STUDENTS from the University of Western Australia have helped Perth’s homeless face up to and overcome tooth pain.
Nearly 100 homeless people and refugees, many of whom had been in severe dental pain for many years, received free treatment from dental students.
The joint initiative with Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation was a great opportunity for students to improve their skills while helping the less fortunate.
Patients were recruited from Red Cross, Ruah Community Services and St Bartholomew’s House.
Dr Lydia See, a dentist at the university, said the program “taught students that even though dentistry is a technical exercise, the patient is a person with feelings, beliefs and different ideas”.
One of the patients, Dugarme Tassi-e, 61, of Wilson, who receives support from Ruah Community Services, said the initiative was important to help the homeless or those recovering from homelessness.
“When you’re homeless you struggle to gain access to dental care,” Mr Tassi-e said.
“People don’t understand the effects of years of poor dental hygiene. The minute your dental hygiene goes down, so does your health.
“It affects what you can eat and puts you in discomfort so you are unable to enjoy a quality of life that others often take for granted.”