PRESS RELEASE - KAMPONG CHAM, CAMBODIA

KHMER TO THE DENTIST

Toothache can really be a pain, but luckily a trip to our local dentist can make it a thing of the past. In rural Cambodia, though, treatments may be carried out by the local blacksmith using battery acid and a pair of pliers.. an altogether less appealing prospect.

Barbican Dental Care, in association with the registered charity Dentaid*, has invested in essential portable dental equipment to provide rural Cambodian communities around Kampong Cham access to professional dental health clinics. Untreated dental decay is a major problem in Cambodia, particularly in the child population, with oral pain regularly affecting the ability of children to eat and sleep.

By providing specially-designed portable chairs and treatment kits, Barbican Dental Care will help professionally-trained Cambodian dental nurses meet the needs of the rural population who have up until now had little if any access to basic oral health care. Using the equipment given, the nurses will be able to travel to remote villages and provide basic oral health care that can be administered without highly technical equipment outside of a traditional dental surgery.

Says Neil Sikka, “In Cambodia, with its population of 15 million, of which over 50% are aged 15 and under, many rural communities have no access to even rudimentary facilities. 
“I am very excited about working with Dentaid because if, as we expect, it is a success we will be able to send the portable dental units anywhere in the world to provide treatment in rural communities. I believe a model where local government trains up nurses and we provide the units would work very well, especially if it gives access to care not normally available.

“Through collaborating with Dentaid, Barbican Dental Care is able to benefit those who need it most and I am confident we will give people reasons to smile.”

Barbican Dental Care will be providing 24 portable dental chairs that can be easily collapsed and transported by car, boat or plane, as well as providing toolkits consisting of a selection of instruments to carry out extractions and basic dental treatments.

For further information on Dentaid, please visit www.dentaid.org.