A dentist in a floating hospital helping those most in need

Whim Ships operates the planet's largest floating civilian medical center, the Africa Mercy, which supplies free, life-saving healthcare to countries in which the services of professional healthcare staff are most required. Africa Mercy is presently docked in Madagascar where its crew in excess of 440 volunteers from more than 40 nations is delivering free healthcare and education.

Dental treatment, is a key a part of Mercy Ships work because dental services are almost non-existent within the countries they visit. This really is particularly the case for Madagascar where you will find only 57 qualified dentists to deal with a population of twenty two million.

Glasgow-based dentist, Alisa Malone, reflected about the three months she invested volunteering on-board the The african continent Mercy in Madagascar:

"The very first time I saw the dental care screening queue was a large shock. There were over 400 people waiting to end up being screened, hoping to be among the lucky 150 selected for dental care. Due to the large demand and shortage associated with dentists and time, we'd to select those within greatest need. This occurred every Monday and Thurs, and many people might return numerous times until these were chosen. scottsdale dentist

"When I first found its way to Madagascar, witnessing the degree of dental neglect was very hard. It sadly goes together with extreme poverty. Dental hygiene isn't something which is very high on the list of priorities and several just can't afford dental care, or medical, treatment. The patients I handled in Madagascar were so grateful to become seen by a dental professional. Many of them experienced travelled for days to go to us and many of them had never seen the dentist before.
"We had plenty of children who came to determine us in the dental care clinic, most of all of them had never visited the dentist before and required multiple extractions, it had been heart-breaking.
"On a typical day I'd provide up to 20 fillings and extract as much as 40 teeth. I also saw lots of severe and long-standing bacterial infections with some patients struggling large facial swellings and were in lots of pain. The whole encounter was hugely rewarding as well as inspiring. I have made some life-long friends about the ship and I can't wait to return! The work Mercy Ships does is essential to allowing people to smile around the globe.  scottsdale dentist

"Coming home was remarkably hard after volunteering along with Mercy Ships - you anticipate to experience a lifestyle shock when visiting a brand new country, but actually I felt it equally after i returned home. The opportunity and procedures people have easy and freely open to them the UK but still suffer from needless dental health issues is astounding and together I really hope we can inspire individuals to prioritise their oral wellness"

Mercy Ships always is designed to leave a lasting legacy in most country they visit through improving the provision associated with healthcare through training residents and educating people by any means they can. For any dental health problem, just consult us;  scottsdale dentist