A culture of life & learning
by Amos Lang
Listening to the bush telegraph, running a dental practice in rural Australia is fraught with challenges: attracting dentists and educating dental assistants; making large investments on equipment when country patients may be reluctant to take up these expensive services; investing in property in a rural area that has little or no growth; a lack of a (city) lifestyle; lower earnings. It goes on and on.
On the up side there are plenty of innovative practices in rural Australia excelling and setting high standards in dentistry and practice management.
If there is a formula for a successful practice, then Gippsland Dental Group has just about perfected it.
Dr Peter Kingsbury moved to Morwell, in the LaTrobe Valley in eastern Victoria, from Melbourne 20 years ago. He has been practicing dentistry in the Gippsland area since.
He's made Morwell his home and he's made his surgery an integral part of the town. The area has a population of 120,000 and the practice is the biggest in Gippsland with five surgeries in a 400 square meter complex.
There are three full time receptionists, two infection control staff, six nurses and five dentists. The part-time staff job share.
Dr Kingsbury recently renovated the practice. It was either retire or accept the challenge and upgrade. The practice has a bright, fresh, modern look and he has incorporated much of the local environment into his practice. Artworks by local artists decorate the walls. The paintings are mostly landscapes and the contemporary look of the rooms retain the regional feel of the LaTrobe Valley.
They have added a garden as a courtyard in the middle of the practice, giving the practice a soothing, calm surrounding.
" Being here is much better then being a dentist in Collins St," Dr Kingsbury says.
" It's easier to travel here, you feel a part of the community. You're not just another brick in the wall. The patients are more engaged in the process and they seem to relate to you much better.
" We offer the best quality dentistry to the general public for a reasonable price. Our goal is to attract good people to the working environment. Everyone appreciates and embraces our vision.
A lot of our patients work at the three base load electricity generators or the largest pulp and paper mill in the southern hemisphere. The practice is economically diverse, so you have to be flexible and tailor your treatment plans to the patient's expectations and financial limitations.
We have a broad range of patients and the young graduates get a diverse range of experience.
There is plenty of experience for the younger dentists to call on in Dr Kingsbury and Dr Peter Cliff. The practice ensures that all dentists attend courses and seminars for continuing education and CPD points. It's a vital ingredient to securing staff.
"Only through acquiring knowledge will you be the best you can," he stresses.
The vision from the start has been to grow the practice into a dynamic group, and attract young graduates into the valley.
"There are plenty of opportunities to expand your knowledge base and your skills as well as for crown and bridge practice, if you want to do it. And the patients do want it. It's an ideal surgery for all the practitioners here," says Dr Cliff.
" And we have high tech equipment such as Cerec and a Diode Laser for the painless removal of soft tissue as well as a digital X-ray. in the future the area may need an icat for implant planning.
"It's about building the surgery into the future, for the next generation," says Dr Kingsbury.
With a shortage of dentists in rural areas, patients come from several hours away and with five rooms all operating for the full working week, patients know they will be seen.
Like any good surgery new patients are attracted by word of mouth and the surgery is moving forward with two to three new patients every day. The day Australasian Dentist visited the practice nine new patients had appointments.
Heather Stoiljkovic has been the practice manager at the Gippsland Dental Group for 20 years - she has managed to retire three times, but keeps coming back.
"It's a great team and great working environment. Everyone helps everyone" she says.
" We don't turn anyone away and our prices aren't as high as Melbourne's. In fact, patients have followed Dr Kingsbury down here.
Heather is a qualified dental assistant and has completed several dental courses. All dental assistants continue their education through the practice with three dental assistant presently doing the RMIT courses.
This culture of learning will guarantee this practice continues to flourish in the future.