A LIFE IN THE DAY OF …

Dr Beatrice Kiptanui

BDS MSc MOrth RCSEd Consultant Specialist

Craniofacial Orthodontist

After qualifying in Dental Surgery at the University of Manchester Dr Beatrice was awarded the British Paediatric Society Prize, resulting in a sponsored Research Project in Cleft Lip and Palate Care in Toronto, Canada. Following this she went on to focus on Maxillofacial Surgery including trauma, cancer of the head and neck and emergency/critical care in A&E. She was part of the first Specialist Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) jaw joint clinic.

Dr Beatrice is a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the only Consultant Specialist Craniofacial Orthodontist in Kenya.

What do you do?

I am a Consultant Specialist Craniofacial Orthodontist. I use my surgical orthodontic expertise to correct the malalignment of the jaws and teeth and to correct cleft lip and palate deformities.

Simply put, I make people smile and hopefully bring joy to all those involved in the process. Fittingly, Beatrice means “bringer of joy.”

What does your work entail?

My surgical and orthodontic training enables me to identify and correct malformations or deformations of the head and neck area and to rectify complex problems that affect skull, face, mouth and teeth.

My sub-specialisation is to correct cleft lip and palate deformities to enable patients to feed and breath properly and to solve ENT problems by restructuring the face, teeth and jaw.

How did you come to do this?

I was introduced to cleft lip and palate care as a teenager when I volunteered as a fundraiser for World Vision, which was partnering with Operation Smile that school holiday. This is what inspired me to become a surgeon. I started my professional training in Dental Surgery at the University of Manchester in UK. In my final year I was sponsored to research a project into Cleft Lip and Palate Care in Toronto, Canada. Later I was privileged to work in collaborations between the UK and Norway with Prof Gunvor Semb, a leading authority in the field. The Norwegian Data is now used as the gold standard for the outcomes of Cleft Lip and Palate treatments worldwide.

Your typical day starts at…?

Everyday is different, but I always wake naturally at 03.38am. I use the early morning hours for meditation and to read a chapter of proverbs. In order for me to be able to carry out my work (which varies daily) I need to be centred, ready and still, with my thoughts, purpose and spirit all aligned. I try to include some exercise, I have a trainer who takes me through a routine, but I wish I could be better.

On clinic days, I meet with my first patient at 7am planning diagnostics and treatment. From 9am I am in theatre. My surgical procedures are more about fixing the bone structure of the jaw and realigning the teeth. I work in conjunction with maxillofacial and plastic surgeons who then build on that. I’m very much ‘back office’ while the plastic surgeons work on the outward appearance of the patient.

I am frequently invited to speak at international medical conferences and to publish papers in my field of medicine, and I am currently setting up a new craniofacial department close to my home in Naivasha, to expand the facility and to create a template of care. I am also currently giving some pro-bono Oral Health Advice sessions for our wonderful MCC staff.

On weekdays I am not very social and usually in bed by 9.30pm. I make up for it on the weekends though.

What is your most memorable occasion in your career?

There are two that come to mind – the first came after months of treating a little girl in Manchester who, after correcting her problem, made a special appointment with me just to show me her drawings of all the smiles she liked. We talked, laughed and even cried tears of joy as she expressed how much the change meant to her. I kept in touch with her and watched her grow into a beautiful, confident, successful young woman – priceless.

My other memorable patient was a young man who, despite being a world famous premiership footballer, was the most modest, kind and humble soul. He ended up in the Guinness Book of World Records for saving the most goals for the US national team. At half-time in the match in which he broke the record, he called me in UK to check if his teeth looked good and his smile was OK, because he was going to meet the then President Barack Obama after the match!

What is the best part of your job?

Seeing my patients walk out at the end of treatment after correcting their deformities. It’s not just their smile, it’s seeing how their self-esteem and confidence have grown and how they approach the world with new selfassurance. I get huge pleasure walking with them on the journey towards this, and I get the brilliant triad of using my heart, head and hands to solve their problems.

What is the worst part of your job?

Complications that arise beyond the patient’s or my control – normally when a family is divided about decisions in treatment - which means we are unable to carry out the procedure to completion. It’s very frustrating, especially when I know I can perform lifeenhancing surgery for the patient.

What do you enjoy doing in your downtime after work?

For me, heaven is to curl up with a good book and listen to music and watch the birds. Music is truly the medicine of my soul - I love to sing and whenever I can, I go and listen to the live band at Pinks on Friday evenings. And I really enjoy my Salsa dance classes.

I have recently caught the travel bug and I am determined to see my country in its entirety. Having lived in England for over 20 years I have a lot of catching up to do!

I am a committed member of the Rotary Club of Kenya. Many of my fellow Rotarians are also MCC Members and they have been a great support to me since I returned to Kenya.

What ambitions/future plans do you have for your work?

As the only Craniofacial orthodontic specialist in Kenya I have been invited by Smile Train (an off-shoot of Operation Smile) to create several centres all over Africa to provide a new, enhanced, comprehensive craniofacial orthodontic programme, providing hands-on training in both surgery and post-operative care, which will include bone grafts, plastic surgery and orthopedics, as well as nutrition, ENT and counseling in the psychosocial aspects of adapting to changes post-surgery. Countries will include Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, DRC and Madagascar.

I actually get to use all my training and skills in the continent I love, and if I can push this programme forward, even a tiny bit, I would be ecstatic.

If you weren’t a Craniofacial Orthodontist Surgeon what would you like to do?

Be a professional tennis player (if I could hang out on court with Roger Federer I would be happy) Or the fittest athlete - the body is a fascinating machine; I am always intrigued by what lengths one can push it to. I’m learning to sandboard!

And as a child, what did you want to grow up to be?

I was always fascinated by science – even at nursery school, I remember mixing detergent with water and wondering what just happened. I knew I wanted to study science and I knew it had to engage my heart, my hands and my head. I am very humbled to find that is exactly where I am. Trying to be my best everyday I have arrived here and I am so grateful.