haddadin.

5 minutes with Dr Rada Haddadin

What three words best describe you?

Persistent hard worker.

If you weren’t in the dentistry field, what would you do for a living? I enjoyed the experience of building our house, so I feel like architecture is something I would enjoy.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

If I have any spare time, I like catching up with friends and I enjoy cooking.

Is there anything people might be surprised to learn about you?

I love cake decorating. I was doing cakes for a while for my daughter who is allergic to dairy, so I couldn’t order cakes for her. My friends say I should start a business, although the cakes take lots of time and being a perfectionist, it takes a lot of energy to make the perfect cake from scratch. When I have time, it is something I enjoy.

COURSE OUTLINE

There are many options for the restoration of worn or unaesthetic anterior teeth, however composite resin can often be an excellent minimally invasive and economical solution. This course is designed to give dental practitioners a greater understanding of treatment planning direct composite resin veneers as and some hands-on experience comparing the different techniques and materials available.

COURSE TOPICS

• Basic smile design, tooth form and occlusal considerations

• Comparing direct techniques –free hand, layering techniques and injectable composites

• Bonding protocols

• Composite resin selection

• Isolation techniques

• Finishing – anatomy and polishing

Direct Veneers

6.5 CPD Saturday 21 October

Registration from 8.45am Course 9.00am to 5pm

UWA Dental School

17 Monash Ave, Nedlands

Lunch, morning and afternoon tea

$ $1,100 ADA Members

$1,650 Non Members

$1,100 OHT, Hygenists, Ancillary Staff

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Dr Joshua Graieg is a Specialist Prosthodontist at the Brånemark Center in West Perth and Cottesloe Dental in Peppermint Grove. He completed a Bachelor in Dental Science from The University of Western Australia and a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Prosthodontics from the University of Sydney. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, a Consultant Prosthodontist with the Craniofacial Unit at Perth Children’s Hospital, and a Key Opinion Leader for Kerr/KaVo. His main interests are biomimetic dentistry, aesthetic dentistry, minimally invasive prosthodontics, and both tooth and implant based prosthodontic rehabilitation.

Clin A Prof Glen Liddelow is a Specialist Prosthodontist at the Brånemark Center in West Perth and the Director of the Branemark Center Osseointegration training program in dental implants. Glen is a lecturer and online expert advisor for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Global Institute for Dental Education (gIDE) program. He is a Consultant Prosthodontist at Perth Children’s Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital. Glen has presented over 300 papers and lectures both nationally and internationally and is a member of numerous university and industry boards concerned with dental education.

adawa.com.au/cpd

This course is designed to give dental practitioners a greater understanding of treatment planning for direct composite resin veneers, as well as hands-on experience with the different techniques and materials available.

To book, visit

COURSE OUTLINE

Dentists and their staff can be faced with challenges that upset the usual routine and smooth running of a dental practice. Most of these are emergencies of some kind or they may be things that do not go to plan! Three such unexpected, but common, things are when a patient calls after suffering trauma to the mouth and teeth, your best efforts to achieve good local anaesthetic are not working (especially for a patient with pain) and yesterday’s patient calls because they still have pain after your treatment. These problems occur in all dental practices, but they may be harder to manage in a rural practice because there is no option to refer to a specialist. This course will use these difficult situations as a basis to discuss and provide guidelines and predictable methods for their management. Some new local anaesthetic techniques will also be discussed along with findings from the work of the presenter’s research teams.

Managing those Pesky Problems that Interrupt the Daily Routines of Dental Practices

6.5 CPD Friday 27 October 2023

Registration from 8.45 am Course 9 am to 5 pm

Hilton Garden Inn

3 Toll Place, Albany

Lunch, morning and afternoon tea

$ 638 inc gst

MEMBERS

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

W Prof. Paul Abbott is the Winthrop Professor of Clinical Dentistry at The University of Western Australia. He is a Specialist Endodontist and works in private practice on a part-time basis. Prior to taking a full-time University position in 2002, he spent 17 years in private specialist practice in Perth and Melbourne. He was Head of the UWA School of Dentistry and Director of the Oral Health Centre of WA from 2003-2009. He has lectured extensively in 42 countries, has published over 170 articles in refereed journals and 24 textbook chapters. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Dental Traumatology and he has served on Editorial Boards and Scientific Review Panels of 17 international journals. Prof. Abbott has won numerous awards for his teaching including the University of Western Australia’s Excellence in Teaching Award for Individual Teaching, Postgraduate Coursework Teaching and for Research Supervision. He has also been awarded by the UWA Student Guild for his teaching and recently received a Commendation for Lifetime Achievement in Clinical Supervision from The WA Clinical Training Network Team. In June 2015, he was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of his services to clinical dentistry, teaching, research and professional societies.

