www.mddus.com


“I feel satisfied when I treat patients …we put patients’ teeth back together”


until it was no longer visible (this needed dis- impacting and repositioning). In each case, the patients’ smiles were restored. Another memorable case was London


paediatrician Dr Geraint Lee who broke his top five teeth in a horrific biking accident in the Pyrenees. The consultant neonatologist came off his road bike and his face took the force of the impact. He was subsequently quoted in news articles urging cyclists to wear mouthguards. Serpil, who treated the doctor, says: “He clipped the back of his brother’s bike on holiday and totally displaced his upper teeth. He came to King’s and we picked up the pieces and got him rehabilitated. Emotionally, he was very upset about his trauma – even professional healthcare providers themselves are susceptible to the emotional aspect of dental trauma. “Today he has his own teeth in his mouth and can smile again.” At King’s, the techniques and solutions to


save patients’ teeth are wide and varied, but are all performed under local anaesthesia. They include: building teeth up; repositioning and


temporarily splinting teeth; carrying out root treatment; or, when teeth cannot be saved, fitting bridges or, in some cases, implants. Rebuilding people’s smiles is something Serpil finds hugely rewarding. “I feel very satisfied when I treat patients – I don’t always know what to do immediately and it is not always straightforward, but in a systematic way, we put patients’ teeth back together.”


Spreading the word So passionate is Serpil about her team’s work that she took part in the 2015 BBC documentary, The Truth about Teeth, and was interviewed live on the BBC Breakfast couch. She is encouraged by the increasing


numbers of dentists who send her patient X-rays seeking advice on how to proceed, but there is still some way to go. She says: “I will never be satisfied until


every dentist is confident to manage traumatic dental injuries. The charity has 280 members but I’d like to spread the word much wider.” Now, thanks to the work at King’s and


campaigning by Dental Trauma UK, there are adult dental trauma services in Manchester and Glasgow. Serpil is also pushing for better remuneration for dentists to deal with dental trauma cases. Prevention of sports trauma is also important and the charity has launched a ‘no mouthguard, no play’ campaign. Away from the dental surgery, you won’t find Serpil risking her smile in extreme sports, although she is currently nursing a netball- induced dislocated finger. Fortunately this won’t hold her back and, in addition to delivering lectures nationally and internationally, she is already planning her charity’s next annual conference at the British Library in London on 4 May, 2019. • Dental Trauma UK provide members with free CPD material and free access to the online Dental Trauma Guide. Annual membership is £30. For details visit www.dentaltrauma.co.uk


Kristin Ballantyne is a freelance writer based in Glasgow


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