Clinician, mentor, advocate. These are some of the roles that define Dr. Chantal Czerednikow, DMD’13, Cert in Gen Prac Residency’14, as a dentist. They are also an integral part of how she makes a difference in the health and wellness of her patients, and how she is contributing to the next generation of dental professionals.
As head practitioner at McGill’s Oral Health Clinic for Neurodevelopmental Diversity, a comprehensive hub created specifically for special care dentistry, Dr. Czerednikow provides specialized care to patients with neurodevelopmental diversity, such as autism. She addresses the dental issues facing this underserved demographic, which in turn helps prevent the development of larger systemic health problems caused by unresolved dental concerns.
Dr. Czerednikow first became interested in special care dentistry – an umbrella term that covers a variety of patient situations beyond intellectual disability – during a summer clinic as part of her studies in McGill’s Faculty of Dentistry and has since undergone extensive training to become one of the world’s foremost experts in this area. Her residency at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, followed by a mini-residency in the U.S., a fellowship in France, shadowing expert clinicians in the field and conferences around the world, have equipped Dr. Czerednikow with a valuable set of skills – her “toolbox” – which include patience, compassion, and empathy.
“Giving back to this community of patients is part of who I am; I just find a way to weave it into what I do on a daily basis,” says Dr. Czerednikow. “Giving back helps everyone progress further. We can do more together than on our own. I just want to make the world a better place, one step at a time.
“I’ve grown a lot because of my colleagues and teachers giving back to me, so it feels right to ‘pay it forward, to pass on my knowledge.”
Through her affiliation with the Faculty of Dentistry General Practice Residency Program, Dr. Czerednikow guides residents in caring for neurodiverse patients and leads seminars on techniques and novel approaches. While the special care skills she has learned are not particularly complicated for a dental student to grasp, they take practice and confidence to apply in the clinical setting.
“A student who was on rotation with me a couple months ago told me that she saw a patient with autism for an emergency procedure and used a technique that she had seen me use, and it helped the patient be more comfortable. She was so proud to be able to use the technique herself,” says Dr. Czerednikow.
Dr. Czerednikow is taking her teaching role one step further as Chair of Education on the board of the newly formed Canadian Society for Disability and Oral Health. She aims to start a study club where oral health professionals from across Canada can meet virtually to learn from each other by discussing techniques, clinical cases and challenges they’ve overcome to provide care for people with special needs.
A true demonstration of how Dr. Czerednikow is inspiring the current and next generation of dentists.
Read more about some of McGill's everyday heroes, and learn how to support the next generation of heroes on McGill24.