Dr Hanre Pieter Myburgh: Maxillofacial and oral surgeon

Rita Kakelo
Maxillofacial surgery is a special type of dentistry. Dr Hanre Pieter Myburgh is one of the very few dentists in Namibia and Africa that conduct this type of specialised dentistry.
He is a surgeon who treats damaged jaws and faces, as well as jaw and face malignancies and cleft lips and palates.
His job entails difficult surgeries that conventional dentists are unable to undertake, or, in short, a wide range of surgical fields of the head and neck area, with special emphasis to the upper and lower mouth.
To obtain a qualification such as his, you must first obtain a pre-graduate degree in dentistry or medicine. However, this is not a course that anyone can enter, and the selection criteria is based on the academic performance of the students, particularly those who score 80% above average.
He is opposed to this selection procedure, he said, adding that while elite students do not necessarily pursue certain jobs, regular students have a strong desire to embark on the journey to achieve their goals.