“It felt like returning to my own family. I love how welcoming Grenada is. I returned to help those that couldn’t be seen last year or who needed more help,” shared Dr Sanjukta Mohanta, Toronto based dentist.
Mohanta continued, “The experience has benefitted me because it made me love myself and dentistry more. It reminds me how special it is to have the skill to heal with my hands and heart.”
These free services are facilitated by the US-based, non-profit Great Shape! Inc. in partnership with the Sandals Foundation. During week one of the 1,000 Smiles dental project, 880 individuals benefitted. Some of the services included 473 cleanings, 349 fillings, 330 fluorides, 257 extractions and 252 sealants.
This is in line with statistics from prior years of service according to the 3-time Grenada 1,000 Smiles volunteer and Manager of the Calgary (Alberta, Canada) Community Oral Healthcare Programme, oral hygienist Leanne Rondine. “From the children we saw last year in our sealant clinic, we found that 65% of them had visible decay in their teeth. That is a high percentage, and tooth decay is preventable. So I was very excited to see that so many parents brought their children to the clinic today for sealants, as those can help prevent decay. With the first day of clinics this week we saw a mix of healthy teeth that could be sealed but also some teeth with cavities. And we were also checking if the sealants we placed last year were still there. So far, we have seen a good retention rate- the sealants are doing their job!”
Tooth decay is preventable with better education and discipline with regard to oral health; by simply brushing teeth at least twice a day with a soft toothbrush and toothpaste, flossing and limiting consumption of sweets children and adults can have a smooth oral health journey.
Therefore, oral health education is a focal point for the 1,000 Smiles Clinic/Seal Grenada with volunteers taking time to discuss and advise best practices to patients.
Local lead of the children’s sealant programme (Seal Grenada), dental surgeon, Dr Julie DuBois is grateful and confident in the success of the program because of the assistance of the visiting volunteers to help reach their goal of at least 400 primary school aged children receiving sealants to help protect their precious smiles.
“Our visiting volunteer dentists and hygienists have played a critical role in the success of Seal Grenada. We started last year and some of the dentists and hygienists have made the sacrifice to volunteer again, helping us to coordinate supplies and logistics and even preparing the new first-time volunteers for the mission. They have been a tremendous pillar of support.”
The support and kindness have surely been mutual according to Rondine. “The staff at Sandals have been absolutely fabulous; always welcoming and helpful. And the people in the community have been so gracious to help us at the school and are always so kind. It is a true pleasure to work together for the greater good of the community.”
This final week of 1,000 Smiles Grenada is ongoing for adults and children at the Westerhall Secondary School from 9 am to 3 pm, and for children only, at the Corinth Government School, 9 am to 3 pm, ending on Friday, 30 August.
Sandals Foundation
