Munster Dentist of the Year

DR Claire O’Connor from Bantry Dental won the Munster award at the Irish Dental Association Awards, held at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin, just before Christmas.

Dr O’Connor was nominated by a female patient, whom she diagnosed with shingles. The clinic then followed up with the woman several times to see how she was recovering.

Subsequently Dr O’Connor went on to carry out root canal treatment on the woman’s husband who had always dreaded dental visits. After that procedure, he returned ‘without too much persuasion’ to have a crown replaced.

Meanwhile, Dr Freda Guiney’s practice, which is based at Classis Lake Retail Centre in Ballincollig, won the ‘Dental Team of the Year Award’ for the kindness and excellence of care they showed over a prolonged period to a patient with mental health issues.

Dr Guiney is a previous winner of Dentist of the Year, having won the top individual award back in 2010.

Another Cork practice, Wrightville Dental Clinic, based in Douglas, was the runner up in this category for their holistic care of a patient with bulimia. The patient said the clinic had ‘helped me change my life’.

The Irish Dental Association received over 1,000 nominations from dental patients all over the country for the awards at which Tipperary dentist Pádraig Ó Reachtagáin was named overall ‘Colgate Caring Dentist of the Year 2019’ for the compassionate treatment he provided to a woman who was injured in an incident of domestic violence.

President of the Irish Dental Association, Professor Stassen, said there was a wonderful dentist-patient story behind every nomination.

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