Dentally Speaking

Last week I met an American dentist who worked in an international clinic in Phnom Penh. His name is Dr. Charles Craft and he has lived and worked in Cambodia for the last six years. He received his formal training at the University of Nebraska Dental School and then spent sixteen years working for the Public Health Service in Alaska. Dr. Craft was very helpful in giving me several contacts in the dental community.

Today I went to the dental school and met the head of the Oral Surgery Dept., Dr. Someth Hong. He is the immediate past president of the Cambodian Dental Association and a very influential leader. He introduced me to the Dean of the dental school and several of their assistant deans. We had the usual formal tea together as I shared with them information about the Mekong Boat Project and offered to volunteer at the school until we begin our work. Dr. Hong will look at several areas where I might be of use and will meet with me as early as this weekend.

I also met a retired dentist from Arizona working full time in the pedodontics department. His name was Dr. Ron Tobler. He has volunteered full time for the school for nine months and plans to stay another nine months. He was very helpful in just a short time telling me about the “system” in Cambodia. They not only have Board Certified dentists but also “Traditional” dentists, who are trained as apprentices. They also utilize “dental nurses” in the outlying provinces. These nurses do not drill on teeth but they spoon excavation of carious lesions and then fill them! This is really going to be interesting! I hope to learn as much as I can about their “system” before we start. I also hope to help in the school. More later as I learn about our new world.