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  • Projects
    The Dental Wellness Trust focuses on the preservation and protection of dental health for the public benefit by:

    (a) Providing oral health education programmes for children;

    (b) Providing oral health education programmes for the elderly,

    (c) Sharing information and disseminating good practice amongst dental health practitioners.

    The Dental Wellness Trust will partner with a number of established charities – recognized for their work and with an infrastructure already in place – to help develop its projects and provide sustainable preventative oral health education strategies to help those in need in the UK and abroad.

  • Thema von zarite im Forum ***news***news***news*...

    Are you Coming to Cape Town for the for IADR/AMER General Session in June? Why not take the opportunity and participate in making a real change?

    Cape Town is surrounded by crowded townships in which more than one million people live in poverty, also suffering from very poor oral health. The Dental Wellness Trust has initiated an ongoing program that involves instructing teachers to educate children about good nutrition and hand washing, and implementing a supervised tooth-brushing program in schools. The Dental Wellness Trust is now inviting IADR delegates to see its work first hand in the township of Khayelitsha, just 20 minutes from Cape Town and to volunteer (for registered dentists and oral hygienists to perform essential preventive and primary dental procedures on the children).

    ABOUT US:
    The Dental Wellness Trust is a London-based registered charity promoting dental wellness to less fortunate communities in the UK and abroad through innovative oral health education programs.

    The Dental Wellness Trust focuses on the preservation and protection of dental health for the public benefit by:

    Providing oral health education programmes for children;
    Providing oral health education programmes for the elderly; and
    Sharing information and disseminating good practice amongst dental health practitioners.

    For more information, see this video titled "Introducing the Dental Wellness Trust." Click here to view some more information on the mission of the Dental Wellness Trust.

    VOLUNTEER OBJECTIVES:
    The group will be led by IADR members, Dr. Linda Greenwall and Dr. Alon Livny, who lead the Dental Wellness Trust project team. Over the course of one morning, volunteers will visit a selection of schools in the township of Khayelitsha. They will have the opportunity to observe the supervised tooth brushing program and perform procedures in mobile dental clinics.

    Visit and tour the Township of Khayelitsha.
    Meet and discuss the dental research project with representatives from the Dental Wellness Trust, local non-governmental organization (NGO) leaders.
    Visit schools involved in the tooth-brushing program.
    Perform clinical treatments and preventative measures as far as practically and ethically possible.* (optional)

    SCHEDULE: (Subject to change)

    Tuesday, June 24, 2014
    8 a.m. Departure from official IADR hotels to Khayelitsha.
    8:45 a.m. Welcome and Introduction of the project by Drs. Linda Greenwall and Alon Livny.
    9 a.m. Visit participating sites; see supervised tooth-brushing in action; talk to local teachers.
    11 a.m. Treatment of children using mobile dental units.
    12 a.m. Early transport back to Cape Town hotels or optional on-going treatment of children.
    3:30 p.m. Return transportation to Cape Town hotels.

    Wednesday, June 25, 2014

    8 a.m. Departure from official IADR hotels to Khayelitsha.
    8:45 a.m. Treatment of children using mobile dental units.
    12 p.m. Transport back to Cape Town hotels.

    VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS:

    For those interested only to see, but not in clinical involvement – you need only to register. For those who are also interested in clinical volunteering - depending on local regulations, application and nominal fee may be required. The exact terms and requirements are currently being negotiated, which will be later explained in further detail for interested volunteers.


    Email: info@dentalwellnesstrust.org for more information and to register as a volunteer, or click here to complete the online form.

    NOTE: Nominal fees will apply for those who choose to perform dental procedures. Details will be provided by the Dental Wellness Trust.

  • Supporting charitable dentistryDatum13.05.2014 15:51
    Foren-Beitrag von zarite im Thema Supporting charitable dentistry
  • Supporting charitable dentistryDatum13.05.2014 15:51
    Thema von zarite im Forum The Bridge2Aid Dental...

    Dentisan is delighted to have accepted an invitation from international dental charity Bridge2aid to become a corporate friend.

    As a long-standing supporter of the charity’s work Dentisan has recently made a sizeable donation that will help with Bridge2aid’s dental training programmes in the Mwanza region of Tanzania.