Difficult situations, and the guidelines and predictable methods for their management.

HIF Corporate Program

ADAWA members are entitled to a 12% discount on health cover each year when premiums are paid by direct debit. Existing HIF members need only call or email to have the discount applied to their membership. Visit hif.com.au/adawa and use the access code ADAWA Alternatively call HIF on 1300 13 40 60 or email sales@hif.com.au

Dental Health Week 2023

Help promote the importance of oral health at your practice with this year’s Dental Health Week resources.

Dental Health Week is back this August, from August 7 to 13

As you will be well-aware, each year, Dental Health Week features a campaign about the importance of caring for your oral health. This year, the campaign focuses on the mouth and whole-body connection.

It is a wonderful opportunity to discuss with your patients about health conditions and how they link with oral health, including:

Heart disease

Diabetes

Alzheimer’s disease

Adverse pregnancy outcomes

Lung conditions and

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

There are resources available to help you spread the word about Dental Health Week, including social media assets, bunting, colouring-in sheets, posters and more. You can download these from teeth.org.au/teeth/dental-health-week

As always, we would love to hear about what local practices are doing for Dental Health Week. You can tag us on Instagram (adawa_perth) or please email the media team (media@adawa.com.au)

Detecting head and neck cancer

Chairman and Founder of the Western Australian Head and Neck Cancer Support Foundation, Stephen McPherson, says head and neck cancer is on the rise, from 630 West Australians in 2021 to 752 people in 2022.

“In 2022, 3.2% of all cancers diagnosed in Australia were Head and Neck related with approximately 17,374 people living with head and neck cancer in Australia,” he says. “The plus side is the five-year survival rate has increased from 63% in 2018 to 72% in 2022. Why is this important to you as dentists? Great question and the answer is, because you are likely to be the person to spot an abnormality first. Any abnormality should be checked out immediately. There have been numerous people who have been saved by their dentist spotting and doing something on what has turned out to be head and neck cancer.”

Dentists key in early detection

Oral and maxillofacial surgeon and maxillofacial head and neck oncology and reconstructive surgeon, Dr Ken Wan, says dentists are the best-trained clinicians in detecting oral cancer and are the first line of defence against the disease. “Every time a dentist sees a patient, a physical examination is performed to scan for abnormal oral lesions,” he explains.

“Early-stage cancers of the head and neck may initially be asymptomatic and often manifest as subtle oral mucosal changes, or painless lymphadenopathy,” adds Oral Medicine Specialist, Dr Lalima Tiwari. “The best way to currently detect these is through conventional oral and tactile examination of the oral cavity, as well as lymph node examination of the head and neck. Routine dental examinations serve

as an excellent opportunity for dentists to provide a head and neck cancer assessment for patients and aid in the early detection of cancer and improving the clinical outcomes for cancer patients.”

She says some red flags for dentists to look for that should raise suspicion of malignancy include:

• Oral ulcers that have lasted more than two weeks.

• Red, white or mixed red and white lesions of the oral mucosa with features of induration, ulceration with rolled margins, fixation to underlying tissues, and lesions in high-risk sites such as lateral tongue or floor of mouth.

• Facial or oral paraesthesia. Lumps or swellings, including lymphadenopathy.

• Hoarseness, progressive dysphagia, persistent sore throat, or cough.

World Head and Neck Cancer Day is on July 27. We spoke to the experts about how important dentists can be to support their patients going though diagnosis and treatment.

The importance of early detection

Ken says when cancer is detected at an early stage, treatment is less invasive, and radiotherapy/chemotherapy may not be required. “The patient’s probability of disease-free survival increases, and the risk of locoregional recurrence decreases,” he explains.

Lalima says survival outcomes for head and neck cancer are significantly correlated to the TNM classification and staging at diagnosis. “When detected and treated at an early stage, five-year survival rates can reach up to 80%,” she says. “When diagnosed at an advanced stage, five-year survival rate is 50%. That is why early detection is one of the most effective

ways to reduce the high mortality and morbidity associated with head and neck cancer. If a lesion is suspected of malignancy, a prompt referral should be arranged to an appropriate specialist centre for a surgical biopsy to confirm diagnosis.”

