CDA Essentials 2018 • Volume 5 • Issue 6

38 | 2018 | Issue 6 O bituaries REMEMBERING DENTISTRY LEADERS DR. DAVIDDONALDSON Dr. David Donaldson of Nanoose Bay, British Columbia, passed away on June 16 at the age of 76. He was an internationally recognized expert on pain and anxiety control in dentistry. Dr. Donaldson obtained his dental degree in 1965 from St. Andrews University in Scotland and went on to receive his Fellowship in Dental Surgery through the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh in 1969. Two years later, he completed his Master’s degree in Restorative Dentistry at Dundee University. In 1970, he accepted an appointment at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in the new Faculty of Dentistry and immigrated to Canada with his family. In 1978, the whole family moved to Los Angeles for one year, during which Dr. Donaldson studied at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Donaldson specialized in chronic pain and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain management. In addition to working at his private practice on Vancouver Island, he was strongly involved in academia. He held appointments as head of the departments of oral biological and medical sciences, and oral surgery; as well as professor and head of the division of pain and anxiety control. Dr. Donaldson served as chair of CDA’s Council on Education and was president of the Association of the Canadian Faculties of Dentistry and the International Federation of Dental Education Associations. After 45 years of service in academia, he retired as professor emeritus. His commitment to education did not end upon retirement. He continued to provide consultation services to dental boards and colleges and teach continuing education courses both nationally and internationally. He is well-published in the peer-reviewed dental literature and co-authored several textbooks. “Dr. Donaldson will be remembered by his colleagues and friends for his devotion to patient comfort, and his teachings that gave countless dentists a sound foundation in pain management, oral and inhalational sedation,” says his son Dr. Mark Donaldson. “He significantly changed the lives of many patients. One of them had multiple fractures and a broken jaw after a severe car accident. Despite several surgeries and speech therapy treatments, her chronic TMJ pain did not improve and her ability to speak, swallow and even feed herself continued to be a daily challenge. My father’s holistic approach to pain management, his extensive experience, and his strong network of international colleagues with whom he would consult, resulted in a successful treatment plan, helping to return the patient to her former health and wellness.” Dr. Donaldson was the recipient of many awards and distinctions throughout his career. He was conferred with the fellowships of the American Dental Society of Anesthesia (1985), the American Academy of Dentistry (2000), the International College of Dentists (2006) and the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (2007). He was also appointed as a diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management (1994) and was granted a life membership in the Australian Society of Dental Anaesthesia (2003). Dr. Donaldson is survived by his wife, Kim; three children, Mark, Scott and Shona; six grandchildren; and many extended family members. a