Hundreds of children living in poor and remote communities in Cambodia will have healthier teeth thanks to Optident and volunteers working with the international dental charity Dentaid.
Optident and Ultradent donated 2,000 units of fluoride varnish for Dentaid to use on its projects around the world. The first batch was sent to Cambodia where volunteers visited slum areas near the capital Phnom Penh and community clinics in Kampong Cham. In addition to providing emergency dental treatment for people in pain, the team also ran oral health education sessions, screening and fluoride varnish programmes. The easy availability of fizzy drinks and sweets has led to widespread dental decay but many Cambodians can’t afford basic dental care. Over two weeks the team treated more than 350 people and they also supported Cambodian dental professionals who are working to improve access to dental care in the country.
The donations of fluoride varnish will also prove invaluable in Dentaid’s work in Uganda, Morocco and the refugee camps in Greece where fluoride varnish treatments are offered alongside emergency dental care and oral health advice. A Dentaid team heading to Uganda in February is expected to see more than 1,000 patients in schools, prisons, orphanages and community clinics and the charity is also working with Ugandan dentists to establish dental clinics in refugee camps on the northern Ugandan border where people have fled from South Sudan. Some of the donated fluoride is being also used for Dentaid’s projects providing dental care for vulnerable and homeless people in the UK.
“We are extremely grateful to both Optident and Ultradent for this valuable donation of fluoride varnish which mean our volunteers and partner dentists will be able to protect thousands of teeth,” said Dentaid’s overseas projects manager Jacqueline James. “Dentaid works in many of the poorest and most remote parts of the world where access to dental care is extremely limited. Therefore, protecting children’s teeth and educating them about oral health is very important.”
Marketing coordinator for Optident Maria Brophy added: “We are proud to donate 2000 units of the popular Enamelast Fluoride Varnish. This will go a small way to help Dentaid’s mission providing much needed dental care for vulnerable communities globally. As both Optident and Ultradent pride themselves on enabling dentists to provide the best level of dental care for patients, our contact with Dentaid is a humble reminder that many people have no access to the most basic dental care. It is a privilege to contribute to an organisation that strives to help those most in need, and we are impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication Dentaid bring to their wide ranging initiatives.”