Dentist helps out Ugandan people
A dentist from Steep has recently returned from a two week visit to Uganda.
Heidi Robinson went out to Uganda to help provide pain relief and basic dental services to local people in the East of the country. During her two week adventure, she helped around two thousand people. Heidi Robinson went out to Uganda in conjunction with the Christian Relief Uganda charity.
In Uganda dental problems are very common and people die from untreated dental conditions, including dental abscesses. As a result, the help of volunteers is extremely valuable.
Heidi Robinson joined forces with a team of volunteers from the UK to set up mobile clinics to help provide treatment and education for people in local villages and communities. Every day there was a queue of patients waiting for the clinic to open and the team of volunteers tried to treat as many patients as possible; on some days, up to 200 people were treated, with most requiring extractions.
Heidi said that the experience was extremely challenging, especially as it was difficult to communicate with the patients because many of them speak little English; however, she said it was immensely rewarding and something she would definitely consider doing again.
Although the team only worked for two weeks, the knowledge they imparted on the local people will help them to improve their oral health and protect their teeth in the future. Many people in Uganda are unaware of the correct way to look after their teeth and as a consequence they suffer from poor oral health.
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