    This money makes possible the continued training of rural-based health workers, who provide safe access to dental pain relief for thousands of disadvantaged people who would otherwise face a lifetime in pain with no hope of treatment.

    Bob Newsome, commercial director at Dentisan commented: 'Dentisan is proud to support the incredible work that Bridge2aid are doing in east Africa.

    'Becoming a corporate friend further strengthens our relationship with the charity and allows us to deepen our involvement in the work that they do to help those currently the facing the toughest of life circumstances.'

    Dentisan has supported Bridge2aid for a number of years, building up a great relationship with the charity.

    Now, by becoming one of just six corporate friends, they are looking forward to building on this relationship and hoping to become more involved in the work of the charity.

  • Urgent appeal for help from Bridge2AidDatum03.05.2014 01:04
    Thema von zarite im Forum The Bridge2Aid Dental...

    Bridge2Aid, the charity, needs to raise at least £50,000 before the end of March 2014 to ensure its vital work can continue.

    Due to circumstances beyond Bridge2Aid’s (B2A) control, the charity needs to raise at least £50,000 before 31st March 2014 to ensure its vital work can continue.

    In the past few months B2A has been the victim of high level organised financial fraud, as well as losing a significant amount of funding when a major grant was reduced at the last minute as a result of the current economy.

    Without this much-needed funding there is a very real threat to Bridge2Aid’s planned work of delivering vital emergency dentistry to more than 3 million people over the next 3 years.

    Commenting on Bridge2Aid’s current situation, Mark Topley, CEO, said: ‘Please forgive the direct nature of this appeal but we need your help, and we need it now. Without this funding B2A will be unable to continue its work in east Africa or anywhere else. The urgency of this appeal cannot be overstated and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any help you can give us.’

    Bridge2Aid is asking for individual and private donations in units of £40, £80 and £100 that, with Gift Aid, will total £50, £111 and £133, respectively. In addition, the charity is asking people to spread the word of this need within their community.



    You can make a donation in the following ways:

    By visiting the following page on B2A's website: www.bridge2aid.org/urgentappeal
    Online via their Justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/B2Aurgentappeal
    By cheque made payable to ‘Bridge2Aid’ and posted to Bridge2Aid, Well House, The Chipping, Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire. GL12 7AD
    By calling 0845 8509877

  • Support pledged to Bridge2aidDatum03.05.2014 01:03
    Foren-Beitrag von zarite im Thema Support pledged to Bridge2aid
  • Support pledged to Bridge2aidDatum03.05.2014 01:03
    Thema von zarite im Forum The Bridge2Aid Dental...

    Dentisan has announced it has become one of the major sponsors of the latest project by Bridge2aid.

    The support from Dentisan has helped Bridge2aid move its existing dental practice in Mwanza, Tanzania into new, larger premises.

    Hope Dental Centre is Bridge2aid’s fully-equipped dental clinic in the busy centre of Mwanza.

    It operates on a unique self-funding basis, providing a wide range of high quality dental services at affordable prices to all members of the Mwanza community, including local residents and ex-pats.

    All the centre's running costs, including the dentists' capped salaries, are met from the fees charged, and all profits made from providing these services go towards the administrative costs of Bridge2aid.

    Hope Dental Centre is currently based in the business centre of a hotel, and having no control over the premises, is now in a condition where it is no longer fit-for-purpose.

    Bridge2aid has been given the opportunity to move to new premises just outside Mwanza town centre in the up-and-coming Isamilo area.

    Its aim is to completely refurbish the premises to be able to provide a safe, healthy and welcoming environment, which in turn will help to attract more patients and increase the volume of fee-paying treatments, thus increasing the centre’s contribution to Bridge2aid.

    Work is already underway on the refurbishment and the first container carrying vital equipment from the UK is on its way to Mwanza and should arrive in mid-May.

    Dentisan look forward to following the progress of this important project that will result in increasing funds for Bridge2aid’s work in developing nations around the world.

  • Thema von zarite im Forum ***news***news***news*...

