I am a GDP practising at Dr Michael Formenius’s Dental Clinic on Al Wasl Road – ‘The Harley Street of Dubai’. Michael, CEO and clinical director, started the practice in 1997, and since then it has built up an enviable reputation as one of the most trusted and highly regarded dental clinics in the region.
We are open from 8am to 8pm Saturday through to Thursday – the clinic is closed on Fridays as this is considered the weekend in Dubai. We have roughly 8,000 patients registered at the practice, but the turnover is quite high so we see a lot of first time patients.
An average day in the clinic consists of many of the same routines and elements that you’ll see in similar practices around the world. Routine check-ups and cosmetic consultations make up the bulk of appointments, as well as patients seeking pain relief, dental cleaning, preventative treatments and conventional procedures such as fillings, crowns and veneers.
Challenges
One of the major challenges we face each day in our practice is fitting in all of our patients. On average, I see between 12 and 20 patients each day, and with many new patients, complete examinations and medical background checks can cause long appointment times. We treat a lot of emergencies and it can be tough to find the time for all our pre-booked appointments alongside them. This is one of the reasons why our opening hours are so extensive.
Another significant challenge that we face each day stems from the fact that we see a lot of international patients
from various places around the world. As Dubai is a real hub for business and travel we get a fantastic mix of cultures and countries represented in our patient base. This can present some difficulties though, as patient expectations can differ geographically, and it is therefore important to spend time getting to know how to treat each individual patient.
Compliance and decontamination
I would say that here in Dubai the majority of our patients are very aware of the regulations and processes that we must follow, and so the importance of compliance is emphasised due to this added patient scrutiny. We follow the regulations set out by the Dubai Health Authority, which require the use of approved cleaning and disinfection products and a new apron and chair head cap for every patient. There must be a good supply of clean water that meets the water hygiene standards set by the Dubai Municipality. We must also have a separate room than the surgery dedicated to instrument sterilisation processes and nonwooden cabinets to store instruments once decontaminated.
The actual sterilisation process involves all our instruments being placed in an ultrasonic bath for cleaning, and once dried and appropriately packed, they are sterilised in the vacuum autoclave. Upon completion of the process, each package is dated and stored for up to three months, where in the event of non-use, they are resterilised and re-packed as require. We don’t use washer disinfectors because the regulations in Dubai require everything to go through the autoclave anyway. The water must also be checked in the autoclave unit six times a year by the DHA (Dental Health Authority), to ensure the correct conditions are met for effective sterilisation.
As with any practice around the world all mouth guards, gloves, dental unit plastic covers and hand pieces are changed between each patient in order to prevent cross contamination. Professionals carrying out the decontamination procedures are also always strictly protected with the necessary clothing and accessories. Fortunately we have a great team of support staff who work in our sterilisation areas and ensure that the correct protocols are stringently followed.
At the cutting edge
To ensure I stay up-to-date with the latest in the industry, I regularly attend meetings and conferences throughout Europe and the US. Dental scientific journals are another great source of information about new products and techniques around the world, and the whole team uses these to ensure our practice remains at the cutting-edge of dentistry.
References available on request.
Dentistry in Dubai
The public healthcare services in Dubai are run by separate authorities – The Health Authority Abu Dhabi, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), the Ministry of Health (MOH), Department of Health and Medical Services, and the Armed Forces and Police Medical Services. According to the Dubai Statistics Centre, there were around 1,220 dentists and 342 dental service providers in Dubai as of 2010, the majority of which are within the private sector. While the average number of patients seen by each dentist in the year was just under 700, this figure increased dramatically for dentists in the local and federal sectors (1,003 and 1,203 patients per dentist respectively).