Dundee dental technician travels to the world’s most remote inhabited island
A dental technician from Dundee has embarked upon an intrepid adventure to the world’s more remote inhabited island.
Stan Riley, from Dundee Dental School, recently set off for the tiny island of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic Ocean. He has made the trip in the capacity of visiting dental technician, taking over the reins on a more long-term basis from long-serving fellow Dundonian, Bob Carse. Stan has settled in well, and in a friendly jibe to his predecessor, a Dundee fan, he has attached Dundee United merchandise to the wall of his treatment room.
Located approximately 6,500 miles away from Dundee, Tristan Da Cunha is a British territory, which has no formal medical or dental services. Volunteers from the UK visit once a year to provide procedures and advice. Dundee has strong ties with the island, and has played host to several inhabitants visiting Scotland over the years.
The only way to travel to the island is by boat from South Africa, with a total journey time of over a week. Volunteers spend three weeks on the island providing treatment and dental care, but they spend 6 weeks away from home after factoring in travel time.
While Stan is enjoying the experience, he said that it is a shock to the system being so isolated. The nearest town from the island is as far as Dundee is from Moscow, and he is missing his family and friends and looking forward to catching up on his return.
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