Dentists as a part of an effective cancer care team

Ken says dentists are critically important in the multidisciplinary management of head and neck cancer patients. “Often times, patients are required to be made dentally fit prior to their ablative surgery or radiotherapy/chemotherapy,” he explains. “Sequelae of their treatment, e.g. xerostomia from radiotherapy, will render them with a much higher oral disease risk.”

Lalima says dentists play a key part in the entire journey of the head and neck cancer patient, which extends to after their cancer treatment is complete. “Dentists should be closely involved in risk factor modification including smoking cessation and counselling patients in reducing alcohol intake, provide oral supportive care throughout the patient’s treatment phase, and remain vigilant for recurrence after treatment during routine examination, as part of the patient’s cancer surveillance,” she says.

“Prevention of dental disease is also key,’ she adds. “During cancer treatment phase, dentists may need to perform a pre-radiation therapy dental assessment before patients commence radiation or chemotherapy as part of their overall cancer management, to reduce the risk of dental problems mid-treatment and after treatment. After completion of treatment, dentists should provide oral hygiene support and regular follow up care to reduce the risk of tooth loss, especially post radiation treatment.”

Resources

If you would like to increase your education about head and neck cancer, have a look at the following resources:

Head and Neck Cancer Australia, headandneckcancer.org.au

Head and Neck Cancer Australia has recently launched resource called “The changing face of Head & Neck Cancer” for dentists to improve knowledge in identifying signs and symptoms of head and neck cancer.

The American Head and Neck Society Journal Club ahns.info/resources/ahns-journal-club/

The Western Australian Head and Neck Cancer Support Foundation

WA’s only dedicated Head and Neck Cancer Support Foundation that provides support to Head and Neck Cancer patients, waheadandneckcancer.org.au

“Every dentist will see and diagnose at least one or two oral cancers during their career. The key is early diagnosis and to detect suspicious premalignant lesions before they become frank cancers.”

Dr Ken Wan

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Dental negligence for failure to detect oral cancer Enore Panetta, Panetta McGrath Lawyers

Oral cancer errors and dental negligence may arise where patients suffer from a failure to diagnose or a delay in diagnosis of cancer, resulting in detrimental consequences for the patient. These can involve more extensive treatment than would have been required if there had been earlier referral and treatment, or reduction in the chances of survival or cure. Dentists are well-trained to identify potentially malignant oral lesions and are usually the first line of defence against detecting and confirming oral cancer. A comprehensive oral cancer examination serves as the most effective mechanism for protecting your patient’s health, and reducing exposure to claims against you for failing to diagnose properly.

ADA Policy Statement 6.10 ‘Oral Cancer’

(24 March 2023) recommends that patients attend a dentist annually for comprehensive examination. It also mandates that dentists make screening for oral cancer part of any oral examination.

Oral cancer screening exams can detect cancer at an early stage and therefore improve clinical outcomes for patients.

Elements of a cause of action in negligence

To establish a claim in negligence, the plaintiff must show:

• a breach of duty of care – departure from the required standard of care

• damages / injuries

• causation – that the damages / injuries resulted from the breach of duty

The most common allegations in dental negligence claims for oral cancer are:

• Failure to diagnose cancer in its early stages

• Failure to seek advice and / or refer to a specialist for diagnosis

• Delayed diagnosis and progression in stage of disease

• Failure to perform a biopsy when indicated

• Complications associated with cancer treatment

• Failure to follow up

Such claims can result in large awards for damages based on the treatment expenses, pain, suffering, permanent injuries (e.g., facial disfigurement, inability to eat or speak normally, hearing loss), loss of earnings, and potential death.

What is the standard of care?

The standard of care expected is that of a reasonable and prudent dentist (or endodontist, prosthodontist, orthodontist, etc.) exercising ordinary skill and care in the circumstances, the determination of the relevant standard of care being a matter for the court.

In determining the standard of care the court will have regard to matters such as current practices, research, literature, guidelines, and expert opinion.

An expert will probably give evidence that the majority of dentists perform oral cancer screening on their patients, and that the literature and guidelines (including the ADA’s Policy) require that practice, so it is the standard of care for a dentist. Ultimately, the court must decide if there has been a breach of the standard of care.

A court will take into account matters such as the clear risk to the patient if oral cancer is not diagnosed early, the low cost of a screening, and the minimal inconvenience and time it takes.

Suggesting that an abnormal clinical finding was an oversight or did not seem to warrant further investigation would not provide a good defence.

Recommendations to reduce the chances of being sued

Oral cancer screening: A thorough extraoral and intraoral examination should form a part of the dentist’s routine clinical examination.

