FOR THE LOVE OF After more than two decades as an optometrist, Boago Modiisane discusses how he got into the field, how he serves the community and why the job continues to fulfill him.
For Dr Maatla Mogapi,dentistry is a beautiful mix of being passionate, knowledgable , skillful(you TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF have to be good with your hands) and feeling like she were doing something useful by bettering the lives of her patients
Can you tell us something about yourself and your upbringing?
My name is Dr. Maatla Mogapi. I work at Scottish Livingstone hospital at the dental clinic as a general dentist. I was born in Molepolole as the first of three children and the only daughter to a single mother. I graduated from Charles University in Prague, the Czech Republic in 2015. I am very passionate about my job as I care deeply about bettering the lives of my patients in more ways than one.
What pulled you towards dental surgery and who is your role model in industry?
I didn’t always want to be a dentist. I grew up wanting to be a lawyer but my mother, being the greatest influence in my life, strongly advised me against it and urged me towards being a medical professional. After successfully completing my first year of Bachelor of Sciences at UB, I chose to study
Dentistry. Dentistry grew on me as I went through my years of study and this passion was fueled by seeing how knowledgeable, adept and passionate all our professors were. I knew I wanted to reach that level of proficiency in everything I did at some point in my life and that is what kept me going. I don’t have a role model per se but I would cite all the seniors I’ve worked with for being exemplary in executing their craft and how committed they are to bettering the lives of patients.
How would you describe your work in one sentence?
Diagnosing, treating and preventing various oral diseases not limited only to teeth; as well as educating the general public on the importance of oral health.
What can a new patient expect during the initial consultation visit with you?
They can expect a welcoming experience in which their concerns about their oral health will be heard. A comprehensive medical, dental as well as social history will be taken in order to have a clear picture of the patient’s general well-being. A full examination will then be done so as to note the general appearance of the patient as well presence of swelling, fresh wounds or cuts or scars. This is followed by a thorough assessment inside your mouth to check for: decayed or fractured teeth, gum disease or any abnormalities in the appearance, size and shape of your teeth and in the way you bite. The soft tissues in your mouth: the tongue, cheeks, lips and palate will get examined too to check for the presence of any disease processes. After a diagnosis is reached, a detailed treatment plan will then be made and the patient will be given an opportunity to decide how they want to proceed.
What services do you provide? Do from Lobatse and Gaborone c to do outreach in Hukuntsi Pr Hospital and I told myself th day I will have to be counted of eye care professionals in Bot During our times, career gu was not as developed as it is we had to do some research own regarding careers. So, afte research I settled for Opto Government had offered me arship to do dentistry but I ch stick to my first choice - Opto My name is Boago Modiitsane, I After completing my part one come from Mahalapye and did my University of Botswana, I was primary school and secondary school ted at the University of Auckl at St Patrick’s Primary School and New Zealand to pursue Opto Madiba Secondary School respec- Upon completion, I came back you perform antyivceolys.mIeatmic smuragrerrieyd and haDvisectuhsrsetehe maosstthceofimrmstoMn cootsnwdiatnioantso grad procedures? girls. I currently run my owynopurgiveattteo deanl wOitpht?ometrist. I have also practice in Mogoditshane, Eye Care Masters Degree in Public Healt Optometrists! University of Liverpool in th On my return home in 1996, I the private sector and subseq started my private practice in
We do routine dental checkups. The most common conditions we We perform minor surgery procedures get to deal with are all non-communicable such as simple tooth removals, diseases and we have seen a surge
YOUR CAREER IN OPTOMETRY: removal of impacted molar teeth, and of these in recent years all across our
DID YOU HAVE AN EPIPHANY correction of congenital MOMENT abnormalities OR WAS IT ALWAYS health sector in Botswana. such as tongue PART tie as OF well THE as MASTER surgical PLAN? • Decayed teeth WHAT or IS dental THE DIFFERENCE cavities B removal of lesions in the mouth which (dental caries): TWEEN occurs AN OPTOMETRIST, across all
My desire to deal with conditions O we then send to the National Health age groups CIAN but
that affect the human eye started AND is quite OPHTHALMOLOGI common Laboratory for pathology reports. in children. Bacteria An ophthalmologist in the mouth is a
when I was doing my Tirelo Sechaba phy When resources in Tshane. allow While we also there, do I used use to see sugars surgeon left by sugary who specialises foods and in the tooth cleanings eye and care fillings. personnel Dentists coming all the drinks way to produce cal and surgical an acid care that of eats the ey are also equipped to repair facial and away at the surface of teeth until a oral cuts that patients get when in cavity I formed. Poor oral hygiene road traffic accidents or when they’re also contributes to this. Treatment assaulted or during accidental falls or options include filling the tooth other injuries. As a government dental when the decay is not extensive and clinic, we do not perform cosmetic root canal fillings or tooth extractions procedures but privately employed when the process of decay dentists can perform procedures such has spread to the roots and causes as bleaching of teeth and placement spontaneous pain. Prevention is of veneers. Dental specialists can also through effective tooth brushing perform much more complicated cosmetic twice a day and limiting the intake surgeries such as restructuring of sugary foods to when you have jaws for more aesthetic results. your main meals.