    The average density of dentists to head of population in Africa is 1 to 150,000

    Low expenditure on dental health in developing countries severely undermines oral care

    Geneva, 25 February 2014 – FDI World Dental Federation has identified the most serious challenges facing developing countries in South America, Africa, and Asia in their pursuit of optimal oral health. They include poor access to adequate care, lack of quality dental materials at an affordable price and insufficient investment in dental care.

    The figures are stark: the average density of dentists to head of population in Africa is 1 to 150,000; in industrialized countries, the average is 1 to 5,000. In Ethiopia, the lack of access is even more dramatic with a density of only 1 dentist per 1 million people. This information derives from the Oral Health Atlas developed by FDI World Dental Federation, which provides a clear picture of dental health around the world[1].

    Even in countries with fast growing populations of dentists, unequal access to dental care is a major obstacle to optimal oral health. India registers some 20,000 new dental graduates each year, yet there are still not enough dentists to adequately deal with the population’s needs. Brazil has a high proportion of dentists but they tend to remain in urban areas, leaving vast rural areas, without enough qualified dental practitioners to meet the needs of the population.

    The problem is compounded by economic and social inequalities, which force many new graduates to seek work abroad or to move to urban areas in search of a better life and better professional opportunities. The result: large swathes of population lack proper assistance to meet their oral health needs.

    “Developing countries face great challenges in their quest for optimal oral care.” stated Dr. Tin Chun Wong, FDI President, “Oral health is integral to general health and a basic human right, and we must ensure cost-effective solutions become available to all. Promoting better research and obtaining valid data will help us achieve this objective.”

    Oral diseases
    The damage to oral health due to poor access to care is exacerbated by the fact that many developing countries are disproportionally affected by a number of oral diseases. For example, an estimated 140,000 people, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Asia, are affected by Noma, a neglected, deadly and disfiguring disease of poverty affecting mainly children. The combination of high risk of oral disease and low access to care, results in many patients not getting adequate treatment in time. In the case of Noma, this can result in an 80% mortality rate.

    For other oral diseases, which could be identified and treated during routine check-ups, the delay in access means that when many patients are finally able to visit their local dentist, it is often too late and only one option remains: tooth extraction. This can become up to 90% of dental work in countries such as Tanzania, where the lack of access to qualified oral health care is a prominent issue.

    About FDI
    FDI World Dental Federation serves as the principal representative body for more than one million dentists worldwide, developing health policy and continuing education programmes, speaking as a unified voice for dentistry in international advocacy, and supporting member associations in global oral health promotion activities. Over the years, it has developed programmes, initiatives, campaigns, policies and congresses, always with a view to occupying a space that no other not-for-profit group can claim.

    FDI works at national and international level through its own activities and those of its member dental associations. It is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) and a member of the World Health Professionals Alliance (WHPA).

    For more information, visit: www.fdiworldental.org

    About World Oral Health Day
    World Oral Health Day is celebrated every year on 20th March. The theme of World Oral Health Day 2014 is ‘Celebrating Healthy Smiles’. It reflects the major contribution oral health makes to our lives. Around the world, FDI member dental associations, schools, companies and other groups will celebrate the day with events organized under this single, unifying and simple message.

    For more information, visit: www.worldoralhealthday.org
    - See more at: http://www.fdiworldental.org/media/press...h.gtlBmYEP.dpuf

  • 1.

    Dental caries in twelve- and fifteen-year-olds: results from the basic oral health survey in Haiti.

    Psoter WJ, Saint Jean HL, Morse DE, Prophte SE, Joseph JR, Katz RV.

    J Public Health Dent. 2005 Fall;65(4):209-14.

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    Bajomo AS, Rudolph MJ, Ogunbodede EO.

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    Alonge OK, Narendran S.

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    National survey of oral health status of children and adults in Turkey.

    Gökalp SG, Doğan BG, Tekçiçek MT, Berberoğlu A, Unlüer S.

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    Oral health comparisons between children attending an Aboriginal health service and a Government school dental service in a regional location.

    Parker EJ, Jamieson LM.

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    Dental caries experience of Kuwaiti schoolchildren.

    Al-Mutawa SA, Shyama M, Al-Duwairi Y, Soparkar P.

    Community Dent Health. 2006 Mar;23(1):31-6.

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    Evidence for dental caries decline among children in an East European country (Hungary).

