Dr Jessica Buchanan
Dr Jessica Buchanan was the first woman to graduate in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Otago University. Recently, Jessica was awarded with a distinction for her MSc in Surgical Science and Practice at Oxford University in 2021.
As a registered doctor and dental specialist, Jessica works at the interface of medicine and dentistry, believing in the importance of multi-disciplinary and patient centred care. Jessica’s interest in health equity and value based healthcare is reflected in her research and study at Oxford University. Jessica has made a sustained contribution to the public health sector over the last decade as a specialist at Greenlane Clinical Centre, Te Whatu Ora, in collaboration with oral medicine specialists. Jessica now visits Wellington regularly to consult in private practice at WellOral.
Dentist scientific programme
Intensive Care Admission due to Odontogenic Infection in New Zealand
Severe odontogenic infection is an insidious and serious problem that should not be seen as inconsequential or outside of mainstream healthcare. Jessica’s presentation provides a contribution to the understanding of severe odontogenic disease and ICU admission in New Zealand. The clear ethnic and social inequalities described in this research will be discussed, alongside the use of scarce resources and the implication this has on the New Zealand health system.
The audience is encouraged to consider why this is an important topic for both the dental and medical professions and how we can work within our communities to put knowledge into action.