Australian Antarctic doctors are set to receive specialized dental training in Tasmania under a new initiative led by the Centre for Antarctic Remote and Maritime Medicine (CARMM).
For the past 70 years, Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) doctors have traveled to Victoria for dental training. Under the new arrangement, the two-week program will now be delivered by Oral Health Services Tasmania (OHST) at the Southern Dental Centre.
Dr Ioan Jones, OHST Clinical Director, said the course will combine theory with practical exercises, covering patient oral assessments, radiography, trauma management, fillings, and extraction techniques.
“Once the doctors are stationed in Antarctica, OHST dentists will also provide emergency dental support through telehealth for particularly complex cases,” Dr Jones said.
“We are excited about this partnership and committed to ensuring Antarctic doctors and expeditioners receive high-quality oral healthcare,” he added.
Dr John Cherry, CARMM Council Member and Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the Australian Antarctic Division, said delivering this training in Hobart is a significant step forward.
“CARMM is a collaboration between the Australian Antarctic Division, the Tasmanian Government Departments of Health and State Growth, and the University of Tasmania,” Dr Cherry explained. “Our recently signed Memorandum of Understanding allows us to fund and deliver this training using the expertise of OHST dentists.”
Six doctors will complete the program ahead of their deployment to Casey, Davis, Mawson, and Macquarie Island stations later this year.
Each Antarctic station relies on a single doctor to provide healthcare for about 25 expeditioners during winter and up to 120 during the summer months.
