Member spotlight: Meet the designer dentist, Dr Elise Chen

6 June 2022

This article first appeared in the June 2022 issue of the ADA's News Bulletin.

The concept for this year's Dental Health Week (DHW) campaign was the result of a design competition, ultimately won by Melbourne general dentist, Dr Elice Chen. So who is our winner, and what inspires her?

Congratulations on your winning DHW concept design. How did you end up with those winning graphic design skills?

Thank you! I was on maternity leave at the time, and it was a fun way of doing something dental. I wanted to create something bold, quirky and a little humorous. I was very excited to find out I had won, and I am looking forward to seeing how the initial concept will get fleshed out into a full campaign! I had a bit of a quarter-life-crisis a few years ago and enrolled in night school to do a graphic design course, so I freelance a little every now and then.

What is your professional background?

At the moment I am working in general private practice in Ringwood, and supervise Melbourne University third year dental students in their GP clinics at the Royal Dental Hospital. I was also working in an inner-city community clinic, but I am taking a little break from that at the moment to spend time with my one-year-old! I've been fortunate to have been at the same public and private practices for around 10 years.

It looks like you've practised and lived in both urban and regional settings - how do they differ, and what attracts you to each?

I've always been a city girl, so I wanted to work in a regional area after graduating to try something different. I moved to North East Victoria with a couple of other new grads to work in a public clinic and it was a steep learning curve - both clinically and having to deal with things like giant moths at home! I loved the opportunity to do GAs in the hospital, and the staff I worked with were all so friendly and supportive. Weekends were spent visiting farmers' markets in nearby towns. Five-minute commutes meant more time for hobbies, and I joined a camera club and an old-time rock'n'roll dance class with some older citizens and had a ball!

Eventually I moved back to Melbourne to work part time in private practice, to make sure I was maintaining my skills in a broader range of procedures. Working in the inner-city community clinic was also rewarding because I was able to connect with Chinese/Mandarin-speaking patients, who showed me a lot of kindness. The team works tirelessly managing patients' complex health needs and I learnt a lot in this role.

What inspires you about dentistry?

The thing that keeps me coming back to the clinic is being able to build relationships with my patients. It is such an honour when parents bring their kids to see us, and we get to watch them grow up with healthy smiles. I also love helping adults regain confidence in looking after their teeth.

How do you 'celebrate' DHW in your own practice?

I guess this year I am particularly excited to see my designs floating around! In the past, we have run activities in the waiting area, such as ranking a series of soft drinks in order of their sugar content.

We hear you are particularly passionate about preventative care? How have you implemented this in practice - and even on social media?

We all know that most dental and periodontal disease is avoidable. I have to admit I don't particularly relish the idea of spending the next hour of my life tracking down an elusive MB2, but it really makes my day when a patient returns with improved oral hygiene! I always try to frame advice in a positive way - instead of "you need to brush better here", I say "can I show you a trick for how to reach this diffcult area when cleaning?". It helps to show them with a mirror, because that is how they will see their own mouths at home.

In my spare time (which admittedly there is not a lot of) I run the Instagram account @the_naked_tooth, which is about stripping off the jargon around dental health (pun fully intended). I also like to share pop culture references to dentistry from time to time. I'd love for you to follow and share my posts!

Tell us about your Branch committee work? How has it fit in with your professional life?

I was on the ADAVB Public Dentistry Committee for several years, whilst negotiations were underway for an improved Enterprise Bargaining Agreement for public sector dentists. I was a very small cog in that whole machination, but it was eye-opening to see the amount of work required behind the scenes to effect change. It would not have happened without the support of the ADA and its members.

I am now on the ADAVB Oral Health Committee, developing resources for oral health education. I have helped write articles for the Australian Medical Association VicDoc magazine, Better Health Channel and tooth.org.au which is an exciting, growing hub for oral health information. This is something that I love doing - translating technical knowledge into plain language to help people make informed decisions for their own health. And what a treat to do it alongside equally passionate professionals!

Do you think it's important for practitioners to include volunteer and committee roles in their professional life?

Volunteering in any capacity enriches your life in ways you often can't predict. It opens doors to new experiences, teaches new skills and introduces you to some really lovely people. Joining a committee provides interesting insights into how the dental profession functions, and breaks you out of the daily grind of clinical dentistry. Dentists are not 'drill and fill' machines - it is very satisfying to put your other skills to good use and give back to the profession.

To see more of Elice's design, brought to life in this year's campaign, go to Dental Health Week.

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