Dr AbduKadir Mamataliev, a dental specialist at Deva Medical Center-Nyarutarama, is from Kyrgyzstan. While studying dentistry at Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, he didn’t have any idea that he would end up operating in Rwanda until one of his friends proposed visiting the country.

The father of three was often told about Rwanda, but like a common saying in his country that goes, "it's better to see rather than to listen 100 times”, he decided to take a month’s leave off his work in March 2017 to tour Rwanda and learn more about it.

According to him, having conducted research about the country and the health sector, he applied for a medical license and luckily the Clinic was searching for a dentist and gynecologist.

"When I went back home, I carried my family with me after receiving my license in June. What even captivated us to stay was the fact that the country was very well organised, safe, clean, and stable with amazing people who followed rules, and a great leader. We couldn’t choose any other country,” he states.

Dr Mamataliev explains that he was employed at Deva Medical Center as a dentist, and his wife as a gynecologist, from June 2017 up-to-date, a thing that excited them as they longed to have an international experience.

He carries on that not knowing English, and Kinyarwanda, complicated his work in the start, although he had a translator. It’s then that he pursued a short online English course to communicate with patients.

In about three months, he was able to communicate in English and has also made it a point to learn Kinyarwanda through interacting with people. According to him, Rwanda is his second home.

Mamataliev has always had an interest in healthcare since childhood, he was inspired by his mother who is a midwife and brother, a general surgeon whom he admired and listened to their medical discussions.

"From all possible career paths in the field, I found dentistry the most attractive one. Considering my personality, abilities, and preferences, and going through different career paths in healthcare, I just find dentistry the most fitting choice. Dentistry as a science, includes a lot of areas. My favorite aspect of being a dentist has always been learning new applications and approaches of caring for patients. Being able to learn new methods and apply new techniques that improve patient care is one reason I became a dentist,” he stresses.

Mamataliev studied dentistry at Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (KRSU) in Bishkek City from 2008 to 2013. He also furthered his education with a Master’s degree in the base of the same University for one year.

During the study, he noticed that in dentistry, it is necessary to have good manual skills, which requires good hand-eye coordination.

When he was in the third year of university, every day after school, the dental expert spared time to visit dental clinics to assist the dentists for a few hours.

Throughout the process, he says that he learned several procedures such as extractions, dental cavities and restorations and how to perform an oral examination, this equipped him with knowledge, experience and self- confidence to integrate into his profession.

After acquiring his medical license in 2014, the dentist started to work as a general dentist specialist in a Medical Center Bishkek City. He states that since he started working, he has been more interested in Oral Surgery and Implantology, which is why he underwent a training in these areas in Istanbul (Turkey) and Moscow (Russia).

He highlights that dentistry is constantly evolving with new technology and advancement in treatment protocols to improve patient satisfaction. Aside from improving clinical aspects in dentistry, dentists still find the profession challenging and even stressful at times.

He explains that dental practice ownership is not a course taught in dental school or residency; it takes time and experience to understand all of the responsibilities associated with practice ownership. Many dentists are unprepared for the challenges associated with being a solo practice owner, but fortunately, there are key ways to avoid dental practice burnout.

"Some of the most common challenges dentists face are related to administrative duties, such as managing staff and dealing with finances like overhead and supplies. With the right team, you can help eliminate stress and improve your patient retention and overall career livelihood,” he says.

The dental expert has realised that many people from African countries travel abroad for dental services, since he came to Rwanda, he had dreams to initiate a dentistry hub in the country. ‘I believe it can be done in the near future.’

One of his future plans is to open one of the most advanced and digital dental technician laboratories for quick and best services and to create a small training center for dentists to work together and expand their knowledge.

"At work as a dentist and in life, I always try to keep some standards. Without them, I can't work professionally. One of them is cleaning. I aim to keep my working place, tools, equipment as clean as possible and every patient for me is like family. When I check, and treat them, I do feel as though I am treating the closest person to me. I try to give my best services to every patient.

I use the best and advanced materials and equipment in my practice. Most of the materials we import from abroad since they can be accessed locally.”