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Dr Philippe Sleiman has a private practice in his native Beirut and is chief endodontist in three clinics in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE. (Image: Philippe Sleiman)
Nathalie Schüller, DTI

Nathalie Schüller, DTI

Wed. 8. April 2020

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Like many other countries worldwide, Lebanon is currently struggling with a rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). By 8 April, the Johns Hopkins University had reported over 575 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country. Dr Philippe Sleiman is a practicing clinician, internationally renowned speaker, and university professor from Lebanon. In this short interview, the endodontist shares his thoughts about the current crisis.

Dr Sleiman, what is the situation in your country in face of the SARS-CoV-2 crisis? What measures have been taken, and when were these put in place?
We have been in lockdown for almost four weeks.

How have the confinement measures affected you professionally and personally? Is your office open or, if closed, since when?
My office is closed.

During this crisis, how have you utilised your time in your work situation and in relation to your patients? Could you share a little about your personal life and the effect on the things you enjoy and usually have little time to do?
I have been working on some articles and preparing new work related to lectures. I have been able to spend a lot more time with my family and have been able to do some gardening.

Do you know how the confinement measures have affected the national dental market?
The dental market is totally on hold.

No one knows how long this crisis will last. Whether it is short-lived or lengthy, do you think that it will change your business and the profession as a whole?
Everyone is concerned about the outcome.

One might hope that, in face of such a crisis, it would be appropriate to reflect and maybe change the way we live our lives for the better. What do you think? What changes would you like to see happening?
For the last couple of years, I have been devoting a lot more of my time to my kids and family, since this is what matters in the end....


About

Dr Philippe Sleiman holds a DDS, MSc and DSc, and is an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the US and an assistant professor at the Lebanese University in Beirut in Lebanon. He is the author of multiple articles in the Journal of Endodontics, roots and the Journal of Oral Science and Rehabilitation, among others, has published a book on ultrasonics and is an internationally renowned speaker. He is an inventor of dental instruments, and his latest innovations in endodontics are zero apicectomy in microsurgery, cryotherapy in root canal therapy and the Sleiman sequence of irrigation. 

Editorial note: This interview is the fourth part of a series asking dental professionals all over the world to share their experiences during the COVID-19 crisis.

 

COVID 19 Lebanon

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