• Good communication with patients: Even when oral cancer screening is part of an examination, many patients are unaware that it has been performed. Tell the patient that you are doing a thorough and comprehensive screening examination, which includes screening for oral cancer. Dentists should also facilitate patients’ informed decision-making by providing relevant information regarding the risks and benefits of attending (or not attending) a recommended test (such as biopsy), referral to a specialist or follow-up appointment.

• Obtain a good history: Gather a history of tobacco and alcohol use by the patient and inquire as to other risk factors (including sun exposure (relating to lips), herpes simplex infection, human papilloma virus infection, family history of cancer, diet). Ask questions as to whether the patient has any new developments or concerns regarding their oral health.

• Be diligent in maintaining an index of suspicion: If anything abnormal or unusual appears during your examination – whether it is a sore, irritation, lump, swollen tissue, discoloration, or hoarseness - arrange to re-examine the patient within 2 - 3 weeks to see if the problem has resolved itself within that time. If an abnormal area is still present at the time of re-examination, oral cancer should be suspected and steps taken to achieve a definitive diagnosis, or the patient should be referred to a specialist for urgent review and/or biopsy.

• If in doubt, refer the patient for a second opinion: Stay within your scope of practice, training and skill level.

• Referral should be to a specific and clinically appropriate specialist: This should be to an oral pathology and oral medicine specialist, maxillofacial specialist, ENT surgeon or when required, a dermatologist. It is inadequate to rely on the patient selecting an appropriate specialist. The patient may also be lost to follow up if you do not know who the patient has consulted.

• Follow-up: Have procedures in place that provide for follow up of recommendations, referrals and failures to attend appointments - and document the arrangements for a follow-up or review appointment.

• Document, document, document: Document all cancer screening exams. Keep accurate and contemporaneous records of the history obtained; the patient’s subjective symptoms, what you observe during a clinical examination (location, size, colour, texture of the lesion); your advice and recommendations to the patient.

• Photograph any suspicious lesion: If a lesion or other suspicious area is identified, a photograph should be taken to document the exact size and establish a baseline so that later changes can be noted.

• Stay current: Keep up-to-date with continuing professional development, journals and education courses, some of which concentrate on or broach the subject of oral cancer.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general overview and guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Is your practice accredited?

There are many advantages of getting your practice accredited, with the ADAWA team here to help you along the way. We look into the process and the benefits.

What is practice accreditation?

“Practice accreditation is a process that practices can have to keep track of how they do things consistently,” explains Andrea Andrys. Andrea says going through processes enable practices to have consistent processes.

Why get your practice accredited?

Getting your practice accredited demonstrates your commitment to maintaining a high level of standards for the dental profession, as your practice meets the requirements of the National Safety and Quality Health Services Standards. It is relevant for both General Dental and Specialty practices.

Andrea adds it is also very helpful when onboarding new staff. “Accreditation gives people who are new to the practice a place to start on learning how the practice has its policies and registers set up,” she explains. “It allows a consistent process, not only for new but for existing staff. It is also helpful if a scenario occurs that does not happen very often but with these processes in place, the staff can identify in a policy that this is our process, and this is how we deal with it.”

It is also beneficial for both new and established practices. “It is a great thing to do for a new practice because it help them get everything set up as it should be – and for an established practice it helps them refine their processes so they are consistent and so everyone is doing things consistently,”

Andrea says.

She adds getting your practice accredited is also good for staff morale. “It is positive for staff that they know they are working at a practice that is meeting standards that are set nationally.”

The process

The accreditation program allows completion over a 12-month period, giving practices the flexibility to compete the components at a time that is most convenient to them, although Andrea says she has seen practices knuckle down and finish their accreditation within a few months.

Accreditation templates are provided, making the process easy and structured to create your written policies.

Andrea says it is important to know you do not have to have everything together before you start accreditation.

“Many practices they think they have to have all their ducks in a row to register for accreditation and that is not the case.”

“The accreditation process helps you get everything in place so you can monitor, maintain and review your process,” she says. Andrea adds the accreditation process is easier than people often think it is going to be. “Often they think it is going to be someone coming into their practice and auditing them and saying they have to do things this way or that way,” she says.

“Where really it is giving them templates to record things they are already doing, and helping them refine those processes so they can have better outcomes and reduce risk and to ensure they are meeting national standards.”

Once a practice passes their accreditation, QIP provides decals for the practice to use on their website and ADA provides digital resources that the practice can use within their practice and in their emails to show they are an accredited practice. It is something to be proud of!

