Dr Vincenzo (Vince) Figliomeni has been working with the Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Australia to bring dental care to where it is needed. We spoke to him about the experience.
Vince was working at Perth Children’s Hospital when he noticed patients with some of the most severe cases in terms of rampant caries that were presenting were from rural and remote regions, in particular, the Kimberley. Vince says it piqued his interest.
He saw an opportunity to work with the Royal Flying Doctor Service WA just prior to COVID, and when restrictions were lifted, he did his first stint.
Five years later, he has travelled to Kununurra, Derby, Halls Creek, Wiluna, Warburton and Newman with the service (for 1-2 weeks at a time, usually 2-3 times a year), to bring dental care to these remote areas. Treatment is undertaken within the Aboriginal Medical Service clinics – with Vince attending with a Dental Assistant.
“We see rampant caries, abscesses, and children and adults who have been in pain for months – sometimes years,” he says.
“It is common to perform extractions for relief of pain,” he adds. “We also do general checks and cleans, as well as restorative treatment.”
Vince says the experience has been very rewarding. “It is an eye opener,” he says. “It is one thing to hear about these things – it is another to go out there and do something about it.
“It is nice to try to change the world but realistically the issue is so complex and multi-faceted that if you can change one person’s quality of life – sometimes that is a good outcome.”
Vince adds that quite early in his stints with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, he identified the lack of treatment availability for paediatric cases with multiple lesions.
“Ultimately, I did a Ministerial submission to the Health Minister at the time, which resulted in the establishment of the Kimberley Referral Pathway, where DHS does GA treatment in the Kimberley Hospitals for paediatric dental cases. The submission was in 2021, and the pathway was implemented in the next year.”
To a dentist considering looking into opportunities with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, he says to go for it, adding exodontia experience is advisable.
For information about working with the RFDS, visit their website.
www.flyingdoctor.org.au/wa/workwithus/your-career-rfds-wa/join-our-dental-team
