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16 INTERVIEW Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 5/2017 Interview: " It is the responsibility of each and every dental professional to stay abreast of all new materials, techniques and equipment..." By Dental Tribune MEA / CAPPmea DUBAI, UAE: Originally from South Africa, Dr. Deon Hugo graduated from the University of Pretoria in 1992 and later moved to Dubai, Unit- ed Arab Emirates. Having moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dr. Hugo has been the Managing Partner and Clinical Director of the well-known British Dental Clinic for over 14 years. Due to its popularity, the clinic recently received a make- over as it expanded and shifted to a new location in the heart of Umm Suqeim 2 on Al- Wasl road. Dental Tribune MEA had the pleas- ure to interview Dr. Hugo and find out more about the recent develop- ments. Dental Tribune MEA/CAPP- mea: How do you look back on your educational period in South Africa? Did you expect to be working in Dubai one day? Dr. Deon Hugo: I can honestly say I had superb training in South Africa. It allowed me to really showcase my talents here in Dubai. I had a wonderful clinic in Pretoria, South Africa. When I came to Dubai in 2002 to attend a dental confer- ence, I met Dr. Harrison, the founder of The British Dental Clinic. He took the time to show me around Dubai on my short visit. I instantly fell in love with the city. A few months later he approached me to consider join- ing him in the clinic and the rest is history. How did the British Dental Clinic start up and what are the services available? Dr. Rodney Harrison founded the British Dental Clinic in 1997 and es- tablished a remarkable clinic offering General Dentistry, Orthodontic Den- tistry, Implant therapy, Periodontal therapy and Maxillofacial surgery. A multi-disciplinary practice was an eye opener and an instant appeal for me. The benefits for the patients were obvious. The clinic recently shifted lo- cation, expanded its dental chairs to provide a state-of- the-art experience to your pa- tients. What were the reasons behind the move? With the re-development of the Jumeirah 1 area, we were asked to va- cate and we were fortunate to find a great location in Umm Suqeim 2 and on Al -Wasl road itself. The realisation that we needed to up- date the clinic’s interior and not only our equipment, gave us the unique opportunity to create a unique ap- pearance. This was achieved with the help of my wife’s innovative ideas and an interior decorator who understood what we were trying to achieve. to seek primary preventative treat- ment and ensure regular check-ups so that costly treatments can possi- bly be avoided in the future. What is your take on the over- all oral health in the UAE? Oral Health has improved dramati- cally in the last few years in the UAE with many new advanced clinics of- fering superb services. The UAE government and its rulers have been instrumental in promot- ing oral health and general health. As a dental surgeon, what are the biggest challenges you face nowadays? What should patients be aware of? The biggest challenge is to try and control the cost of practicing den- tistry. Patients should be aware that the cost of dental treatment is climb- ing and the best form of treatment is Looking at the fast-paced de- velopment within the den- tal industry, how do you see modern day dentistry being affected? Dentistry is changing daily with availability of new materials and techniques. It is the responsibility of each and every dental professional to stay abreast of all new materials, techniques and equipment available and wherever possible to offer these to any patients under their care. However, I firmly believe that den- tistry should always promote pre- vention more than cure and that ultimately the best ethical interests of the patient should be our primary goal. What is your opinion on den- tistry as a whole in the MEA region? Is there a need for im- provement? Dentistry in the MEA Region, in my opinion, has probably improved the most compared to many other regions because of the implementa- tion of better dental education and the improvement of medical and dental options available to most peo- ple. I can honestly say that residents of Dubai as well as visitors are spoiled for choice and options and that the standards of care are very high in- deed. Thank you very much for the inter- view. British Dental Clinic Villa 16 , 1194 Al Wasl Road Jumeirah 1, Dubai Tel: 04 342 1318