Support available

Accreditation support staff are available to help practices every step of the way (at the WA branch the accreditation support staff member is Andrea Andrys). “If practices have any problems with the QIP platform there is also a QIP liaison officer to help once a practice has submitted their application so the practice can get everything they need, as they need it,” she says.

Andrea also recommends registering for accreditation via the ADA website. “As an ADA member, when you register at ADA.org.au you get a 50 per cent discount off the registration fee for accreditation,” she says.

Further details

Go to ada.org.au/practice-accreditation or for help and support, contact Andrea Andrys at andreaa@adawa.com.au

Summary dismissals in the workplace

Summary dismissal, also referred to as an immediate termination, is where an employee is dismissed from their job without notice or pay in lieu of notice.

While considered a suitable course of action in certain circumstances, summary dismissals can carry significant risks and may have a profound impact on remaining staff within the practice. This article will explore the risks and considerations associated with summary dismissals and provide guidance on how to handle the effect on remaining employees. Risks associated with a summary dismissal can include claim risks, financial consequences, and reputational damage to the dental practice. Circumstances that constitute serious misconduct and may allow for a summary dismissal could include theft, fraud, assault, sexual harassment or where an employee causes imminent risk to the health and safety of others. Due to the nature and severity of this type of a misconduct, dismissing an employee immediately and with no notice is likely to be more appropriate and carry less risk. Comparatively, where an employee is dismissed summarily for reasons other than serious misconduct and without consideration for procedural fairness, this could constitute an unfair dismissal, discrimination or general protections claim risk, and result in significant legal ramifications and costs for the practice. Summary dismissals may result in a loss of productivity as other

employees within the practice become distracted or demotivated by the sudden termination of their colleague. This can have a ripple effect on the overall morale and culture of the practice, potentially leading to increased turnover and a requirement to inject more time and financial support into recruitment initiatives.

When considering a summary dismissal, practice owners or managers should take several factors into consideration. Firstly, they should ensure that the employee's behaviour or performance has been clearly documented and communicated to them, giving them an opportunity to improve on the identified misconduct. It is important to ensure that the dismissal is not based on discriminatory reasons such as race, gender, or age, as this can open the practice to additional claim risks. Practices should also consider whether less severe disciplinary action, such as a written warning, would be more appropriate before resorting to summary dismissal.

If the practice does decide to proceed with summary dismissal, they should follow proper procedures and ensure that the dismissal is communicated clearly to the employee. It is important to invite the employee to a meeting and allow them to have a support person

present whereby the serious misconduct and dismissal can be discussed. Following this meeting, the employee should be provided with written confirmation of their dismissal, including the reasons for the dismissal and any entitlements they may be owed (this could include unused annual leave accruals). This can help to mitigate claim risks and ensure that the employee is not left confused or uncertain about the reasons for their dismissal.

The impact of a summary dismissal on the remaining employees within the practice can be significant. Employees may feel anxious or uncertain about their own job security, particularly if they were not aware of the reasons for the dismissal. Employees may also feel a sense of loss if they were particularly close to the dismissed employee, which can impact upon their productivity and

engagement. Practice owners and managers should take steps to mitigate these effects by communicating clearly with remaining staff, addressing any concerns or questions they may have, and providing support and counselling if necessary. Practices should aim to strike a balance between upholding the privacy of the dismissed employee, while adequately informing remaining employees and reiterating conduct expectations. One effective way to manage the impact of summary dismissal on remaining employees within the practice is to hold a team meeting or briefing. This can be used to inform employees of the dismissal and any steps that can be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. This can help to provide clarity for employees, as well as actively demonstrate that the practice takes employee

concerns seriously. Practice managers or owners should also be prepared to answer any questions or concerns that employees may have, and to provide support or counselling if necessary. Overall, summary dismissals can be risky and a potentially damaging course of action for practices. While necessary in certain circumstances, practices should carefully consider the risks and take steps to mitigate the impact of summary dismissals on the remaining workforce. By following proper procedures and communicating clearly with employees, practices can avoid claim risks and ensure staff feel well-supported.

For more information on this article please call the ADA HR Advisory Service on 1300 232 462.

A report has been requested from me – what do I write?

Why do lawyers request reports from dentists and what do they want us to write?

Ms Helen Harborne, Legal Claims Manager at Dental Protection, discusses the issue.

