Report on a dental screening visit to the Bethany Project

Ian Redfearn

General Dental Practitioner, Nelson, England

Whilst in Tanzania, working as a locum with the Bridge2Aid (www.bridge2aid.com) .  I was able to arrange a visit to the Bethany project on Saturday the 8th September 2007.

I went with three main objectives:

• To check as many children’s teeth as possible. This was to be focused on the children that have not been previously seen by a dentist (Simon Earnshaw had undertaken a similar exercise in 2005), followed by any of the children who were a possible cause concern, followed by many other children who the leaders wished me to see.
• Where decay was present in milk teeth and I was able to offer some basic care and preventative treatment.
• Where decay was diagnosed in secondary permanent teeth arrangements were to be made that these children to be seen at the Hope Dental Clinic in Mwanza.

Of the children, that were seen, active decay in milk teeth was noted and treated in six children and decay was noted in secondary teeth in just two children.  In addition active decay was noted in the majority of the adult workers with extensive problems in a number of cases. Arrangements have been put in place to see these individuals in Mwanza.

The vast majority of children have very healthy mouths. I would expect to see far more decay in a similar cross-section of children in East Lancashire!  I would attribute this low decay experience to the healthy diet being provided, which would appear to be low in refined sugars. My overall impression was that these are healthy, well looked after children.

I was made to feel very welcome by Eliada and the team, and I was looked after very well.  The children were a delight to meet! I was left with an overall impression of this being a happy and well looked after community.