By Kudzaishe Chimonera
More than 700 people have received free dental treatment in Victoria Falls as part of a community outreach programme led by CIMAS in partnership with Smilestar.
The initiative, which began on 9 March, is aimed at bringing essential oral health services to communities with limited access to dental care.
Now in its second edition, the outreach started in Victoria Falls before moving to Miombo Safari Camp in Hwange. The team is expected to travel to Matobo District next where the programme will conclude.
Speaking during the outreach in Hwange, CIMAS Health Group Head of Dental Clinics Dr Alan Guru said the turnout in Victoria Falls had been overwhelming with hundreds of people seeking treatment within three days.
“We started in Victoria Falls where we attended to over 700 people over a period of three clinical days, which was much higher than what we did last year,” said Dr Guru.
He said the programme had helped relieve many people suffering from untreated dental problems.
“We’re excited that we were able to get all these people out of pain and treated, and we are looking forward to doing the same thing here at Miombo Safari Camp,” he said.
The outreach team will spend two days in Hwange before heading to Matobo District, where services will be offered at Ethandweni Children’s Home and later at Matobo Mission Clinic.
Dr Guru said the initiative is also meant to raise awareness about the importance of oral health and encourage better dental care practices.
“A happy mouth is a happy life. That’s the message we are spreading as dentists and oral healthcare providers the world over,” he said.
According to Dr Guru, tooth decay has been the most common condition treated during the outreach, particularly among children.
“The main cases that we have seen are to do with tooth decay, particularly in young children,” he said.
Some patients required tooth extractions due to severe decay, while others were treated with fillings that could have been avoided with earlier intervention.
“We’ve taken out a few teeth that otherwise should have been saved and we’ve done a lot of fillings that we would not have needed to do if the problem had been prevented from the beginning,” he said.
Dr Guru urged communities to make use of the free services being offered and to promote better oral hygiene practices.
“Please join us, come get free treatment, play your part by spreading the message and educate the next person on how to take care of their teeth. Let’s prevent dental caries,” he said.