You receive a letter from a lawyer regarding a patient you treated a while ago. You don’t remember the patient off-hand so you start to slightly panic as your mind races about what it is they might be accusing you of having done wrong. You begin to read the letter and let out a huge sigh of relief as you realise you are not being accused of anything at all, they just want you to write a report for them. Your heart rate finally returns to its normal rhythm when you start to feel a new sense of dread. Why do lawyers want a report from me and what on earth do they want me to write?

As a treating health practitioner, it is not uncommon to receive a request from a lawyer asking you to write a report regarding your treatment of a particular patient to assist them in some form of legal claim against another party. Depending on whether the information you provide is helpful or not to the case, your report may be used as legal evidence so it's important to consider a few things before you put pen to paper.

Understand the relevance

You will need to know a bit about what the patient's legal claim is about so you can understand the context in which your treatment of the patient is relevant to their claim and also to determine the information that is likely to be most beneficial to provide. Most letters from a lawyer will state in the subject heading and/ or the first sentence that they are acting for the patient in relation to a particular matter. Examples of common matters in which a report from a treating dental practitioner might be requested are criminal matters (such as an assault or domestic violence), a motor vehicle accident, a workplace accident or some other form of injury which resulted in damage to the face/ mouth. If the lawyer's letter does not provide enough information for you to understand the relevance that your treatment has to their claim, don't be afraid to call or email the lawyer and ask for the further information you will need to be able to write a meaningful report. We recently had a member that was subpoenaed by the police to provide evidence in relation to an assault charge where the patient had also been involved in a car accident. The member was asked to comment on whether the injuries that he treated were more consistent with an assault or a car accident. In order to be able to answer that question with any degree of confidence, the member genuinely needed to understand some of the circumstances surrounding both the assault and the car accident.

Answer the questions but remain impartial

Good lawyers are wordsmiths, so they are very selective and deliberate about their use of words. Read the questions set out by the lawyer carefully as this will guide you in relation to what they specifically want you to write about and will help set the focus for your report. However, you are ultimately the expert on the treatment provided and you are the author of your report, not the lawyer. Be mindful that there may be times when lawyers have a specific agenda they are trying to pursue, or alternatively, there may be times when the patient has not been 100% truthful with their lawyer about the circumstances surrounding the matter, so the questions may be angled a particular way.

You might find that to simply answer the specific questions that have been asked of you may not provide the full and correct context about a particular aspect of the treatment. If a lawyer has asked a particular question and you consider that there is further information which should be provided to properly elucidate the issue, then you should also include that further information.

Nothing but the truth

As stated earlier, your report may be used as evidence in a legal claim so you must ensure that it is truthful and accurate to the best of your knowledge and/or experience. Whilst these days very few legal claims will actually proceed to a full trial, you need to bear in mind as you are writing your report

that you could be asked to confirm your opinion before a Judge and be cross-examined (questioned) about it. In the rare cases when that does happen, it can often be a year or two (or even many years) after you have provided your report, and long forgotten about the matter, that you are subpoenaed to give evidence in the trial. Therefore, it is imperative that you use language that is very clear to express your state of knowledge and opinion about the matter. For example, if you don't recall something from your direct memory but you are relying on your clinical notes to comment on a particular issue, write something like "Based on a review of my clinical notes I can confirm that".

If you cannot be certain of something that you have been asked to comment on, but you can provide an opinion based on your experience, you should write something like "I cannot be certain about whether [details], however

based on a combination of my clinical notes and my experience, my opinion is that it is more likely than not that [details]", or something to that affect. Using very clear language will assist all parties involved but will also help with your own recall of your opinion (and the rationale for your opinion) potentially years down the track, particularly for a potential cross-examination.

Remember that the role of an expert witness is to provide relevant and impartial evidence in their area of expertise to assist the court in reaching its decision. Let the lawyer's request be a guide for your report but don't allow them to dictate your report or your opinion.

If you receive a request to prepare a report and would like some assistance, feel free to give Dental Protection a call.

WADA Golf at Joondalup Resort

24 committed WADA golfers took to the Joondalup Resort, Quarry and Dunes combined course, for our traditional early winter fixture. Fortunately, the showers held off and the group was rewarded for their commitment with a magnificently presented course. There were some treacherous pin placements again this year, and a strong westerly breeze made for challenging conditions.

The event was again sponsored by Dentaurum Australia. A WADA Golf sponsor based in Sydney, Dentaurum is the oldest dental supply company in the world and has a proud history of product and service excellence, supplying a wide range of orthodontic, prosthetic and hygiene consumables.

