Dr Colm O’Loghlen of Bridge Street Dental Practice, Tralee has been announced as this year’s Colgate Caring Dentist of the Year 2021 hosted at The Intercontinental Hotel, Dublin 4 last Saturday night.Dr O’Loghlen was recognised for the compassionate treatment and exceptional clinical skills he provided to a traumatised teenager after the teen lost his two front teeth in a face-first fall from a wall.
The Tralee dentist was nominated by the 15-year-old’s mother who put a call out on social media after being told that there was no dentist available in the local hospital to treat her son. Thankfully, Dr O’Loghlen answered her call.
“My son was holding his two front teeth in his hands, and we felt hopeless,” the boy’s mother said. “It was clear that he had done severe damage to his face and teeth.”
By this time, it was late on a Saturday night and her son was becoming increasingly distressed. Dr O’Loghlen responded and told the mother and son to meet him at the surgery immediately. There, despite the stitches in the boy’s lips and significant swelling on his face, Dr O’Loghlen managed to re-implant the two front teeth successfully.
“When we arrived at the surgery that night, my son was distraught. But Dr O’Loghlen quickly put us at ease. His calm demeanour reassured us that we were in safe hands, and we are sincerely grateful for the help we got that night, and the care we still receive.
“Dr O’Loghlen has not only helped to restore my son’s teeth, but he has also restored his confidence too. As a mother, I cannot thank him enough.”
The annual Colgate Caring Dentist of the Year awards recognise dentists that have provided dental treatment and care over and above expectations, often with transformative effects, as nominated by patients and the public.
As well as winning the overall honour, Dr O’Loghlen was also announced as the regional winner for Munster.