Derry Dentists Provide Dental Care for Children from Chernobyl
Dentists from across Derry joined forces to provide dental care for a group of children from Chernobyl.
Dentist Mary Mooney, of Quayside Dental Care, set about organising a team of dentists after she heard that a group of children from Chernobyl were visiting Ireland. Dental practices across the city agreed to help and 25 children received dental care free of charge. The children were visiting as part of the Chernobyl Children’s Project.
Mary Mooney was moved to help, after she heard about the poor standards of dental care in Belarus, where children do not receive regular dental treatment and often treatment is administered without anaesthetic, meaning that trips to the dentist can be very painful.
Each child from the group of 25 was offered two appointments, to allow dentists to carry out an initial examination followed by an appointment to provide any necessary treatment.
Patsy McLaughlin, from the Chernobyl Children’s Project, said that she was overwhelmed by the generosity of Mary Mooney and her colleagues from practices across the city. For many of the children going to the dentist was a daunting prospect because of the lack of anaesthetic in Belarus, however, after they were reassured by dentists and staff from the Children’s Project, many of them were happy to see a dentist.
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