Residents of Ba have much to be thankful for with the donation of a Dental Mobile Clinic from the Australian Government through its Fiji Health Sector Improvement Programme (FHSIP).


The mobile dental truck will assist dental officials in achieving their mission on oral health for the people of Ba.


On hand to receive the mobile dental truck from the Australian High Commission Representative Dr Jane Thompson on Thursday (07/04), was the Minister for Health Solomone Naivalu.


Mr Naivalu said he was thankful for the donation, which will be used for the school oral health program and health promotional dental outreach services to communities, which are disadvantaged and inaccessible to dental services normally taken for granted by those residing in urban areas.


The Ba subdivision encompasses the sugar cane belt area from Tuvu towards Lautoka to Natunuku Village towards Tavua and extends interiorly to include the village of Navala at the center of Viti Levu.


Within these areas lie 100 settlements, 18 villages, 45 primary schools, 9 high schools and a tertiary institution with a total population of approximately 60,000 people.


Mr Naivalu said oral health services will be taken to the door step of the communities through this mobile clinic.


“Services to primary school children will include fissure sealant, fluoride gel application, Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART), dental extraction, dental fillings, dental scaling and polishing along with oral health education.”


Mr Naivalu said the newly formulated Fiji Basic Package for Oral Urgent Treatment, will be used on adults that will be attended to by the dental personnel through the community outreach programs which has the following components :
- Relief of pain through the extraction of badly decayed and severely periodontally involved teeth;
- First aid for oral infections and dento-alveolar trauma;
- Referral of complicated cases to base hospital.


He indicated the ART program will be pursued with vigour to ensure longer retention of natural teeth in the mouth avoiding dental extraction at all costs.


“Oral health education and the promotion of good health form an integral part of the package.


“The provision of this two-chair dental mobile clinic will certainly enhance and strengthen both the school oral health program and the community outreach oral programs in the Ba Subdivision and to other places where it will be programmed to provide the much needed oral health services in the west.”


Mr Naivalu added that oral health is an essential and integral component of health throughout life.


“Dental carries, periodontal diseases, loss of teeth and other orio-facial disorders, results in needless pain and suffering; difficulty in speaking, chewing and swallowing; increased costs of care; loss of self-esteem; decreased economic productivity through lost work and school days and in extreme cases death.”


Mr Naivalu said poor oral health and untreated oral disease and conditions can have significant impact on the quality of life.


He added dental carries is the single most common chronic disease of childhood, occurring five to eight times as frequently as asthma, the second most chronic disease in children .


“Despite the curative and preventive services offered, more than 80% of the children have caries by the age of six.


“We therefore look at Prevention as the most economically viable means of addressing these oral diseases, which in its true sense qualifies as a major public health challenge.”


Meanwhile, the Jane Thompson Association International (JTAI) and Dr Vilikesa Rabukawaqa and his team facilitated the process in the procurement of the new dental mobile clinic for the Ba subdivision.