    Szöke J, Petersen PE.

    Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2000 Apr;28(2):155-60.

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    Examination of three different methods of dental caries scoring during eruption of the premolar and second molar teeth in 10- to 13-year-old children using cross-sectional data.

    Acevedo AM, Rojas-Sanchez F, Fischman S, Kaufman H, Kleinberg I, Rivera LE.

    J Clin Dent. 2007;18(4):95-100.

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    Astroth J, Berg R, Berkey D, McDowell J, Hamman R, Mann J.

    Int Dent J. 1998 Jun;48(3):203-9.

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    The prevalence of dental caries among 12 to 15-year-old school children in Nigeria: report of a local survey and campaign.

    Okeigbemen SA.

    Oral Health Prev Dent. 2004;2(1):27-31.

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    Dental caries prevalence of twelve year olds in Puerto Rico.

    Elías-Boneta AR, Crespo Kebler K, Gierbolini CC, Toro Vizcarrondo CE, Psoter WJ.

    Community Dent Health. 2003 Sep;20(3):171-6.

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    Oral health inequalities in preschool children in North-Eastern Italy as reflected by caries prevalence.

    Ferro R, Besostri A, Meneghetti B, Olivieri A, Benacchio L, Tabaccanti S, Mazzoleni S, Favero G, Stellini E.

    Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2007 Mar;8(1):13-8.

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    Dental caries experience of children in Northland/Te Tai Tokerau.

    Gowda S S, Thomson W, Foster Page LA, Croucher NA.

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    Dental caries status and treatment needs of 12-13-year-old children in Sichuan Province, southwestern China.

    Lo EC, Holmgren CJ, Hu DY, Wan HC.

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    National Pathfinder survey of 12-year-old Children's Oral Health in Italy.

    Campus G, Solinas G, Cagetti MG, Senna A, Minelli L, Majori S, Montagna MT, Reali D, Castiglia P, Strohmenger L.

    Caries Res. 2007;41(6):512-7. Epub 2007 Nov 8.

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    Int Dent J. 2002 Dec;52(6):453-60.

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    Declerck D, Leroy R, Martens L, Lesaffre E, Garcia-Zattera MJ, Vanden Broucke S, Debyser M, Hoppenbrouwers K.

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    Dental caries status and treatment needs of the permanent dentition of 6-12-year-olds in Hong Kong.

    Lo EC, Evans RW, Lind OP.

    Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1990 Feb;18(1):9-11.

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    The dental caries experience of 11-year-old children in Great Britain. Surveys coordinated by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry in 2004 / 2005.

    Pitts NB, Boyles J, Nugent ZJ, Thomas N, Pine CM.

    Community Dent Health. 2006 Mar;23(1):44-57.

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  • Thema von zarite im Forum Haiti

    J Public Health Dent. 2005 Fall;65(4):209-14.
    Dental caries in twelve- and fifteen-year-olds: results from the basic oral health survey in Haiti.
    Psoter WJ1, Saint Jean HL, Morse DE, Prophte SE, Joseph JR, Katz RV.
    Author information
    Abstract
    OBJECTIVE:

    Reports on oral health investigations in Haiti are sparse. There are only three peer-reviewed published articles on oral health in Haiti. In order to construct a national dataset useful for public health planning, a representative dental caries survey of Haitian school attending children was conducted in 1999.
    METHODS:

    This survey was conducted using a modified version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Basic Oral Health Survey (BOHS) pathfinder method. Children ages 12 and 15 years old attending public or private schools in both rural and urban regions were targeted in seven of the nine geographic Departments of Haiti: each Department constituted a strata that was further stratified into the major urban center and one or more rural towns. Four trained examiners, calibrated to WHO caries criteria, conducted the survey
    RESULTS:

    Of the total 1,218 examined 12- and 15-year-olds, 31% of the 12-year-olds and 46% of the 15-year-olds had a DMFS of 1 or more, i.e., these percentages are the simple prevalence levels of dental caries for those age groups in Haiti. Mean DMFS scores were 1.01 (SE 0.09) and 2.52 (SE 0.02) for the 12- and 15-year-olds, respectively. No difference was observed between gender, while differences were found by geographical classification. Less than 1% of the children had any dental restorations.
    CONCLUSIONS:

    The findings from this investigation suggest that at the population level, permanent dentition caries in early adolescence is a minimal health problem, relative to dental caries in other neighboring Caribbean countries, as well as to other health conditions in Haiti. However, at the individual level, those children afflicted with decay are without dental services for all practical purposes.

