Our News

2011 NEWS

Kenyan Bush Dentistry....... The highlight and profoundly life changing experience of my year.

After having been so warmly welcomed by the Ocean City and Delaware communities, I decided it was time to plan my annual charitable dental mission. For some years I had contemplated such a mission to Africa but did not have the time to put all the details together and actually pull it off. This year I became an adjunct professor of Loma Linda University and managed finally to travel to Kenya to provide care to the Maasai tribes.

Can you imagine three woman walking four hours in the hot, dry, parched Kenyan landscape, to receive free dental care which consisted of surgical extractions for each one, then immediately walking back the same distance to their tiny homes constructed from dung and sticks. This was not an uncommon occurrence. There are no appointments and priority is based on pain and the distance you have walked.

I was providing care at the Maasai Dental Clinic located in a very remote area of Kenya known as Siana Springs. The clinic is the result of the generosity of the Dr Raymond Damahzo family and was constructed two years ago to assist the Maasai tribes. It's location ensures that the Dr's giving there time can assist those that would not otherwise receive dental care. The drive to Nairobi, the nearest really major city, is about five hours along roads that are hardly fit to travel. The Maasai generally walk everywhere being a herding, nomadic tribe, so receiving care is almost out of the question without this clinic.

It's unimaginable to most of us to consider the eleven year old little warrior having his front teeth repaired after escaping and falling from an attack by a cape buffalo. Whilst the clinic is modern and reasonably well equipped it does not have a prosthetic lab so crown and bridge work is not possible without some considerable invention. It is not uncommon for the Maasai to have their lower two front teeth pulled as part of their rituals. As they grow older and some of the men find jobs in the tourist industry they want these teeth replaced. Creative dentistry helped a number of these men.

Interestingly, more woman visited the clinic, as is the case in our country. The men said they were warriors and did not need as much care. They make tooth brushes from the Kenyan Green Heart tree, which tastes very bitter, but seemed reasonably effective for polishing teeth. The one option the warriors have available is a visit to the medicine man to pull their teeth if they do not come to the clinic and find themselves in pain.

The Maasai live a very simple life. Their diet is mostly maize and beans with some milk. The men spend the day herding while the woman make and repair the dung homes, cook, collect water and complete all the various chores associated with caring for their large families. It's wonderful to see how happy people can be with so little. Their clothing is as colorful as their spirits and it was a heartwarming privilege to be able to provide care to these beautiful and very needy people.

For more information on the Maasai people go to http://www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html or feel free to contact Dr. Dougherty on 410.213.1482 or through this web site

Summer 2011

It has been one year since I relocated my business from Bethesda to West Ocean City. It’s the best thing I ever did. The warm welcome I have received has exceeded all my expectations. I absolutely love living and working here and could never have wished for a more kind, generous and caring community. The relaxed lifestyle fills me with joy and the wonderful activities and entertainment available never ceases to amaze me. I feel energized and excited to go to work each day.

It has been a busy move and this year has been filled with lots of study and some fun. In February and March, Iona and I spent time in Ecuador with my alumni school, Johns Hopkins University. We attended an intersession course of study on Biodiversity. It was fascinating and the lectures and the day started as early as 3am and did not finish until late in the evening. It was a trip filled with activity and learning and Ecuador is the most extraordinary country. No doubt our charitable dental services will be needed there and I will plan a trip in this regard in the near future.

I just returned from some advanced Bone Grafting studies in Florida, studying with one of the world most renowned clinicians so that I could maintain my skill level and make certain that I stay on top of the most recent, new and improved techniques. It is so wonderful to see all the advances in technology and materials. I still feel sure that I will see the genetic engineering that will make it possible to re-grow teeth, not too far off in the future.

In July/August, Iona and I are traveling to Kenya to provide charitable dental services to the Masai tribes. We land in Nairobi and travel many hours on the open dirt roads to a camp in Siana Springs near the Nairobi Game Park. I have become an adjunct professor at Loma Linda University in order to be able to join this mission. The tribes will walk for days to get to the clinic for their care. No appointments are made and they will stay and line up until their dental concerns are resolved. It should be an interesting journey and I will share all the details upon my return.

I hope this note finds you all well and happy. I thank you all for your trust and confidence and always appreciate the referral of your family and friends. I promise to provide them with unsurpassed excellence.
~Ed Dougherty

Winter 2010

After our fantastic trip to Australia, it was time to get back to providing care to the wonderful families of the Delmarva community.  We have been so warmly welcomed as new providers of Sedation Dental care and have been overwhelmed with the kindness and generosity of the entire community.

We are so fortunate to share our office with the team from Atlantic Dental who provide enormous support, good humor and great friendship.

Dr. Dougherty has been busy with his position on the Maryland Dental Board of Examiners.  Together with one other Board member, he examines those offices who have applied for permits to offer sedation services. It is a rigorous examination. It is good to see that more offices are now able to provide oral sedation care.  This service has been sorely lacking on the Eastern shore.

In October Dr. Dougherty did an anesthesia rotation at St Josephs hospital in New Jersey to further his anesthesia skills and ensure that he remains completely up to date on new technology and changes in this area.  In November he is off to Florida to study with the renowned Dr. Carl Misch.  This course is the latest update in bone grafting techniques. January brings a course of biological studies at Johns Hopkins University.  We will be out of the office from the New Year until January 19^th, 2011.  Do not forget that you can always be in touch with the team at Atlantic Dental on 410 213 7575 if you have any needs that require immediate attention.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our patients and friends who have shown their trust and confidence in the care we provide.  We are most grateful and thankful for your referral of family and friends and look forward to caring for you all in the coming years.

Wishing you the very best spring and summer celebrations.

The Delmarva Sedation Dental Team

Best of Bethesda 2009 Winner