Interview: 'The future of dentistry will be glorious if we play a role in our associations'

Dr Newton Miranda's dedication to the profession led him to the position of secretary-general of ABO, and now he is a candidate for president in the December elections. I had the privilege to meet professor Miranda de Carvahlo twenty years ago, at the implant courses for Brazilian dentists traveling to Argentina, and we have been friends ever since then.

 Who influenced you to study dentistry? 

My parents were very poor and lived in Cipotânea, a small town in Minas Gerais. At age 10 I was sent to study at a seminary in Petropolis. When I was 16 years old I went to Juiz de Fora, where my brother studied dentistry. We lived in a boarding house opposite the school and I was elected as head the Department of Culture and Art of the Juiz de Fora Union of Secondary Students.

What are your memories of dental school?
I was arrested during the 1964 military coup and forced to leave college, so I went to Belo Horizonte, where I joined the Federal University of Minas Gerais. I got involved in the People's Action Movement, the resistance to the military dictatorship, and had the privilege of becoming friends with the Professor Osmir Oliveira, who with his democratic and libertarian beliefs helped me and many others to escape alive from the repression when we were arrested. He sent me teach at a small town where his wife's family lived in Vale do Rio Doce, where I could work without being persecuted.

How did you get started in the profession? 

Consequently, my start in the profession was very difficult. I was the only top-level professional in this town of less than 2,000 people. It helped me economically that I was director of the local state school, which gave me leadership experience.

What make was your first dental chair? 

It was a used Eletrauri, bought with a great sacrifice in 12 installments of 200 cruzeiros. To this day I remember with joy these days of working and learning, as they were fundamental in my career.

Do you remember your first patient? 

Yes, indeed! He was a child, the son of the mayor who, thanks to my influence, is today a renowned dentist in Belo Horizonte.

Who has been your most difficult patient? 

We always have difficult cases in our professional life, but I remember an alcoholic who slept outdoors, and came to my office with hoarse voice and a pain in the throat. I sent him to the hospital for X-rays and when the report came back, it showed he had a removable partial denture stuck in his throat!

And the most rewarding? 

I believe that any treatment where we use all our knowledge and results in patient satisfaction is very rewarding. But I remember Dona Geralda, a 90 year old greengrocer to whom I gave a free dental prosthesis, returned to my office with tears in her eyes and told me, "Doctor, you have made me happy again. I have brought a tray with the best from my fields." Then she hugged me and I cried too.

Who was your first dental technician? 

Clélio, with whose help I made a lot of people smile and be happy again.

And your first employee or assistant? 

The first was my wife Rosangela, then Rita, when I worked in Guanhães (MG).

What type of marketing did you use when you started? 

My personal contacts and my involvement in the city's everyday life. I always enjoyed meeting and helping people. I think that contributed to create my customer base, both in the interior and in the capital.

Do you have relatives who are dentists? 

A brother and two sons, Maurice and Flavio, who will follow the profession, besides my wife Rosangela, who is qualified in Prosthodontics.

Who is your main idol in dentistry? 

The Minas Gerais heroe Joaquim Jose da Silva "Tiradentes" Xavier (executed and dismembered in 1792 for rebelling against Portugal), who may not have been a great dentist due to the conditions in which he practiced, but who ennobled dentistry with his glorious uprising. He was a precursor of our struggle for the profession, and for better oral health for the population.

Who has done more for the profession? 

Many. Without wishing to belittle those who fought and fight for better days for our colleagues, I remember someone who gave his life for it: Pedro Martinelli, who assumed the defense of his colleagues as an ideal, was President of ABO and after that of the Latin American Dental Federation (FOLA), and who unfortunately died in a congress in La Paz.

How do you see dentistry right now? 

With hope. We've always had many problems, but never as much motivation to solve them as now. As Brazilians, we are proud to be hosting the FDI Annual World Dental Congress in 2010, and to have a Brazilian as president of the largest international organization, the FDI World Dental Federation.

What's the best road to follow in the profession? 

The best way is to work hard to raise awareness in each and all dentists that they have to actively participate in our professional associations, especially in the regional ABOs, where there is a great movement and discussion to solve the problems that we confront, especially at the regional level. In turn, ABO should pay more attention to other regions of Brazil, where many of the professionals it represents come from.

What helped you in your professional success? 

40 years of continuous and constant training, and an almost obsessive search for new knowledge. Ideologically, I believe that the acquisition of new knowledge is a requirement for all professionals.

How do you see the future of the profession? 

They say that Einstein, when asked how would the Third World War be, replied: "I know not with what weapons the Third World War will be fought, but I know with what it will be in the Fourth World War: sticks and clubs." I see also the future of the profession likewise: if we don't have the vision to solve our problems, the next stage will bring more losses. But, if we all contribute to our associations with solutions, the future of the profession will be glorious. We must have the audacity to believe, and the courage to succeed.

Any suggestion for new dentists?
I tell my colleagues what I tell my kids —fight always, persist always, believe always! Never give up, and do not accept mediocrity. Improve, always. Obstinately.

Thank you very much.