  • Thema von zarite im Forum Haiti

    Hundreds of students clad in blue checkered uniforms sit in their school’s chapel. It’s a Friday afternoon and the 90-degree weather and impending weekend doesn’t make any of them flinch at this mountain top school in Haiti’s Central Plateau. In fact, they sit in heavy silence as a pair of Haitian dentists volunteering for the U.S. nonprofit, Tabasamu, shows them gruesome images of rotting teeth.

    If the graphic images disturb them, the kids don't show it. Rather, many hold their gaze at the pulpit -- they are genuinely curious. With only one dentist for every 10,000 Haitians, and the majority practicing in Port-Au-Prince, few have ever been to a dentist or owned a toothbrush.

    Like so many problems the country faces, nonprofits like Tabasamu step in to fill the gap.

    “Periodontal disease and tooth decay are the most easily preventable diseases on the planet,” Dr. Trey Wilson, 54, a New York City dentist and Tabasamu founder says. “It’s a quality of life issue.”

    Tabasamu, which means smile in Swahili, is one of the few aid organizations in Haiti that addresses dental health education. And in a nation riddled with cases of cholera, tuberculosis, HIV, malnutrition and chronic poverty -- dental hygiene might not seem that important.

    “Dental health is part of the whole complex of health. They’re not separated, they’re integrated,” Wilson says.

    Dr. Lesly Day Joseph, 27, agrees. The Haitian dentist and Tabasamu volunteer points to how gum disease can increase the likelihood of HIV transmission through kissing and how tooth loss can contribute to malnutrition. Dental infection also leads to blood-borne diseases and heart attacks, he adds.

    Wilson, who initially provided free dental services to rural populations in Haiti and Kenya, was recognized as a CNN Hero for his work in 2007.

    The long lineups of adults and children waiting at his countryside clinics became opportunities to teach the basics of tooth care, he says. He came to see education as a more effective approach than the limited number of cases he could treat. Within a couple years, his organization’s mission shifted to solely focusing on free dental health education.

    “We saw other organizations doing clinical work but none doing dental health,” Wilson adds.

    Dr. Elie Joseph, 26, a Haitian dentist who runs a mobile dental clinic sees this need firsthand. “They think there is a worm underneath the tooth that causes cavities,” he says describing the mindset of some of his patients.

    Tabasamu, which brings volunteers to Haiti once a year, has Haitian and American dentists perform educational puppet shows and demonstrations at schools and host separate workshops for teachers. They are taught what causes cavities, what foods to eat, and how to brush their teeth.

    “Everybody knows they need to brush before saying ‘good morning’ to people,” Dr. Lesly Joseph, says describing how Haitian culture approaches personal hygiene. “But some of them neglect to brush before sleeping, now they know it's important.”

    Since the 2010 earthquake, there are roughly 300 dentists in Haiti, according to Dr. Samuel E. Prophète, president of the Haiti Dental Association. Dental insurance doesn’t exist in Haiti. Most dentists practice privately in Port-au-Prince, providing care to less than one percent of the population, according to the most recent WHO basic oral health survey conducted in 1999.

    “There’s no dental policy from the Ministry of Health,” Dr. Lesly Day Joseph explains. Without a nationwide approach to dental care and the inability to visit needy rural communities due to the country’s poor infrastructure, Joseph hosts two radio shows where he tells listeners how to take care of their teeth.

    Dr. Elie Joseph takes a different approach. Thanks to a $10,000 grant he received last year, Joseph and his four colleagues travel to rural towns offering cleanings, fillings, extractions and fluoride treatments on a sliding scale basis. In one year his clinic has served 3,000 people, he said.

    Despite their country’s challenges, the young dentists remain optimistic and see a future for themselves in Haiti.

