TWO junior dentists are so dedicated to their work they travelled 4,000 miles to help schoolchildren living in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Now Sarah Pick and Aoife Swain have thanked the supporters who made their trip possible.
The pair gave up 10 days to support
a charitable programme which takes dental volunteers to a remote area of Northern India every year.
a charitable programme which takes dental volunteers to a remote area of Northern India every year.
Sarah said: "We were based at five different clinics in the region. The outreach centre at Diskit was really remote — 3,000 metres up into the Himalayas. For the children there this was often the first time they had seen a dentist."
— 3,000 metres up into the Himalayas. For the children there this was often the first time they had seen a dentist."
The Amchi are Buddhist nuns who are the local healthcare providers in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. Due to the mountainous terrain, extreme weather and altitudes exceeding 3,500m, the majority of the population can't access healthcare for much of the year.
healthcare for much of the year.
There are only four dentists in the area, which is almost the size of Britain with a population of 180,000, so the programme aims to not only train the nuns in basic dental care so they can support the rest of the remote community, but also educate as many people — especially children — as possible about the basics of good oral health.
During their time in India, the group saw almost 800 children and teachers, passing on hand hygiene, oral hygiene skills and diet advice.
"I really enjoyed treating them and I hope that we have passed on skills for life," Sarah added. "It was simple things, but those can have a great impact."
The volunteers also provided treatment for the children that needed it, setting up separate drilling, filling, scaling, fluoride and fissure sealant stations so they could treat the maximum amount every day.
Aoife and Sarah, who are both in their second year as foundation dentists, spent money they raised ahead of their trip on basic equipment such as toothbrushes, toothpastes dental materials and burs to remove the decay, as well as educational materials.
Sarah and Aoife thanked the patients and visitors at the Resource Centre by putting up a display of photographs of their young patients receiving treatment.
Sarah added: "Personally I thought it was a very beneficial experience. I would like to thank everyone who supported us on this journey."
Source: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Junior-dentists-Morriston-Neath-Port-Talbot/story-28035883-detail/story.html#ixzz3pJz3STYq
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