Title

Dental Volunteering Making a difference abroad!

Short synopsis of myself

Hussein Ahmed graduated from Leeds Dental School in 2015. Hussein

currently works as an associate at a NHS practice in Leicester. Whilst at
University, Hussein chaired and co-founded the Open Wide project, which is
a student-led group that works with pupils who are under-represented in
dentistry. (http://www.openwidedentists.co.uk)

The aim of this article is to raise awareness of oral hygiene and inspire fellow
young dentists to volunteer and make a difference wherever it may be. It
describes Husseins involvement in The Gambia and the skills Hussein has
gained, which have been invaluable to his early career development.

Introduction

Gambia, the smallest African country is wedged into surrounding Senegal and
is home to 1.9 million residents. In May this year, I had the opportunity to visit
Gambia for my usual annual trip but this experience was the most rewarding
trip as a young dentist.

The Mission

On 20th May I embarked on a flight to the Gambia with 1000 toothbrushes with
the aim of benefitting as many individuals as I could. Developing nations like
Gambia, dental care is usually non-existent or unaffordable. Toothbrushes and
toothpaste are seen as luxury items, not necessities. The biggest challenge I
faced was how was I to educate individuals where brushing their teeth was
never a priority.

On arrival, I set out an itinerary where over the course of a week I would try to
visit as many schools and Health Centres to benefit as many people as I
could. This would also prove a challenge as 58% of the population lives in
urban towns and villages, as far as several hundred kilometres of the capital,
Banjul.

Over the course of the week, I managed to arrange and visit 6 schools, each
with approximately 500 children attending. Many schools are over subscribed
with children; having a split day with half the children attending from 6am
-12pm, and the following at 12pm-6pm. Many of these children travel over an
hour on foot to attend school everyday and would never see a dentist in their
lives.
Workshops
I was able to organise workshops with these children with the assistance of
the school principles where the workshops had 3 key messages; the
necessity of adequate nutrition, regular oral hygiene and the use of fluoride
products. To help with the instruction of tooth brushing I got involved and
brushed my own teeth, which helped communicate the correct technique to
the Gambian Children. It was also important to educate the teachers as this
was the vital point of reinforcing the message to future generations and reach
out to the masses with such limited resources.

The most memorable part of the trip was travelling over 2.5 hours to a town
called Batabutukontora, where I was able to visit an orphanage. Spending an
afternoon with the children proved to be invaluable as it made me realise that
so many necessities we take for granted like running water, basic food are all
daily struggles, yet they had beaming smiles, facing each day with a new
struggle. Gambias population falls below the overall poverty line and 40% of
the population below the food poverty line.
Gambia is also very culturally diverse, with many ethnic groups some
including Mandinka, Fula, Wolof. The language barrier did prove to be a
challenge however by using non-verbal communication and the use of props,
the toothbrush proved to be universal.

Final Statement

This trip to Gambia was eye opening, not only did I get to divulge into the
various communities, I had most importantly made a difference. This message
will help to instill and develop the habits of regular oral hygiene maintenance
in the youngest children to prevent caries. It made me realise how lucky we
are to have healthcare at our doorsteps. In years to come, I hope to reap the
rewards of seeing each new smile. I would urge any dental professional or
student to take some time out of their busy schedules to reinforce basic oral
hygiene to whoever they can and remember that good dental hygiene is more
than just a beautiful smile.