Attended the first Digital Dentistry CE event in Nepal

March 04, 2023

Attended the first Digital Dentistry CE event in Nepal

After my usual breakfast, at 8:00AM, Dash picked me up and we drove 4K to the Hotel Akama. I had had a speaking gig at the Akam on December 24th. It is a nice/newer hotel along the Ring Road. Dash and I were the first dentists to arrive, but soon maybe 50 dentists appeared.

The speakers were three American dentists with expertise in the "digital workflow." One speaker was Dr. Jesse Hollander, a Maui dentist who is the son of Dr. Brian Hollander. Brian practiced in Nepal for something like 25 years before relocating to Alaska in 2009 when Jesse was age 16. I met Brian around 2015 on the ADA International Programs subcommittee -- and from that meeting, he is ultimately the reason I eventually made it to Nepal. I had met Jesse previously, (maybe) 2018 at an HVO dinner in Hawaii. Brian's wife and Jesse's mom, Judy, was in attendance today too.

The program was informative and well-received by this tech-savvy audience.

Here Brian (the tall guy in the blue shirt with folded hands) watches the ceremonial, lighting of the lamp.

They actually 3-D printed a denture during today's seminar.

Small world: this is one of the speakers, Clark Brinton. He repaid his NHSC dental school scholarship by working at the Ben Archer Community Clinic in Las Cruces New Mexico alongside my relocated friend, Dr. Mark Wiatt, with whom I worked in Bozeman, Montana, more than 25 years ago. Clark now practices in the Portland, Oregon, area.

Here is group photo of everyone at the event.

Although I was expecting to "fly under the radar" as a mere attendee at this meeting, that didn't happen. I seem to have some celebrity status here that is always acknowledged/recognized. At the close of the meeting I was awarded a traditional Nepali hat, along with the 3 speakers and Dr. Brian Hollander. I have been admiring these traditional hats (mostly on senior men), and expected to purchase one before returning to the U.S. -- but now I have one! It reminds me of the "envelope hat" that goes with my blue Air Force service uniform.

A buffet lunch was served afterwards. I ate lunch with Dr. Smriti, my prosthodontist friend from Dhulikhel.

The lunch was actually tasty: both the main buffet and dessert.

Nisha and her daughters drove me back to the Kumari Inn.

In the late afternoon, I walked down the hill to the EG Burger House for dinner. I ordered a chicken skewer, a piece of fried chicken, french fries and a Pepsi. I expected the chicken skewer to be grilled pieces of chicken -- like ka-bobs. Instead, it was a chicken hot dog that had been deep-fried. I ate it anyway-- it was ok.