Dentist Rob Dewhurst is retiring after 39 years taking care of Armidale residents' teeth.
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He thanks the support of his wife Cory, and the excellent staff who have worked for him over the years. "Dentistry's very much a team effort," he said.
Dr Dewhurst was officially meant to retire at Christmas, but will leave his Rusden Street practice in six weeks, when he's finished his last orthodontic and pain patients.
He plans to travel and work as a volunteer overseas.
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Although his father was a dental technician in Armidale, Dr Dewhurst growing up didn't plan to be a dentist; he wanted to be a vet. It was, he remembered, a last-minute decision, made while sitting on Budgewoi Beach.
Dentistry has, though, suited him well. What he enjoys most is the diversity.
"People think that's a bit crazy; they think you just look at mouths, but it's a job that has so many facets to it," Dr Dewhurst said.
"You deal with people, pain, and emotions, so there's all that personal side of it. Then there's the material side of it.
"You actually use all the sciences in dentistry: material science, metallurgy, ceramics, radiology, and biochemistry. You're basically running a small hospital, only you're the radiologist, the diagnostician, the treater; you're everything!"
Dr Dewhurst graduated at the end of 1976, then worked for the Northern Territory Department of Health until 1980.
When he arrived, the NT was still recovering from Cyclone Tracy, which devastated Darwin in December 1974. Only the Darwin dental clinic was operating. The other clinics, Dr Dewhurst remembered, were a mess, and people walked the street with toothache. In his first fortnight, he performed 200 extractions.
He ended up working from a portable clinic in a demountable for three years. While in Darwin, he met his wife, Cory.
The pair returned to Armidale, where Dr Dewhurst started his practice in 1981, "squatting"; he didn't buy a practice, but hung up a shingle in his old family home, where the Marsh St medical practice is now, until 2008.
The practice was sold five years ago to National Dental Care; Dr Dewhurst has worked for them since, and headed up the practice on their behalf.
"Dentistry's not easy," Dr Dewhurst said; "I've been on call for 30 years!" He remembers being called out at his sister's wedding, and leaving Christmas lunch because a child had just smashed their face on their new skateboard.
The biggest change Dr Dewhurst has seen in his four decades' practice is the move from "drill and fill" to preventive dentistry. He used to extract decayed teeth and make two full upper and lower dentures a week; now, he may only do two a year.
"Of all the medical professions," he said, "dentistry's worked the hardest to try and put themselves out of business!"
Seeing patients regularly and comprehensive check-ups have dramatically lowered incidences of dental disease. These days, Dr Dewhurst sees a large number of patients in their 40's or 50's with virtually no dental decay, or five filled teeth at worst. A similar patient in the '70s would probably have all 32 teeth decayed, missing, or filled.
Dentistry used to be involved more with restoring the teeth; now, it's moved onto treating the whole patient. Facial, head and neck pain - an interest of his - have become the domain of dentistry.
"In the future," Dr Dewhurst said, "dentists will be seen more as the physicians of the face, rather than just the teeth."
He also welcomes the use of auxiliaries: hygienists (scaling, cleaning, and gum work, mainly on adults); therapists (simple filling and preventive work with children and young adults); and prosthetists (mainly denture work).
"As a dentist," Dr Dewhurst said," it frees you up to do the more complex work that's needed."
His practice used to employ a dental technician, who worked for him for 25 years; two hygienists; and a therapist, as well as two dentists.
While Dr Dewhurst is leaving, the practice also gains Dr RIcky Sandhu, from Perth. He has studied in Germany, India, and America, as well as Australia.
"I am confident that Dr Ricky brings a skill set that is going to be of real value to the Armidale community," Dr Dewhurst said. "He's bringing Armidale his expertise with technology from across the world."
If you would like to book an appointment, please call 6772 3522, or book online.