The social visit to the dentist

PANDEMIC CHANGES PROTOCOL, BUT NOT THE RELATIONSHIP

The School of Dentistry Oral Health Clinic operates as part of the School’s curriculum. As such, our students rely on our patients to complete their training. Dr. Suzanne Depledge, a clinical professor, has nothing but love to share about our patients. “They’re really quite an exceptional group of people. They’re patient, kind and generous.”

Since appointments are longer than your average dentist visit, our patient base is mostly retired and some have built their visits into their routines. Dr. Suzanne Depledge, clinical professor says, “It can be a kind of outing. Most of our patients look forward to coming in.”

Students, patients, and instructors all get to know each other. Depledge says, “You’d be surprised what people can tell you, even through a rubber dam! Being in a dental chair isn’t much of a barrier to communication for us.”

Mireille Szostak, DDS 2021, Szostak says, “I love doing fillings and dentures as much as the next person, but I think what I look forward to most is getting to know my patients!”

Depledge says, “Our patients are the biggest cheerleaders for our students and want them to succeed.”

At the end of the school year, patients are assigned to new students to look after them, and even though patients are sad to see them go, they’re happy the students are moving on.

One patient says, “With every student you’re going to have a different dynamic. Even in a two-year cycle you have opportunity to do some connecting because you are seeing the student several times.”

With the stricter infection prevention protocols in place due to COVID, Depledge says everyone has found it hard to not hug or shake hands as they arrive and leave, because they’re like family.

Depledge says, “Many of our students are from out of town and they appreciate receiving that care from their patients.”

Since the Oral Health Clinic has been reopened, Depledge says patients have been as amazing as always. “They just kind of roll with it. They have total trust in us to keep them safe. And everyone’s just happy to be back and to see their students!”

One of the big changes will be that students will be practicing “four-handed dentistry”, or being paired up with another student for each appointment. One student will act as assistant while the other performs the procedure. Depledge says so far, “It’s like double the joy for the patient! It might even put the patient more at ease just hearing the chatter back and forth, which can be a distraction from the drill.”

“I had a patient who had to have all his teeth extracted and a complete set of dentures, which requires many appointments. Instead of being frustrated by how long his case was taking, he was always kind and gracious. He even called a radio station to rave about how great the U of A clinic was treating him. It’s safe to say that I can’t wait to see this patient every time he comes in!