British Columbia – Dr. David Donaldson, an internationally recognized authority on pain and anxiety control in dentistry, died June 16, 2018.
Dr. Donaldson, 76, completed his dental degree in 1965 at St. Andrews University, He went on to receive his Fellowship in Dental Surgery through the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh in 1969, and in 1971 he was granted his Masters Degree in Restorative Dentistry by Dundee University. In 1970 he accepted an appointment at the University of British Columbia in the new Faculty of Dentistry and immigrated to Canada with his wife and three children.
David enjoyed and excelled at academia but also worked in private practice, specializing in treating chronic pain and TMJ pain management. Dentistry was his passion, and he would retire from UBC after 45 years of service as a distinguished professor emeritus, having held appointments as Head of the Departments of Oral Biological and Medical Sciences, and Oral Surgery; and Professor and Head of the Division of Pain and Anxiety Control. He was also the past Chairman of the Canadian Dental Association Council on Education, and past President of the Association of the Canadian Faculties of Dentistry, and the International Federation of Dental Education Associations.
In 1985, Dr. Donaldson successfully completed the examinations for the Fellowship in the American Dental Society of Anesthesia and in 1994 he was appointed as a Diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management. In 2000 he was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Dentistry and in 2003 was awarded life membership in the Australian Society of Dental Anaesthesia. Dr. Donaldson was further conferred with a Fellowship in the International College of Dentists in 2006 and a Fellowship in the American Academy of Orofacial Pain the following year.
Dr. Donaldson is being 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. David was well-published in the dental literature, he co-authored several textbooks, and was a sought-after lecturer both nationally and internationally. He loved his practice on Vancouver Island, specializing in the treatment of chronic head and neck pain, and he continued to provide consultation services to Dental Boards and Colleges, and teach continuing education courses for University-based programs long after retirement from UBC.
Dr. Donaldson is survived by his wife, Kim, three children, Mark, Scott and Shona, and six grandchildren. Information on a celebration of David’s life can be found at: https://www.yatesmemorial.ca/notices/David-Donaldson.