DENTIST Chris Wilson faced some big decisions five years ago.
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He’d already developed a successful practice in Raymond Terrace and quietly, yet tirelessly, lobbied the federal government to give less privileged people much needed access to dental treatment.
Few would have begrudged him if he’d begun to stage his retirement at that point. Instead, he doubled-down and built a bigger practice.
This month he was made an honorary life member of the NSW Branch of the Australian Dental Association.
“I had to decide if I was going to stay where I was (opposite the police station), see out my time, or build this,” he said.
“I decided I wanted to see services expand and continue here in Raymond Terrace.
“I’ve probably committed myself for another 10 years doing it.”
The new William Street practice has made provisions for six dentists with patients able to see their choice of three on any given day.
It’s a far cry from when he first started in Raymond Terrace in 1981, after a year-long stint in the Royal Newcastle Hospital.
Dr Wilson partnered with Michael Kowalski before buying him out in 1982.
There were many long days. After clinic hours there was other work to do that included in-house denture work.
His wife, Janine, would sometimes worry.
“If he hadn’t come home I would call the police and ask if someone could go across the road and check on him,” she said.
“They’d see if his light was still on.”
Dr Wilson’s almost embarrassed.
“It did happen once or twice but not in recent years,” he said.
“Someone would come over and say Janine’s got your dinner ready and it’s getting cold.”
On top of all this he was active in the Newcastle division of the dental association. Here, he would lend support to other regional dentists who might otherwise feel isolated, and even help workshop solutions to some difficult cases that other dentists faced periodically.
And in 2005-06 he was the state branch president.
“The association looks after dentists and supports them through their careers with up-to-date training, a little government advocacy and even patient education,” Dr Wilson said.
“Government spending in dentistry has tended to be low and there have been a few schemes over the years.”
Like many regional areas Raymond Terrace has stood to benefit greatly from those schemes that aim to help less privileged people receive treatment.
“The trouble has been funding continuity,” Dr Wilson said.
“The schemes come and go, and in the last three years it has been the Child Dental Benefit Scheme.”
It wasn’t a bad one, he said, just under utilised since it only reached a third of the people it should have.
“It’s another scheme being replaced with another one with less funding,” he said.
“Good teeth really help with a person’s overall health.”
Dr Wilson is only the second honorary life member for the association. The first being Dr Neville Hill who was on the old Bank Corner at Newcastle.
“I was blown away to receive the award,” Dr Wilson said.
He attributes his like of people to his success.
“It’s a people business,” he said.
“You often see people at their most stressed and you have to take the view that you can help them through that.”