The New Dental Clinic in Varna Retains Valuable Personnel in the Country

The newly opened Medico-Dental Centre at the Medical University of Varna gives opportunities to young and talented professionals to work under European conditions in their own country. Thus the valuable personnel has a better motivation to develop their practice precisely here, said on the air of Darik Varna Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stefan Peev, Head of the Dental Centre.

"Our ambition is, besides providing additional income for the lecturers to be able to turn the Centre into an instrument to retain the most talented personnel at the University. And some of the most promising specialists are exactly the young people," said Dr. Peev.

According to him the outward migration of dental specialists is not so distinctly manifested as it is among medical doctors, because the profession of a dental doctor gives more opportunities for self-realization. There is a huge interest in this specialty, that’s why the intake was increased by 50 percent last year. 60-70 specialists graduate from the Faculty every year. Moreover, English language training has also been introduced at the Faculty recently due to the fact that part of the students come from Germany, Poland, Greece and Turkey.

All residents and guests of Varna without any restriction can be treated at the Centre. It is not required for them to have any specific health case. The Centre employs about 50 specialists in Dental Medicine, University lecturers - professors and associate professors, explained Dr. Peev. He pointed out that the Centre has already provoked a strong interest. The Dental Clinic was opened at the end of the previous year as part of the Faculty of Dental Medicine at MU-Varna. The funding, at the amount of 4 million Lev, has been provided under a project. The University has also invested 1 million Lev of its own funds.

The Dental Centre has the latest equipment at European level. The Clinic has a sector for one-day surgery, for specialized aid, for General Practitioners, as well as its own Dental Laboratory. Assoc. Prof. Peev assured that there is a direct quality control.

Patients may also rely on specific services such as implantology. The Medical University is the only University which has facilities for specialization in this field. At the Centre students are not entitled to perform manipulations, however, there is an audio-video link between the operating rooms and lecture halls. Thus they have the opportunity to watch different interventions live. Only postgraduate and doctoral students are entitled to take part in the treatment as assistants.

The prices at the Clinic are not higher than those of the other practices of the higher market segment in the region, explained the specialist. In general, dental care in our country is several times cheaper in comparison with Western countries, he underlined. That is why these services are preferred by foreigners or Bulgarians living abroad.

By mid-February an emergency room will also be opened at the Clinic, which will serve patients after working hours and at weekends. The Management has the ambition to work in cooperation with NHIF, mainly in relation to childcare. According to Dr. Stefan Peev the poor dental health of the Bulgarians is a result of the economic situation of the people as well as the low health education and lack of proper awareness of these issues.

A School for Dental Hygiene is about to be opened at the Centre in order to combat this problem. There the youngest patients will be taught what they need to do for their own health. The specialist recommends silanization of children’s teeth as an effective method for preventing the occurrence of caries.