    “In dental school we are examples for some people,” Dr. Elie Joseph says describing how efforts like his and Dr. Lesly Joseph’s are perceived. “I’d like to stay in Port-Au-Prince and show the Haitian people it is possible to succeed in life.”

  • Haiti Health InitiativeDatum01.05.2014 23:45
    Foren-Beitrag von zarite im Thema Haiti Health Initiative
  • Haiti Health InitiativeDatum01.05.2014 23:44
    Thema von zarite im Forum Haiti

    Haiti Health Initiative focuses on improving the overall quality of life for rural Haitians in more than just primary healthcare. Medical care alone is perhaps one of the least important elements in a plan to improve community health and status. Thus, in addition to providing medical, dental, and ophthalmological services and training, HHI also works read more

    The need for quality dental care in rural Haiti is great. Infection, lack of dental education, and poor overall preventative care are prevalent among the people of Timo because they do not have regular access to dental treatment and preventative dental services.

    The goals of the HHI dental team are to eliminate dental pain and infection in patients through extractions or fillings, to educate locals in proper oral hygiene, and to provide preventative treatments for as many people as time and resources allow. Most especially, HHI is committed to improving and expanding its preventative care program, which currently provides sealants, dental cleaning, fluoride varnish, oral hygiene education, and providing hygiene supplies (such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss).

    We continually work toward our goal that one day we may be mainly providing maintenance and teaching prevention rather than performing extractions and treating infections. To accomplish this, we are addressing the lack of local dental care by providing scholarships for promising Haitians interested in dentistry and supporting positions. It is only through this endeavor that the dental landscape in Haiti can change sustainably from within.

    HHI does not give free handouts; instead, we focus on teaching principles and making permanent changes so that one day, the local people will no longer need our help. Make a major difference in the lives of others and donate to our dental projects and scholarships now.

  • Thema von zarite im Forum Haiti

    NYU Alum Assists Oral Health Coalition of Haiti (OHOH) in Addressing Post-Earthquake Disaster Relief Needs
    Since 2005, NYUCD and the University of Haiti School of Dentistry have been engaged in an informal collaboration, known as the NYUCD-University of Haiti Collaborative Research Program, which jointly researches oral health conditions in Haiti to collect the necessary oral health data needed to help the island nation’s government plan effective oral health programs for the future. This has the added goal of building a cadre of epidemiologists who are qualified to conduct future oral health research on the island. Further strengthening this link is NYUCD’s recent donation of 19 dental chairs to the University of Haiti School of Dentistry, bringing the number of dental chairs donated by NYUCD to Haiti in the past three years to a total of 46.

    In the immediate aftermath of the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti, which killed 220,000 Haitians, chaos and fear on this island nation were tangible. Most severely hit was Haiti’s capital and largest city, Port-au-Prince. Haiti’s President appealed for international aid after dozens of aftershocks ensued, stating, “Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed.”

    Although the University of Haiti School of Dentistry did not suffer damage, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) recognized the need to immediately pursue disaster relief activities related to oral health, as well as intermediate-recovery range plans and long-term sustainability plans.

    To that end, PAHO’s Regional Advisor for Oral Health, Dr. Saskia Estupian-Day, assembled the Oral Health Coalition of Haiti (OHOH) as a PAHO-led group. The coalition included PAHO, the PAHO Foundation, the University of Haiti School of Dentistry, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Federation Dentaire International (FDI), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the American Dental Association (ADA), the National Dental Association (NDA), the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), the Latin American Dental Association (FOLA), the Haitian Dental Association, the US Public Health Service, Alpha Omega Foundation, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, the University of Maryland, the Kornberg School of Dental Medicine at Temple University among others.

    NYUCD's Dr. Walter Psoter, Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Health Promotion, who has spent years investigating the impact of early childhood malnutrition on the development and diseases of the permanent dentition of teenagers in rural Haiti, was chosen to lead the effort of an OHOH subcommittee to produce a written report laying out detailed plans to address post-earthquake disaster relief efforts. Over the course of a long weekend, the subcommittee -- consisting of Dr. Jean Lafond, Dean of the University of Haiti School of Dentistry; Dr. Samuel Prophete, President of the Haitian Dental Association, Vice Dean for Research Affairs at the University of Haiti School of Dentistry, and a former Visiting Professor at NYUCD; Dr. Christina Lafontant, a PAHO consultant in Haiti and a 2008 graduate of NYU’s MPH in Global Public Health Program (oral health concentration); and Dr. Ralph V. Katz, Professor and Chair of NYUCD’s Department of Epidemiology & Health Promotion, who organized the subcommittee -- produced a comprehensive, 29-page report.

