This past Christmas Day, we welcomed my son, James, into the world of air-breathers. As singers from Bruce to Stevie to Elvis to Chuck (Berry) and Charles (Brown) have all sung: “Merry Christmas, Baby/Sure do treat me nice.” Certainly there’s no better gift than that of a healthy child, but it also reminded me of two other points. First, there is no love like that of a parent for a child. Second, and more germane here, some personal endeavours aren’t about me. This past autumn saw the registration of the country’s first specialists in Dental Anaesthesia (“Woo-Hoo” — The Rock*A*Teens). This occurred in Ontario, under the auspices of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, where qualified applicants had to pass a written and oral exam.
Childbirth and dental specialties may seem like odd bedfellows, but there are some similarities (“Think” — Aretha Franklin). Ideally, both require planning and communication. Both have parts that you don’t like along the path, but in the end you’re happy. Both, for me, took nine months of preparation (“The Long and Winding Road” — The Beatles).
A little more than a year after its creation, dental anaesthesia as a specialty continues to have its supporters and its opponents, but it’s here to stay (“From Now On” — Supertramp). I maintain that this is good for the profession because it defines anaesthesia as a part of dentistry. I’d be willing to bet that some future unfortunate event or newfound political stance will lead to challenges regarding the appropriateness of anaesthesia in dentistry from outside the profession (“The Safety Dance” — Men Without Hats). When that day comes, we’ll all be glad for this profession-based definition and the defence it will provide. In addition to its specialty status, dental anaesthesia now also has an accredited postgraduate program in Canada. Congratulations to Dr. Dan Haas and his team in the Discipline of Dental Anaesthesia at the University of Toronto for this achievement (“Celebration” — Kool & the Gang).
To the opponents of the specialty of dental anaesthesia, I would ask if pain and anxiety control are an important part of your practice. If so, having some colleagues advancing our knowledge base can only be a good thing. This is not the purview of dental anaesthetists only, but they are likely to lead the way. If you are a non-specialist practitioner of pain control and/or anxiety reduction, your practice has not been affected by the presence of specialists, so where’s the fight? Altruism may be rare in today’s self-interested world, but the purpose of pursuing specialty status was to expand the practice of and access to anaesthesia services throughout dentistry. The only practitioners that should be threatened are those doing what they shouldn’t (“Shame Shame Shame” — Shirley & Company).
Dr. Peter Nkansah is a dentist-anaesthesiologist with a private practice in Toronto. He is also Past President of the Canadian Academy of Dental Anaesthesia, an international lecturer, and a member of the teaching staff in the Discipline of Anaesthesia at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto.
So, to the newborns, (Sweet Baby) James and Dental Anaesthesia: I hope you grow to be strong and wise; I hope that you are able to answer whatever challenges you will face; I hope you have long and prosperous lives; and I will support you both as strongly as I can for as long as I can (“Brother Sister” — The Brand New Heavies; “Footprints In The Sand” — Leona Lewis).. oh
