for patients at UHDC

Preshing built a legacy of specialty treatment for patients at UHDC

After more than 31 years as the director of the University Hospital Dental Clinic, Bill Preshing says it’s the perfect time for him to pass the torch.

“There comes a time to make some changes and step back,” says Preshing, who was diagnosed with and recovered from stage 4 colorectal cancer a few years ago. “I’m trying to accept these life lessons and that work is important but at the same time there is life I want to live. I hope to carry on a few days per week looking after the family of patients I’ve built up over many years.”

Reminiscing over the past three decades, the dental clinic has grown leaps and bounds. What started out as clinic operating with Preshing and three dental residents, and the equivalent of about 2.5 fulltime dental assistants, is now a clinic that operates with three to five dentists onsite daily supported by 18 clinical and office staff members.

“I am really proud of how the hospital dental service has evolved over the years,” says Preshing. “We’ve created a very special place here. We have built a clinic for people who can’t get treatment elsewhere because of their medical conditions. For the majority of our patients, there is nowhere else for them to go.”

The dental clinic has become a place specialized place to treat patients with disabilities and complex medical issues.

“I can’t say my work has ever become routine,” says Preshing. “We are providing dental care like any other practice, but we are sometimes providing care to people with a condition we may have never heard of. Therefore, we are always learning something new.”

Preshing says it’s the patients he met in the clinic and their strength in the face of so many challenges, that helped him through his own illness and to keep a good sense of humour.

One such patient was Terry, who had cerebral palsy. Preshing formed a strong friendship him saying because of his appearance people discredited him. But his determination to keep going was nothing less than admirable.

“He walked by sheer force of will. He looked like he was going to fall over and because he couldn’t speak either, people assumed he had little intelligence,” says Preshing, adding Terry communicated with a sheet of paper that had the alphabet on it and he would spell things out with his foot.

“But he could always carry on a conversation. It was hurtful to him when people would ignore the person he was, because he was quite capable and always proud to say he had graduated high school. If I can step back and say there is any type of legacy at the clinic, it is this. We created a place for people like Terry to receive the dental care they needed.”

As Preshing slowly begins handing over the ropes, there is one thing he’s realized he won’t miss at all - administrative meetings.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Both the Dental Alumni Association (DAA) and the Dental Hygiene Alumni Chapter (DHAC) are recruiting new board members! With your ideas and input, you can make a difference within the oral health alumni community. If you are:

• Passionate about your alma mater • Interested in making a difference and inspiring your peers • Good with engaging people in virtual platforms • Creative and like to share ideas

Both the DAA and the DHAC are comprised of dedicated volunteers who work to help our alumni stay connected with the School, with one another, and with current students. Board members are an integral part of helping build these connections and to support a variety of activities. We encourage all of our alumni to consider joining the DAA or the DHAC.

For more information, or discuss one of these opportunities, please contact Elise Hetu at ehetu@ualberta.ca