Retired Dentist Devotes His Time To Working In Developing Countries
Most people like to relax and devote their time to hobbies and interests in their retirement, but not David Daniels. The retired dentist from Ringwood has dedicated most of his retirement to providing dental care to people living in developing countries.
David has recently returned from his latest trip after spending just over a month in East Timor. The trip was organised by Dentaid and the Rotary Club and David was part of a team of six volunteers. The aim of the trip was to provide basic dental treatment and training for volunteers, which will enable them to pass on advice and information about oral health and perform very basic procedures.
David, who is 77, likes to keep busy and was determined to carry on using his knowledge and skills to good effect. He thoroughly enjoys the charity trips, although they can be very tiring and distressing and finds them hugely rewarding.
The major obstacle on the East Timor trip was the language barrier, with most of the trainees only speaking very limited English.
David and his team arrived with a wheelie bin filled with dental supplies and equipment and they were able to treat almost 300 people during their stay and provide training for many students, who learned a lot in a short space of time.
With guidance and teaching from the team, the students and volunteers will now be able to use their skills to provide thousands of people with dental care and this will make a huge difference.
During his retirement, David has also visited Mongolia, Ethiopia and Brazil. Before retiring, he worked in Bournemouth for more than 40 years.
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