Two members of a community dental team from Northern Ireland are preparing to travel thousands of miles to Morocco and provide much needed dental care and dental supplies for the local population.
Jennifer Woods and her colleague Sarah Thornton-Roe work for the South Eastern Trust Community Dental Team across four sites - Bangor, Downpatrick, Lisburn and Newtownards.
The Community Dental Service looks after those who, because of their special care needs, are unable to attend a family dentist, such as people with learning or physical disabilities, the elderly and housebound.
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The team also provides valuable insights and practical tips on various aspects of dental care, including the benefits of regular brushing and flossing, the importance of routine dental check-ups, dietary advice for maintaining healthy teeth and gums and guidance on preventing common dental issues such as cavities and gum disease.
This April they will be joining an amazing team of volunteers providing essential dental care and education to children in remote areas of Morocco. Many of these children live without access to basic dental health services, suffering pain and discomfort that can affect their overall well-being and quality of life.
They’re currently fundraising for the trip to Morocco with a UK charity called Dental Mavericks, which has been providing free dental care and oral health education to vulnerable communities there since 2010, helping take people out of pain and promoting better long-term health.
Canadian-native Jennifer told Belfast Live: "We’ll be volunteering with them on their next trip, leaving on April 5 for a week where we'll be helping to deliver much-needed dental relief to remote areas. Dental Mavericks provides dental care to the local population and dental stock and equipment for future use. Their long-term aim in future years is to help fund a dental clinic for Dental Mavericks beneficiaries in the Rif Mountains.
"We'll travel to Morocco as part of a team delivering: vital dental treatments to children who need it most; education on dental hygiene to improve long-term health and relief to communities where access to care is scarce.
"It's quite full on, focusing on primary school children and seeing 1,000 in the week. It's really focused on prevention and education and making sure people aren't living with dental pain. This is by far my biggest adventure to date but together, we can bring smiles, relief, and hope to children who need it most."
You can support Jennifer and Sarah on their trip here.
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