A career out of the ordinary

A career in dentistry is traditionally a stable one. By getting a job in a private practice in a big city, you are all but guaranteeing yourself a steady stream of patients, day in, day out. However, the one thing that a life in a private dental clinic cannot offer you is the chance to travel and explore the countryside while you work – and that’s why dental assistants Steffi and Tracey love working with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Victoria’s dental team.

I

A job with a difference

Both Steffi and Tracey came to the Flying Doctor after beginning their dental careers in the more traditional way. In Year 12, Tracey undertook some work experience with a private practice, and enjoyed it so much that she continued to work there until 2018, when she took a “leap of faith” and joined RFDS Victoria.

“I got involved [with the Flying Doctor Dental Clinic] wanting to have the opportunity to experience something different and to learn about and experience working in rural Victoria,” says Tracey.

Steffi’s nine year career as a dental assistant has actually seen her oscillate between private practice and the Flying Doctor: she began working on the road with us in 2015, then moved to a more stationary role in a dental hospital for a couple of years before coming back to the Flying Doctor Dental Clinic in 2019.

“It’s definitely not your stock standard dental clinic,” says Steffi. “There are far more work opportunities with RFDS than with any other dental clinic I have ever worked for. Every day is different. We get the opportunity to see the whole of Victoria and meet wonderful communities.”

In the last Financial Year, Flying Doctor Dental performed 2,279 treatments across the state.

In the last Financial Year, Flying Doctor Dental performed 2,279 treatments across the state.

In her current role of Senior Dental Assistant, Steffi is out on the road less frequently than she was during her first stint with the Flying Doctor Dental Clinic, and instead uses her extensive experience to manage our robust team of travelling dental assistants. As part of this team, Tracey relishes the versatility the job affords her to make a real difference while also enjoying a flexible lifestyle.

“Working a seven day fortnight and staying in rural Victoria offers me the opportunity to experience a slower pace of life,” says Tracey. “I have great access to nature, I meet interesting people from all over the state and I have a better work life balance.”

As anyone who works in the dental industry knows, perks like these simply cannot be found in private practice – but they’re in abundance when you work in a mobile dental clinic.

II

Improving lives on the road

Despite all the benefits a career on the road can offer, it is of course not without its challenges.

“While being in a team of two (i.e. a dentist or oral health therapist and a dental assistant) offers us the opportunity to work more autonomously, it also means we have to be problem solvers when on the road,” says Tracey. Such problems span from truck breakdowns in remote areas right through to poor Wi-Fi access, which Steffi notes requires the team to “think outside of the box” on a regular basis.

However, all of these challenges pale in comparison to the very real difference the dental clinic makes in Victoria’s rural communities. Poor access to quality dental care can result in significant health issues for rural and remote communities, and as Tracey explains, without the Flying Doctor Dental Clinic, many people from across our state would be unable to prioritise their oral health, with public dental clinics in many pockets of the state either too expensive, too far away or both.

“Great distances and often lower socioeconomics make dental treatment and access more difficult for rural people,” says Tracey. “Waiting lists for public dental care are also notoriously long, so most patients would unfortunately suffer in silence.”

Plus, by servicing Victoria’s many rural communities, our dentists and dental assistants get to meet an assortment of people and personalities, and have interactions that can be anything from heartbreaking to heart-warming to downright hilarious.

“Everyone we see is so appreciative of our service and couldn’t be more thankful,” says Steffi. “Providing free dental care for those who cannot afford it and hearing their life stories is so nice, and it’s great knowing we have helped them in some way.”

Tracey recalls one particularly memorable interaction from a recent trip to the Mallee.

“I asked a patient aged five, ‘What should you be drinking?’, and his reply was, ‘It takes eight days to die without water. We have been in a drought my whole life, and the water goes to the cows!’.”

Finally, and just as importantly, being a dental assistant with the Flying Doctor means you are working with a team who are all committed to creating a healthier Victoria.

“I have made so many great lifelong friends and have gained so much more experience working at RFDS,” says Steffi, with Tracey adding, “We all share a sense of adventure, humour and a desire to make a difference.”

To find out more about working with the Flying Doctor Dental Clinic, contact the team on (03) 8412 0444 or by emailing dental@rfdsvic.com.au.