I am writing to propose an engaging dental camp focused on preventive treatment planning and oral health education specifically for school children in Upper Dolpo (Namdu School), Patle ( Bhumesthan Primary School), Madhyapur Thimi (Vinayak Shiksha Niketan). This initiative aims to instill good oral hygiene habits and provide essential dental care, addressing the rising concerns about children’s oral health.
Overview of the Dental Camp
We plan to offer free dental screenings, preventive treatments, and interactive educational sessions tailored for children, fostering a positive attitude towards oral health from a young age.
Objectives
1. Screenings: Conduct free dental check-ups to identify and address early signs of dental issues, such as cavities and gum disease.
2. Preventive Treatment Planning: Develop individualized preventive treatment plans, including fluoride applications and sealants, to protect children’s teeth.
3. Oral Health Education: Provide engaging workshops that teach children about proper brushing and flossing techniques, nutrition’s impact on oral health, and the importance of regular dental visits.
Target
Our primary focus will be on school-going children, particularly those in local schools. By collaborating with educators and parents, we hope to encourage maximum participation and foster a community-wide commitment to oral health.
Collaboration and Support
We seek your partnership in this initiative. Your organization’s support in promoting the camp and providing volunteers or resources would greatly enhance its success. Together, we can create a fun and educational environment prioritising children’s health.
Budget and Funding
Need to discuss& plan with team( Dr. Joanne Richardson- Team Leader, Dr Anne & Dr Rewanta-Supportive dentist , Chhepal Sherpa- Logistic coordinator)
Conclusion
This dental camp represents a valuable opportunity to empower children with knowledge and resources for better oral health. I would appreciate the chance to discuss this proposal further and explore ways to collaborate to make this initiative successful.
Thank you for considering this important initiative for our community’s children. I look forward to your positive response.
Warm regards,
Dr. Rewanta Rajbhandari
Dental Camp Treatments
We try to screen and treat the child in one session; only if a filling or extraction is needed may we need the child to change treatment stations.
We normally operate 3-5 treatment stations. They are either a bench with the operator at one end or the two chair system which works well with small children who are tilted back into the operator’s lap.
The typical situation is that the child has deciduous decay arrested with fluoroplat, the deeply grooved teeth (usually first molars) fissure sealed with Fuji Extra GIC, and all the teeth covered with duraphat fluoride varnish.
Fillings, extractions and scalings are also performed, but the majority of the work is preventive Fluoroplat/GIC/duraphat.
This is very different to the camps we used to run ten years ago where the majority of the time was spent extracting and filling.
In those days we used to target the 8-10 year olds in order to remove/fill the first permanent molar. We now target the 4-6 year old for the same reason, but using fluoroplat to arrest the deciduous decay and prevent it infecting the first molar, along with fissure sealing the first molar as soon as it erupts. Duraphat completes the preventive treatment by varnishing all the teeth with concentrated fluoride.
We still move on to treating the older children and removing any first molars with pulpal involvement. And we fill molars using a micrometer and GIC or ideally amalgam for longevity.
We have to bear in mind that most of the children we see in remote rural parts of Nepal will likely never see a dentist again, or if so it will be as an adult. We have to follow the philosophy of “do no harm” as well as trying to do the most good we can with our limited resources.
After decades of working in the field we believe we have developed a good relatively non-invasive preventive model that works and can be easily taught to our young enthusiastic Nepali dentists.
Dr Joanne Richardson (Australia)
Dr Anne Savary (France)