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Volume2 Issue3
CDA
at
W
ork
Association (BCDA).A fewyearsafterhisone-year
stintat theCouncil, hewasencouraged tobecome
amemberof theBCDABoardofDirectorsand
ultimately servedas itspresident in2007-08.
Headmires someof hismentors from that time,
Dr.DonLauriente, formerdirectorofmember
servicesat theCollege, andDr. JimGray, retired
BCDAdirectorofmember services, notonly for their
passionandvisionbut also for their “common sense
andpractical approach toproblems.”
Looking ahead
His insights into someof the issues facingdentistry
are rooted inhispersonal experiences.On the issue
of attractingmoredentists to remotecommunities,
he looksbeyond the traditional fee-for-service
model. “I believe theOntarioDental Associationhas
aperdiem funded system thatuses itinerantdentists
in small communities—marry that to some sortof
collaborativepracticemodel and then I think that’s
it,”he says. “Therehas tobe somewayofmanaging
theoverhead, helpingdentists in locationswhere the
overhead is likely tobe sohigh that thenet incomes
areverypoor.”
On theneed forbettercoordinationbetween
dentistryandmedicine, heholdsup theUniversityof
Manitoba initiative toeducatenon-dentalhealthcare
providersaboutoral-systemichealthasanexample
ofwhatcanbeachieved (p. 28). “Dentistshavealways
workedsomewhat in isolationandweneed tobreak
downsomeof thebarriers.Weneed toeducateothers
in thehealthcaresectorsaboutdentalproblemsso
there’s less turfprotectionandmorecollaborative
healthcare,”hesays. “Weknowhealthcareonlyworks
whenyouhavean interdisciplinaryapproach."
Thepathnot taken
Outsideofdentistry,Dr.Nicoll spendshis timefixing
up theirhome inFernie (“a typical dilapidatedold
miner’s cottage”) andkeepingupwithhis5children,
somewho liveclose tohomeandothers farther
afield inEnglandandAustralia.
He isalsoanavidskier, spendingabout40dayseach
yearon theslopes.His love for thesport stretches
back to the timehespentasaskipatroller inSaas-Fee,
Switzerland. Beforedental school, heevenconsidered
acareer in theski industry. “Ihad2pathways that
wouldallowme tomakeskiingapartofmy life—I
couldbecome involved inskiingasan industryor I
could takeacareerpathwaystructured togiveme
enough time, and theability to live inaski area,”he
says. “That’sanotherpartofwhy I chosedentistry.”
It’sanother illustrationof thepragmatism that
continues toguidehisdecisions, andhintsat the
approachhe’ll use—notdoubt togreat success—
duringhisyear asCDApresident.
a
❸
❷
Capturing the
Moments...
①
Dr. AlastairNicoll at the
2014FDI Congress in
NewDelhi, India.
②
Alastair andwifeMarilyn
inOttawa.
③
Dr. Nicoll introduces
CDAOasis at itsofficial
launch in2014.
④
Alastair on the slopes in
scenicFernie, BC.
⑤
(L. to r.)WithCDApast-
presidentsDrs. Gary
MacDonaldandPeterDoig
andcurrentCDApresident-
elect, Dr. Randall Croutze.
❶
➎
➍
