Dr Mo Amso: Leading from the coalface
Dr Mo Amso
Chief Executive
New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA)
Wet-fingered dentistry. A strange term likely to be understood by dentists but utterly mystify – and potentially gross out – the rest of us.
It references a time in the industry, roughly before the mid-1980s, when dentists did not wear gloves (pre-HIV/AIDS). They literally had their hands in the mouths of their patients every day.
As both a practising dentist and the Chief Executive of the New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA), Dr Mo Amso is the truest contemporary embodiment of wet-fingered dentistry.
Because when it comes to fighting the good fight for his members, his profession and his patients, his gloves are definitely off.
Mo, named New Zealand’s Young Dentist of the Year in 2019, spends four days a week at the NZDA and one day a week treating special needs patients in a public hospital in Auckland.
A duality that affords him a unique and confronting perspective, sitting as he does at the fulcrum of advocacy for both service provider and receiver.
“A big part of what we do as an association is advocating for our profession to stakeholders and government,” Mo says.
“The patients I see in hospital are cancer patients, transplant patients, intellectually handicapped, wheelchair bound, elderly, geriatric, autistic or they have Down syndrome.
“A lot of these people really don't get to access quality care on a regular basis, and they end up coming to hospital when things are too late and they need access to general anaesthesia and things are falling apart.
“There is this constant reminder one day a week when I see those patients that what I do with the association when it comes to advocacy, when I get angry at a meeting with a government body, it's not coming from nowhere.
“It's informed by my practice and what I see in my clinic, where the disparities are evident, and I've had people cry in my chair and say they can't afford care.
“It's upsetting and it's not right, and we need to change it.
“And you know, I appreciate being able to say to patients sometimes when they complain that ‘I have another hat (as NZDA CEO) and with my other hat, I'm going to fight for you because I think you deserve better’.”
Mo concedes the good fight is “very aspirational”, especially given the slow pace of change at a public policy level.
“But when you bring in that level of lived experience, I know what I need to say (when advocating) and it’s a simple message,” he says.
“Care should be available and accessible funding should be available. And if we can't fund everyone, which we can't, let's start by funding the people who need it most.”
Mo was 15 when his family migrated to New Zealand from Iraq in 1999. His father is an engineer, his mum is an accountant, and his sister is a journalist, but Mo always wanted to work in health care. Dentistry was a surprise, especially after he initially gained a neuroscience degree.
“My biggest values are around family, support, care, respect and helping people. If opportunities arise in your life to do work you love and enjoy, that is true to your values, then it becomes a no-brainer. My work at the association fulfills a lot of my personal values.”
“I really enjoy dentistry. It’s a lovely career and a big passion of mine.
“I think being a practising dentist and an association leader does introduce an element of reliability and authenticity for our members.
“You understand the challenges because you are actively involved still.”
Mo joined the NZDA as an Associate Director in April 2020 just as COVID hit before progressing to take on the role of CEO two years later. The association was established in 1905 and currently has around 3000 members. Mo and his team of 19 advocate for dental professionals nationwide, offering professional development, knowledge sharing and trusted representation.
He is frequently called upon by New Zealand media to be the expert voice of reason on anything from tooth-whitening trends to people resorting to DIY dentistry to avoid rising dental costs.
Mo, who can speak four languages (English, Arabic, French and Māori) earned an MBA from the University of Otago in 2021.
“The MBA was quite a landmark in my career because it did help shift my thinking,” he says. “Had I not done it, I would have continued to think solely with a clinician's mind. Clinicians treat individuals and at most they treat families. If you're lucky or you're influential, you may treat a community.
“But when you're in an association, some of the things we've advocated for, like public health policy, have national impact. We are also part of an international network of dental associations and we can look at how other countries are doing things, what they are struggling with and what they are getting right.
“I've tried to amalgamate both (clinical and business aspects) and the MBA was really good. So, you can think as a leader, manager, global thinker; but you never lose sight of the end goal for members, for the public and oral health in general.”
As a husband and a dad to two children under three, Mo is possibly at the busiest time of his life. Even still, there is no hesitation when asked if he’d recommend his association role to others.
“Yes, absolutely,” he says. “Look, it’s a lonely job, just like a CEO job in any sector. It’s stressful, you’re on the knife’s edge and sometimes can’t say everything you’d like to say.
“But I’ve been fortunate to have a few avenues where I can connect with like-minded people and having the support of your board is critical. So, that has been really helpful to me.
“You need to maintain a commitment to learning and never think you know it all. Have a sense of curiosity, an open mind to learning new things and a problem-solving mindset.
“I’d recommend the job but come in with those mindsets and desires and you’ll be ok.”
Mo is looking forward to the NZDA’s future which includes an ongoing data and digital transformation, refining the content/services/education offering as well as finalising an oral health strategy to pitch to the NZ government.