DENTIST OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Association President, Dr PJ Byrne, and GSK’s Eilis Tobin (right) with the members of Lucey Dental, winners of the Sensodyne Sensitive Dental Team of the Year Award: from left, Andrea Mooney, Tori McInerney, Dr Lisa Lucey, and Pauline Cleary.
MUNSTER WINNER Dr Aidan Higgins with Eilis Tobin of GSK.
CONNACHT WINNER Dr Peter Doyle with Association President, Dr PJ Byrne.
the team at Lucey Dental Services in Greystones, Co. Wicklow. When a new mother with diabetes presented at the clinic, her newborn child was an impediment to her staying for an appointment. Rather than force the woman to cancel her appointment, the practice staff stepped in and looked after and comforted what the patient described as her “very angsty” daughter. This allowed the patient to complete her appointment and when she emerged from the surgery, her daughter was sleeping peacefully in the care of the practice staff.
From left: Dr Gregg Barry, Fiona Considine of Sensodyne, Dr Daniel Collins, and Dr Marie O’Neill.
LEINSTER WINNER Dr Caitriona Begley with Association President, Dr PJ Byrne.
ULSTER WINNER Dr Aneta Spring with Eilis Tobin of GSK.
Leitrim to see Dr Higgins as a regular patient. Rest of Leinster winner, Dr Catriona Begley from Bray, Co. Wicklow spotted a suspicious area underneath a patient’s tongue. She sent him for a biopsy which
The Connacht dentist of the year award went to Dr Peter Doyle who provided treatment, compassion and comfort to a patient after they had been through a
showed the area to be cancerous but at a very early and treatable stage. The patient told her: “The consultant to whom you referred me told me that your dentist has probably saved your life”. The winner of the Ulster award, Dr Aneta Spring, showed great professionalism and care to a ten-year-old boy who found a lump on his gum. Although it turned out to be benign, finding something like that at such a young age was terrifying for the child and his mother. Dr Spring had seen him within half an hour of the mother calling the surgery and explained that although benign, the lump would have to be removed. She made all the arrangements for its removal.
horrific incident. The patient had been out running when without warning a glass bottle was thrown from a car into her face. The next morning the patient went to Dr Doyle who spent two hours doing repair work and put in place a recovery programme. The patient said: “There are no words for the decency and compassion shown by Peter that morning and as a final gesture of goodwill, he refused to charge me. He is my hero without a doubt”. In Munster, a patient from Leitrim was visiting Limerick when one of her teeth snapped. Treatment by Dr Aidan Higgins won him the Munster award. The tooth was repaired and the patient was so impressed that she now travels from
The mother described the professional care and support received from Dr Spring throughout the process. The judges felt the care for both parent and child was exceptional. The awards ceremony took place in the RDS on December 3 and was hosted by radio presenter, Joe Duffy. Many nominated dentists attended the evening, with some unable to make the trip to the Dublin 4 venue. Professor Leo Stassen, Honorary Editor of the Journal of the Irish Dental Association said: “The Awards celebrate the commitment by dentists the length and breadth of the country to the highest standards in patient care”.
Regional winners
304 Journal of the Irish Dental Association | Dec 2016/Jan 2017 : Vol 62 (6)