What is Dr. Moles up to this month?

This month I'll be heading over to Poland and to Slovakia to give lectures on both Orthodontics and TMJ dysfunction (Jaw problems and headaches). This will be my fourth time speaking in Eastern Europe and as usual I am looking forward to it.

If you have never been to Poland let me assure you as a Wisconsinite you have already been there. If I dropped you off on a country road with no buildings around you, you would not be able to tell that you were not in Wisconsin. Literally, the land and the trees and the scenery are the same (and so is the weather!). It is an easy place for a Midwesterner to be comfortable in. Moreover the people are truly wonderful. They have been through so much and are so grateful to now have their freedom. They also love Americans and they look to us as a role model.

It's interesting to note that 80 percent of the dentists in Eastern Europe are female. Under Communism, dentistry was a low paying occupation so the men tended to gravitate to professions where it was easier to support a family. This is changing, and over the years I have seen more men in the courses. However all of the doctors that I have lectured to have been very eager to learn how we do things and they are quick students. They operate under a big handicap of not being able to afford or obtain some of the more sophisticated technology that we have available but given the vitality of their economies, they will eventually be able to provide this to their patients. I will share some of my experiences when I return.