Six Australian docs have accomplished dental coaching earlier than their deployment to 4 Antarctic stations later this yr.
The 2-week course, held in August in Tasmania, was delivered by Oral Well being Companies Tasmania (OHST) on the Southern Dental Centre in Hobart. It marked a shift from the previous seven a long time, when Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) docs have been skilled in Victoria.
“The course is a combination of principle and sensible elements protecting affected person oral assessments, radiography, trauma, filling and extraction methods,” stated Dr. Ioan Jones, OHST scientific director.
“As soon as the docs are down on station, if there’s a very complicated case, OHST dentists can even present emergency telehealth dental help,” he added.
4 Antarctic stations
Every of Australia’s 4 Antarctic stations—Casey, Davis, Mawson and Macquarie Island—has a single physician chargeable for the well being of about 25 expeditioners throughout winter and as much as 120 throughout summer season.
“We’re actually trying ahead to this partnership and making certain our Antarctic docs and expeditioners are properly sorted,” Jones stated.
Australia’s Antarctic technique
Australia’s Antarctic presence is guided by the Australian Antarctic Technique and 20 12 months Motion Plan, up to date in 2022. The plan units out the nation’s scientific, environmental and strategic priorities for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean over the following twenty years.
The federal government says the technique goals to:
- hold Antarctica free from strategic and political battle
- safeguard sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic Territory and close by offshore areas
- help a robust Antarctic Treaty system
- conduct high-quality scientific analysis aligned with nationwide priorities
- shield the distinctive Antarctic surroundings and its affect on the area
- monitor and affect developments in a area near Australia
- encourage financial alternatives according to treaty obligations, together with the ban on mining and oil drilling
