News

School pop up dental clinic

Teach tooth care to migrant young

AIMING to improve access to primary health services for the area’s culturally diverse population, a pop up dental clinic was set up for Rohingya families at Hampden Park Public School in Lakemba.
Marzeya Azimullah was one mother keen to learn how to best care for her children’s teeth.
She brought her nine-year-old son Sahim Edris for the free screening.
“He has a lot of problems with his teeth. We can get help at the clinic so that’s why we visited,” said Marzeya who came to Australia from Myanmar in 2013.
Sydney Local Health District has contributed funding for the clinic as part of the District’s Can Get Health in Canterbury project.
Barbara Hawkshaw, the Program Officer for the Can Get Health in Canterbury project, said the Rohingya community identified that oral health was a priority for them.
“So, in partnership with Sydney Dental Hospital, Canterbury Oral Health Clinic and Hampden Park Public School, we’ve offered a free screening for their pre-school and school-aged children. When you increase access to health care professionals, like dentists, it helps to address inequity,” she said.
If the screening reveals a child needs further treatment, like a filling for a cavity, an appointment is made at the Canterbury Oral Health Clinic.
One of the District’s Cultural Support Workers, Hosnara Begum, and Sajeda Bahadurmia, who works as a Learning Support Officer at the school, also delivered a talk, called The Mouth House, aiming to show that just like people prefer to live in clean houses, a child’s teeth likes to live in a clean mouth.
“Our message is to eat healthy foods, drink tap water and avoid sugary drinks, brush teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day, and visit a dentist for a check-up once a year,” Hosnara said.