Tralee Dental Team Win National Award for Conquering Patient’s Dental Phobia

Dr Susan Crean Dental and Facial Aesthetics win Colgate Caring Dental Team of the Year 2022

• Kerry patient says meeting Dr Susan Crean transformed her life
• Patient had developed severe phobia of dentists as a child
• In nominating Dr Crean, her patient said: When I finally had the courage to make an appointment with Dr Crean, little did I realise it would change my life forever.”
• Colgate Caring Dentist of the Year awards recognise dentists that have provided dental treatment and care over and above the call of duty, as nominated by patients and members of the public.

Susan Crean Dental and Facial Aesthetics has been announced as the Colgate Caring Dental Team of the Year 2022.

Dr Crean and her team were recognised for assisting a patient in battling a severe dental phobia which manifested after a bad experience as a child.

The Patient said their fear developed as a young child

 “I had a fear of the dentist for many years following traumatic visits to a cold and unfriendly dentist. I am still haunted by the sound of the ‘drill’ echoing through the corridor as I waited nervously in the waiting room.  During the Covid-19 lockdown, however, I developed a Temporomandibular Joint Disorder which affected my jaw joints and surrounding muscles and ligaments disorder that left me with excruciating and chronic pain in my right jaw. I tried every alternative route other than going to see a dentist; I went to a Chiropractor, a Physiotherapist and my Doctor.  Exercises and painkillers were prescribed but they only worked temporarily.  My mental health was also suffering as the fear of potentially having to see a dentist had escalated.”

“When I finally had the courage to make an appointment with Dr Crean, little did I realise it would change my life forever.”

“A mixture of emotions went through my head as I arrived at Dr Susan’s for my first visit.  I was very nervous but also relieved that I was finally conquering my fear.  From the moment I set foot inside the surgery door, I had the most amazing experience.  The first person to greet me was the most pleasant Dental Nurse, Daniel.  He completely relaxed me with his warm and caring manner.  I will be forever grateful to him. The next big step was meeting Dr Susan. She was very kind, and I knew instantly that I was being treated by someone at the very top of her profession.

“I am happy to say my dental phobia is improving greatly with every visit as I have complete trust in Dr Susan and her amazing team.”

The 4-person judging panel noted the extreme lengths that Dr Crean and her team went to in order to allay the fears of their patient.

The annual Colgate Caring Dentist of the Year awards recognise dentists that have provided dental treatment and care over and above the call of duty, often with transformative effects, as nominated by patients and members of the public.

Colgate Caring Dentist of the Year Awards

Now in its 15th year, the Colgate Caring Dentist of the Year Awards 2022 celebrate dentists in their local communities who have provided dental treatment and care that has gone over and above for their patients.

There are six award categories, including the overall Colgate Caring Dentist of the Year, Dental Team of the Year, and winners from each of the four provinces, as well as a Dublin winner. This year, a special award was also presented to a dentist for their [give brief context to the special award].

Hosted by the Irish Dental Association and title sponsor Colgate, this year saw almost 1,000 nominations received from dental patients and their families all over the country.

The winners were announced at a gala awards ceremony that took place at the Intercontinental Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin on Saturday night.

This year’s Colgate Caring Dentist of the Year 2022 winners are:

• Overall Winner – Colgate Caring Dentist of the Year: Dr Clodagh McAllister, Fairview Dental Clinic, Dublin.
• Dublin Winner – Dr Clodagh McAllister, Fairview Dental Clinic, Dublin.
• Ulster Winner – Dr Bernadette Fee, Fee Dental Carrickmacross, Monaghan.
• Connacht Winner – Dr Miriam Grady, Grady Family Dental, Ballina, Mayo.
• Munster Winner – Dr Rita O’ Dowd, No.8 Clinic, Cornmarket, Limerick.
• Special Award – Dr Mustafa Mohsen, Rock Road Dental, Blackrock, Co. Dublin
• Dental Team Winner – Dr Susan Crean, Susan Crean Dental and Facial Aesthetics, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

Comment from the President of the Irish Dental Association

Speaking at the awards, the President of the Irish Dental Association, Dr Caroline Robins, congratulated all the winners and nominated dentists.

“The stories behind every nomination show the important – and is this case, life-saving – relationship between patients and dentists in the community. Every year we are blown away hearing about the positive impact that dentists and dental teams are having on the lives of their patients and the Caring Dentist of the Year awards gives us the most special platform from which to tell these stories. The fact that the nominations come from patients themselves, makes these awards all the more special. I congratulate Dr McCallister, and all our winners and nominees, on their wonderful achievements and the outstanding work and contribution they are making every day to the lives of all their patients in the community.”

Comment from Colgate

Steve Wilson, Professional Business Manager, Colgate, has paid tribute to the patients who share their very personal stories.

“The success of the awards over the past fifteen years is due to the fact that patients themselves freely and willingly participate in the nomination process by telling their individual stories.   

“The awards are actually all about the patient and their outstanding experiences with their dentist. We are delighted to support the awards programme again this year.”