Cuxac-Cabardès Dentist Retires After Decades of Service
CUXAC-CABARDÈS, france - Dr. Jean-Pierre Rivière has retired after a long career providing dental care to the residents of Cuxac-Cabardès and the surrounding area, marking the end of an era for the small community. A reception was held to honor the doctor’s dedication, attended by local officials and grateful patients.
Dr. Rivière’s arrival in Cuxac-Cabardès offered a vital service to a community previously lacking consistent access to dental treatment.His continued presence, alongside his wife Ghislaine, a nurse at the town’s retirement home, became a cornerstone of local healthcare. While his departure marks a personal milestone,the village is assured of continued medical access thanks to a robust network of healthcare professionals including three doctors,nurses,an optician,a midwife,a pharmacy,and a speech therapist.
The doctor’s path to dentistry wasn’t initially straightforward. Despite initially intending to pursue medicine, a youthful report of a cavity-preventing vaccine nearly diverted him. “I’m not going to have a job treating teeth so I’m doing medicine,” he recalled. After completing his studies, he began an internship in the Mazamet emergency room before a replacement position with Dr. Moutou in Cuxac brought him to the village. Dr. Moutou subsequently encouraged him to take over the practice.
Dr. Rivière acknowledged feeling “a little lost and alone” at first, crediting his long-time secretary, dominique, with helping him establish himself and remain in Cuxac-Cabardès. He stated he hadn’t “seen the time passing” during his years of practice. Though he is stepping down from his practice, Dr. Rivière intends to remain in the village and continue to contribute to the medical field through “other missions.” He extended an invitation to his former patients to attend his retirement reception.
Mayor Paul Griffe expressed a “little pang in the heart” at the doctor’s retirement, but emphasized the strength of the existing healthcare infrastructure in Cuxac-Cabardès.
