CATEGORY 132 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST A: Why do you ride your bike? J: It’s been part of my life since I can remember. My dad introduced us from a very young age. It’s something we grew up with. And the love and the passion grew from there. It keeps the fitness and healthiness going. A: Did you ride a bike in Stellenbosch? A: That was my stomping ground. I used it as transport when at Uni. Between classes we would ride and then we would train for that big race once a year. The Cape Argus Cycle Tour. A: How long is The Cape Argus Tour? J: It is 110k and it’s around the Cape Peninsular. A: And it is hilly. J: A fair few but not as many hills as Hobart. A: What are the benefits of riding a bike? J: The fresh air. It’s an unreal feeling to be that free out on the open road. The fitness and more the social side of things. It’s a fun sport. That I can gain a lot of fitness from. A: How does it help you when you are working? J: It certainly clears my brain. The sitting position. It strengthens my core. Keeps me upright. Straight and in line. Very important for us. Necks and backs. Helps strengthen that. J: Forms relationships with patients. A lot of patients are riding and I often invite people out on my group ride and I’ve had a few patients join me on the group ride and I actually found my group through a patient. A: How far does your group ride? J: We do about 40k three times a week. On the weekend somewhere between 50k and 100k. And the most important thing is the coffee afterwards. A: And avoiding the cars. J: We start at five in the morning so we are off the road before the cars get out. A: And your wife rides as well. J: She does. So that is a common interest. And now with the kids coming along as well. So we have gone from being pure roadies to mountain biking with the kids and that’s been amazing because I can relate to many of my younger patients. I love sharing stories and showing them photos of my kids on the bike. Improves and strengthen many a relationship. A: Mountain biking. Can I ask you is it dangerous? J: I’ve learnt the hard way. You get lots more falls. I encourage parents to buy full face helmets. I’ve fixed many a front tooth. A: I love the fact that riding a bike helps your physical fitness and social and emotional fitness. J: For me it’s a very universal thing. It’s a transport. It keeps you mentally and physically fit. And the days I go riding I look forwards to those days. My head is in a good place when I get to work. My days run a lot smoother. A: Can I ask you about the day you featured in our newspaper? J: I am fortunate enough to have a Friday off. And my wife. Through mountain biking we got into trail running and we ran up the mountain to look for snow. We ran to the top and I found four of my patients at the top. They were encouraging people not to be silly and get into trouble. A: What did they say to you? J: Everybody was surprised to see me in a pair of shorts running up the mountain and they were going why are you not at work? Lots of photos were taken and my comment were noted and I found myself in the papers the next day. A: Was it good marketing? J: Absolutely. It certainly was. All my patients returned for recalls saying were you crazy to run up the mountain in your shorts? It does create an awareness and that’s another thing about cycling. When you are riding in the peloton people often ask you what you do and they will ask you a dental question. Two or three months later you find that person is in your chair. A: You are in the paper for being physically fit and promoting physical health and it’s obvious to me you are interested in healthy teeth as well. The two go together. J: It’s amazing how people trust you when you are not working and you built that relationship prior to them sitting in the chair. Most people are scared of us and don’t open up fully when sitting in the chair. J: Riding you can get to really know them. The bike riding helps me get to know the patient outside of the workplace and improves treatment planning improves everything when you know their story. THE FULL COMPLEMENT Dr Alan Carlton shares a coffee with … Jacques Cawood My aim in this column is to understand the dental community. I want every section of the dental community illuminated. Everybody has a story to tell. Everybody has a story worth hearing. Jacques Cawood is often seen around Hobart riding his bike. Hopefully one day I can meet him and talk about riding a bike. One day the ducks line up and …
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