We were joined by Dentaurum Managing Director, Kevin Ferrari. Our sincere thanks are extended to Kevin and his team for their generous support of this event. We look forward to a long association with Dentaurum for future WADA Golf events.

Our winner for the day on a fine score of 40 points was Dean Martin. Patrick Douglas maintained his run of fine results with a second on 38 stableford points and Charles Angliss was a close third on 37 points.

Nearest the pin prizes for the day, sponsored by our corporate partners were won by:

Nearest the pin

3rd hole

Quarry NTP Brad Potter Health Practice Brokers

7th hole

Quarry NTP Terry Pitsikas Swan Valley Dental Laboratory

4th Hole

Dunes NTP Gregory Yap Dentsply Sirona

7th Hole

Dunes NTP Terry Pitsikas Healthlinc

9th Hole

Dunes NTP Michael Welten Insight Dental Ceramics

Our placegetters

• 5th place on 34 points: Russell Gordon

• 4th place on 35 points: Keenan Indercheeth (well done on pipping Russell to the post, Keenan!).

• 3rd place on 37 points: Charles Angliss

• 2nd place on 38 points: Patrick Douglas

• 1st place on 40 points: Dean Martin

All interested golfers are welcome to join us for a game.

Good golfing

Frank Welten

WADA Golf Captain

Dentistgolf@gmail.com

Vale Ray Purt

Ray Purt began his career in the dental industry at the tender age of 15 in Harley Street in London, England, when he began an apprenticeship as a ceramist. He was conscripted into the British army and posted to Germany, were he finished his apprenticeship in the British army. After a two-year posting, he came home, met his future wife, and within a month they were on a plane to Johannesburg (South Africa) and within days was working in a large dental laboratory. “He thought it was an adventure – and the adventure never stopped,” says Ray’s son, Clive.

“He established his own dental laboratory after a few years and it was reported to me that it was the biggest on the African continent,” Clive reveals. “He had 20 to 30 dental technicians and he would fly around Southern Africa as a roving consultant ‘taking shades and advising what was possible’. I discovered he did a lot of restoration work for some serious politicians in South Africa. The most notable was his meeting with Chief Buthelezi (a well-known political figure of the Zulu nation) who he established a wonderful dialogue with during his Dental treatment.”

The Purt family’s move to Australia came about when Prosthodontist Professor Patrick Henry was attending a dental conference in London told a friend (who was a dentist in South Africa, who Ray was working for at the time) that he was looking for a technician who knew their stuff, and Ray was recommended. “Within three months, my father came over to Perth and met with Patrick Henry,” Clive says.

“He actively supported our immigration application. Immigration was tough at that point and we were grateful. That was in January of 1977. Patrick Henry was always my dad’s dental confidant over the decades.”

Dental supplies and equipment business, Ray Purt Dental, was established in July of 1979. “From the first week of opening, the door at Ray Purt Dental has never been closed and the phone has never stopped ringing,” says Clive, who himself has worked in the business for 34 years (more than 10 years shoulder-to-shoulder with his father).

“My father lived and breathed dentistry,” Clive says. “He was passionate about it; he had this amazing thirst for dentistry. He was always there sharing his knowledge, trying to educate, help and troubleshoot, which always kept the business going.”

To the dental community, Clive says thank you for embracing Ray and allowing him to develop, contribute and flourish. “Thank you for taking him on face value. Thank you for supporting him in ways that I know excited him from the point of your acceptance. He really enjoyed his time in dentistry. Thank you for the support, which allowed him to give and receive knowledge in dentistry. We all benefited in some way having connected with my father.”

Many members of the dental community source their equipment and supplies through Ray Purt Dental and worked closely with Ray over the years.

Ray Purt passed away on March 12, aged 88 years.

In March, we lost a fixture of the WA dental community. We pay tribute to Ray Purt.

Partner Index

ADAWA works closely with a number of partners and affiliates, resulting in strong relationships with like-minded organisations and associations. We also work with partners to provide member benefits for ADAWA members, including discounts on advantageous products and services.

Bunnings Trade

Bunnings Trade and ADAWA are delighted to announce a partnership which gives you the opportunity to join the PowerPass Membership Program. To sign up or link your existing PowerPass account, please contact OrganisationsWA@bunnings.com.au

invedent

ADAWA wants to support your practice with an easy to use and easy to implement system that enables you to manage your supply ordering and stock hassle-free. That’s why you’ll get 10% off Invedent as an ADAWA member. Visit invedent.com

AMA FINANCE BROKERS

ADA members are eligible to receive up to $2,000^ cashback on top of the cashback offer from the bank or lender (if eligible) on home loans successfully settled between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023. Phone 1800 262 346 or email info@amafinance.com.au to find out more.

