Managing dental service in the Northernmost remote areas of Norway  

Given the enduring Covid-19 travel restrictions, XO’s Market Manager Lotte Vaupel and technical expert Michael Jäger have recently visited Gisle Narvestad in Norway - virtually.  

Gisle Narvestad has been the owner of his clinic in Melbu in the very north of Norway for over 30 years. The clinic is equipped with excellent treatment solutions but is exceptional due to its remote location. One might presume that such a remote location would pose many challenges for instance in relation to technical service. However, Gisle in cooperation with Unident Norway has always managed to swiftly solve any issues that have appeared. 

Gisle is an ‘XO enthusiast’. For 35 years he has successfully been using dental units manufactured by XO CARE. He has also visited XO’s headquarter in Denmark back in 2018 and toured the factory to see for himself at close range the whole creation process of the XO unit.   

When asked about the biggest benefits during his impressive history of use of XO units, Gisle responds: 

“The XO reliability is very important. Despite all the developments and changes made as the unit has evolved over the past 35 years, I can still recognize the fundamental thinking behind the design and see that the platform remains the same as in the first unit. This enables me to service the unit myself if a technician is not readily available at a given time. That way I save time and money. My first XO unit has been in use for 12 years so far and is still making my days free of worries and troubles.” 

For Gisle, the choice of dental unit has been obvious from the very beginning. He happily explains why has chosen XO units over other brands.  

“Having a clinic in a remote location you got to have reliable units”, says Gisle about his 4 XO units. “It is important that your workday is free of worries of a unit breakdown.” 

Another important aspect in Gisle’s specific situation is the need of being a specialist in many dental disciplines. Thus, he is competent in surgery, prosthetics as well as orthodontic treatments. Such an arrangement can prove very fulfilling as Gisle describes it:  

“I think this is the main reason why I still love practicing dentistry. No two days are the same. I need to be a specialist in every discipline myself. Since surgeons and orthodontic experts are located quite far away, I have to do everything myself and do the best I can.” 

Given the fact that Gisle´s dental clinic is located so remotely, this could create a challenge in attracting the right talent to become part of Gisle´s team.  

“Luckily, my dental team is recruited locally and consist of an additional two dentists and three dental assistants. They bring new knowledge and together with my experience, we make a very good team. I feel like a “seventh father of the house” from the Norwegian fairy-tale. My hope is that they will replace me when I retire.”, explains Gisle. 

We asked Gisle to share with us some of the cases that have been especially rewarding for him during his long dental career.  

“Treating patients suffering from odontophobia has always been both challenging and rewarding to me. In order to help these patients to the best of my ability, I have undergone additional training in this field. These patients often present with severe dental health issues, and the treatment can have an enormous impact on their self-confidence and their life overall. To witness their change and progress during treatment makes it worth all the effort.” 

Lotte and Michael hope to be able to visit Gisle in person as soon as Corona- restrictions are lifted to further talk about his journey and passion for XO products.