    Via weekly phone teleconferences, the subcommittee members and all OHOH members continue to focus on providing for the short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term sustainability oral health needs in Port-au-Prince, as well as in the post-earthquake intra-Haiti diaspora, which resulted in 500,000 Haitians leaving Port-au-Prince and returning to their home villages across Haiti.

    NYUCD’s news magazine, Global Health Nexus, recently interviewed Dr. Lafontant about her role in the disaster relief efforts. Dr. Lafontant, a native of Haiti, participated in epidemiological research in Haiti under Dr. Psoter’s tutelage. That experience motivated her to apply to NYU’s MPH in Global Public Health Program. Following the earthquake, Dr. Lafontant was appointed by PAHO as their onsite OHOH Team Leader.

    Interview with Dr. Christina Lafontant, Oral Health Coalition of Haiti Team Leader

    Global Health Nexus (GHN): When did you become a PAHO consultant?

    Dr. Lafontant: I first provided services as a PAHO consultant approximately one year ago, when I was invited to help coordinate Haiti’s participation in the Oral Health Workshop for the Region of the Americas. My task was to design an oral health program for Haitian school children.

    Following the terrible earthquake of January 12, 2010, the most powerful to hit Haiti in 200 years, the PAHO oral health program felt the need to contribute to the overall emergency relief efforts in Haiti. At that time, the PAHO Bureau in Haiti had a very limited capacity to evaluate and address the oral health needs of the community. So I was brought back on board to serve as the Oral Health Coalition of Haiti Team Leader because of my background both as a dentist and a public health specialist who had experience working with PAHO and had an understanding of the community’s oral health needs following the earthquake.

    GHN: What are your duties as Oral Health Coalition of Haiti Team Leader?

    Dr. Lafontant: Essentially, I am the point person for helping to address oral health needs in post-earthquake Haiti. I assist in planning, implementing, and evaluating OHOH activities for aid relief to the oral health community and participate in meetings and discussions with key people on the ground in Haiti who have made an impact on the oral health system or have the potential to do so.

    GHN: What are some of the activities outlined in the OHOH subcommittee report regarding plans to address post-earthquake disaster relief needs?

    Dr. Lafontant: First, let me commend all the members with whom I collaborated to produce the report: Dr. Katz, Dr. Lafond, Dr. Prophete, and Dr. Psoter. Dr. Psoter’s experience in disaster relief was particularly instrumental in devising plans to address the immediate and long-term population needs in oral health care and services in Haiti.

    Below are some of the activities we outlined:


    Immediate disaster relief activities, including emergency healthcare provisions for trauma and infections in locations hit by the earthquake, along with plans to quickly expand these activities to areas to which populations have migrated;


    Intermediate recovery range plans, including recovery and rehabilitation plans such as sealants in the camps, institutional partnerships to strengthen the capacity of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other oral health sites to deliver oral health services though the work of volunteers;

    Long-term sustainability plans, including strengthening the University of Haiti School of Dentistry’s curriculum in areas such as emergency and disaster training for dentists and creation of a dental auxiliary training program.


    GHN: What is the status of oral health needs assessment in Haiti?

    Dr. Lafontant: We have completed a needs assessment for NGOs providing oral health services in Port-au-Prince and will go on to conduct a similar assessment for both public and private dental health facilities in other areas of the country. This is important in order to allocate resources efficiently.

    GHN: What are some areas in which you hope to work with NYUCD in the future?

    Dr. Lafontant: I hope to be able to work with NYUCD in strengthening Haiti’s ability to update the University of Haiti School of Dentistry’s curriculum, broaden its clinical services provision, and build research capacity in areas including population-based research and social and behavioral research related to oral health.

  • HVO ORAL HEALTHDatum25.03.2014 16:31
    Foren-Beitrag von zarite im Thema HVO ORAL HEALTH
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