It’s all smiles after September
Entering the waiting room at a local clinic where dental services are offered, you are welcomed by a chatter of nervously excited patients. Some are here for the first time for a tooth extraction, children have come for fissure sealants, and those who know the procedure are patiently waiting their turn.
In observance of World Oral Health Month which is highlighted annually in September, the importance of good oral health and hygiene at home is vital to ensure that your gums stay healthy, your smile stays bright and your teeth white. The dental team from Knysna/ Bitou were hard at work during September, carrying out outreaches, trying to offer the service to as many people as possible.
“We used to travel to a bigger clinic and the lists were long for dental services.
“Now we have the dentist here every two weeks. This is great,” said Joseph Geolaza from Wittedrift Clinic, who brought his two sons and wife with to the clinic. Geolaza is one of 256 people who made use of dental services in the Knysna/ Bitou district as part of the outreach
programme in September and
25 389 patients in the district for dental visits from January to date.
Five-year-old Akeelah Kamfer gave a nervous smile while sitting with her mom, Jasmine, waiting for her turn with the dentist.
“The service is now on our doorstep – we are grateful for that,” Jasmine said. Dr Dillon Manuel and his team, consisting of dental assistant Felicity Holtzhauzen and oral hygienist Nonstikilelo Khau, had their first outreach to Wittedrift Clinic on 28 September. The service, which was previously only rendered at Kwanokuthula Community Day Centre, has now been extended to smaller rural clinics such as Wittedrift Clinic.
“People had to travel far distances for the service, which cost them a lot of money.
“We were fortunate to get a mobile dental sponsorship through Rotary which carries all our tools in a big case, so it is easy to move around,” Manuel said. He also saw the need for mobile chairs and asked the head office team if they could refurbish some of the older dental chairs for use in smaller clinics. “This was done by adding wheels, which means they can be stored when not in use, thus not using up space when we are not there. We now have four chairs, and together with our mobile dental unit, we can render the service at our smaller clinics as well,” he said. Smaller clinics such as Sedgefield, Keurhoek, Kranshoek and Wittedrift will now enjoy regular visits from the team. The oral hygienist also visits schools where she forms part of the school health programme to promote preventative measures. –