Born and raised in the Central West of NSW, Dr Sophie Halpin is a proud Dubbo girl. The young mother is passionate about improving access to dental services in her community and changing perceptions of her town. We caught up with Dr Halpin to discuss life as a rural dentist.
🟢 What inspired you to embark on a career in dentistry?
Through school I didn’t have a great sense of what I wanted to do. But as I got older, I saw there was a great need for medical and allied health professionals in our region.
I had some excellent and valuable mentorship from Tim McAnulty, a local Central West dentist. Seeing him enjoy a fulfilling career in the country was really inspiring for me.
🟢 Why did you choose to return to live and work in Dubbo?
Dubbo can seem like the butt of a national joke sometimes, but it’s actually a great city. People are friendly, and it’s an ideal place to raise a family. It just made sense to come back to an area I loved.
Living here I feel like my work is integrated with my life in a way that metropolitan dentists may not experience. I might have played netball with a patient’s daughter. Or I’ll get served at Coles by someone I’ve treated. It’s nice to feel like I’m providing a service to my community.
🟢 What inspired you to join the ADA NSW Council?
The ADA NSW Council plays a key role in identifying emerging issues in our profession and developing strategies for dealing with them. Having a diverse group of people on Council is key to better reflecting the views, experiences and opinions of the greater profession. As a youngish, interstate-trained, female dentist living and practicing in a rural area, I felt like I had a unique perspective to offer.
I’m currently serving as Chairperson of the ADA’s NSW Western Division, and I am on the Professional Support and Innovation Committee. It’s a privilege to represent such a great bunch of colleagues in a rapidly growing professional environment.
🚰 Why is water fluoridation such a significant issue in your community at the moment?
Dubbo’s water supply has been unfluoridated for the last two years. The fluoridation equipment was removed after it was deemed to be not up to code. As far as I’m aware there was no public health notice put out about this important issue, which I found concerning.
There’s a vast array of research established over many decades indicating how important water fluoridation is in
reducing the risk of dental disease. It’s a very equitable and economical public health measure and I’m pushing to have it restored.
Thankfully, Dubbo Regional Council now has a plan to recommence water fluoridation. I see my role as an
accountability monitor, keeping in touch regularly with Council to check on progress and make sure they are meeting their obligations to the community.
🟢 What are your professional goals for the future?
Dental practice ownership has always been a goal of mine. I’d also like to expand my knowledge and practice, so I can provide a more comprehensive service to my patients. I want to reduce their need to travel for services. I know more people would seek treatment if there wasn’t such a barrier of distance.
Another goal of mine is to take on a great leadership role within the ADA – and I aspire to hold a position on the Board in the coming years. I plan to complete training through the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2022 to build on my ability to contribute in this area.
🟢 What has been your most rewarding experience as an outback dentist?
I was lucky enough to join the Kimberly Dental Team in Western Australia a few years ago, providing dental services to communities that don’t regularly have them available. I remember one man who needed
multiple extractions. He was clearly terrified, yet sat very still in a regular deck chair while I wrestled teeth from his jaw.
I thought for sure he’d be miserable and hate me by the end of it, but he was just so grateful to have the services provided.