ONDA

As one of ADAWA's valued corporate partners, ONDA provide timesaving services to our members, which are tailored to the busy dental professional. Until the end of the financial year, ONDA are offering our members a 15% discount on all new sign-ups to their financial admin services.

Contact george@ondagroup.com.au to book your free consultation.

VPG

Boutique commercial property company, VPG Property, is partnering with ADAWA to look after our members’ business and personal property needs. VPG Property is offering a free initial property consult to ADAWA members. vpgproperty.com.au

good news stories

Membership renewal

The ADAWA membership team is busy behindthe-scenes taking care of renewals. Please contact us if you have any queries about your renewal documents. Remember your renewal must be paid by July 28.

CPD updates

New Practitioners Program

Our New Practitioners Program is going from strength-to-strength with a fantastic turn out at the last Study Club, presented by Dr Ken Wan. The clubs are supportive, educational and fun. If you have graduated from Dental School, or passed ADC exams, within the last five years, please come along to these evenings. A big shout out to the ADAWA Recent Graduate and Student Liaison Committee for all of work they put into these events.

Yoga in the House

Join Dr Unna Chidambaram for a yoga session at ADA House. Upcoming dates are: August 1, August 15 and September 19 at 7pm. $10 and please BYO yoga mat.

Have you checked out our website for the latest WA Dental CPD courses? There are always new courses being added, so please keep an eye on our website, adawa.com.au/cpd

Can you give back?

We are always looking for volunteers to take on pro bono Adopt a Patient and Rebuilding Smiles cases. Even seeing one patient a year can make a huge difference. To find out how you can help, contact ADHF WA State Coordinator Andrea Paterson by emailing adminwa@adhf.org.au

Relocation announcement

Dr Janina Christoforou

Dr Janina Christoforou will be providing specialist oral medicine services at the following locations:

KALAMUNDA and MOUNT LAWLEY.

Change in scope of practice announcement

Periodontics & Implants wish to advise of an imminent change in our scope of practice.

We plan to open our books entirely to Periodontics and will no longer be taking new patients for placing dental implants. We will trade under the new business name of Southside Periodontics. We look forward to continuing caring for your patients for managing periodontal and peri-implant diseases.

MOUNT LAWLEY

47 Railway Pde, Mount Lawley

KALAMUNDA

Perth Hills Specialist Centre

182 Canning Rd, Kalamunda

T (08) 9257 8500

E admin@westernoralmed.com.au

W westernoralmed.com.au

T (08) 9417 3008

E blueswimmer50@gmail.com

C Peter Kerrisk

New Practice Announcement

Dr Fleur Creeper is excited to be returning to practice in her new periodontal studio. She looks forward to supporting your patients with their periodontal needs and is gratefully accepting referrals.

New Practice Announcement

Specialist Orthodontists, Dr Jippy Buck and Dr Lloyd Buck are delighted to announce the opening of their new practice ‘Smile Arc Specialist Orthodontics’ in Doubleview. Providing a full range of orthodontic care in a new and modern setting. Accepting referrals for children, teens and adults.

T (08) 6184 4754

E hello@thegumstudio.com

A 252 Stirling Street, Perth

W thegumstudio.com

T (08) 6246 6957

E hello@smilearc.com.au

A 255 St Brigids Tce, Doubleview 6018

W smilearc.com.au

Dr Soon Leng Saw - new addition to the team

We are pleased to announce that Dr Soon Leng Saw has joined the Class 1 Orthodontics team. Dr Soon is an Australian Board Certified Orthodontist and an active member of the Australian Dental Association and the Australian Society of Orthodontists (ASO).

Dr Soon speaks five languages (English, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien) and will practice out of our Cockburn, Rockingham and Busselton Clinics.

T 1300 922 722

E prm@class1ortho.com.au

W class1ortho.com.au

Equip your practice for a world of possibilities

With the new financial year upon us, there has never been a better time to Invest in the future of your practice.

If you’re looking to seize the opportunity and upgrade your practice equipment or fit-out before 31 July 2023, you can save $495 on establishment fees when you finance your purchase with us.*

We’ve been providing tailored and flexible asset finance solutions to dental professionals for over 30 years. Now, let us help you. Visit boqspecialist.com.au/eofy or speak to your local finance specialist on 1300 160 160.