In the Community
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10th Anniversary Celebration of the Kimberley Dental Team, fondly known as KDT
Recently we gathered to celebrate the achievements of KDT and reflect on the incredible friendships we have built not only within our Teams of clinical and support volunteers, but also the great friendships we have made and value with the many hundreds of Kimberley Children, their families and the remote, Kimberley Communities at Large. In the last decade, we together, have assisted well over 7,000 people in the Kimberley and almost 1,000 vulnerable people in Perth. We have extended our friendship, skills and time, to engage and provide many thousands of dental services in a caring and respectful manner. This has occurred over 76 weeks with the assistance of hundreds of volunteers on the ground and so many behind the scenes. Dental care to the value of almost 4 million dollars has been provided to those, where, accessing dental care was difficult, if not impossible. Prevention through early care and education is at the strategic heart of KDT philosophy. Evidence of the effectiveness of the KDT tooth brushing and toothpaste program, Strong Teeth for Kimberley Kids, is now very clear in our treatment profile. To supplement this, we have always and continue to supply, all patient’s households with toothbrushes and tooth paste for all the occupants of their house and always, show, explain and provide, our, Strong Teeth, Strong Body, Strong Mind, booklet. KDT has provided over 220,000 free toothbrushes, tons of toothpaste and 80,000 booklets over the last decade and our vehicles have done in excess of 180,000 kms. Our KDT Southern teams continue their activities in the Perth metropolitan area with regular visits to Devenish Lodge mental health hostel, Uniting Care West for the homeless, the Forgotten Australians in Fremantle at Tuart Place and Foyer Oxford, youth in transition. A big thank you to our core of volunteers who help out at these sometimes, challenging sessions. Support remains strong from the Australian Dental Association, Office of the Chief Dental Officer, Dental Health Services, International College of Dentists and the Academy of Dentists International, the Dental Hygiene Association of Australia, DentiCare, UWA, Henry Schein Halas, SDI Limited, WACHS and many private donors. A very special thank you to our Foundation partners, the Rotary Clubs of Perth and Heirrison and City Rotary for their incredible support. To the young Rotaracts, who happily pack our bulk toothbrushes into classroom ready packs, the McCusker Charitable Foundation, LotteryWest, Maven Dental Group and CBA. When Jan and I cried while we were treating little 5 year old Troy Tremlett in August trip 2009, we were almost overwhelmed and could only dream of the effort and the commitment that would be needed to relieve the pain of so many vulnerable people and eventually, prevent this blight on remote communities in the Kimberley. We can never thank enough our fabulous volunteers, sponsors and supporters without whom, these results and positive outcomes, could never, have been achieved, so again, Thank you to all for being part of this great challenge and adventure. Jan and John Owen AM Kimberley Dental Team |
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Kimberley Dental Team (2009 - 2015)
John and Jan Owen have a love of the Kimberley region of Western Australia and its people. They have made a strong commitment to improving the dental health and opportunities of Aboriginal people who live in the region. This led to the formation of the Kimberley Dental Team (KDT), a not for profit, non-government organisation (initially privately funded by the Owen Family Trust).
KDT’s mission is to “to improve the general wellbeing and dental health of Indigenous children and their families in primarily the Kimberley region of Western Australia thereby reducing the long term cost and suffering dental disease inflicts.”
Over the past seven years, John and Jan have coordinated over 50 teams of visiting volunteers from the dental and allied health professions, to enhance current resources and levels of dental care in the Kimberley region. Several staff of Midland Orthodontists have regularly volunteered over the years.
So far, in excess of $1.5 million worth of dental care has been provided at no cost to the recipient.
KDT for the past three years has supplied all children at the 42 schools across the Kimberley with a toothbrush at the beginning of every term and at the beginning of the end of year holiday. This is approximately 16,000 toothbrushes and paste per year . This has been extremely successful and only made possible with the assistance of Ms Trish Pepper, WA Country Health Service, WA Healthy Schools Program.
KDT has now imported and distributed 170,000 toothbrushes and 3.5 tons of tooth paste has been donated by the Rotary Club of Heirisson in Perth.
The Team also works in concert with Dental Health Services, the Centre of Rural and Remote Oral Health, University of Western Australia and Aboriginal Medical Services, and is greatly supported and sponsored by The McCusker Charitable Foundation, Lotterywest, Dental Partners, Australian Dental Association (WA Branch) through Student Scholarships and via the State Health Department, Oral Health Improvement Unit, obtaining National Partnership Agreement Grants from the Federal government and many dental suppliers and dental companies.
KDT has been the recipient now of four Wrigley Company Foundation ADAF Community Service Grants over the past four years. The International College of Dentists (Australasian Section Vlll), has supported KDT with grants over the past four years and most recently recipient of the CBA Staff Community Fund Award.
For other resent awards please veiw the ABC video below and click here
John and Jan Owen have a love of the Kimberley region of Western Australia and its people. They have made a strong commitment to improving the dental health and opportunities of Aboriginal people who live in the region. This led to the formation of the Kimberley Dental Team (KDT), a not for profit, non-government organisation (initially privately funded by the Owen Family Trust).
KDT’s mission is to “to improve the general wellbeing and dental health of Indigenous children and their families in primarily the Kimberley region of Western Australia thereby reducing the long term cost and suffering dental disease inflicts.”
Over the past seven years, John and Jan have coordinated over 50 teams of visiting volunteers from the dental and allied health professions, to enhance current resources and levels of dental care in the Kimberley region. Several staff of Midland Orthodontists have regularly volunteered over the years.
So far, in excess of $1.5 million worth of dental care has been provided at no cost to the recipient.
KDT for the past three years has supplied all children at the 42 schools across the Kimberley with a toothbrush at the beginning of every term and at the beginning of the end of year holiday. This is approximately 16,000 toothbrushes and paste per year . This has been extremely successful and only made possible with the assistance of Ms Trish Pepper, WA Country Health Service, WA Healthy Schools Program.
KDT has now imported and distributed 170,000 toothbrushes and 3.5 tons of tooth paste has been donated by the Rotary Club of Heirisson in Perth.
The Team also works in concert with Dental Health Services, the Centre of Rural and Remote Oral Health, University of Western Australia and Aboriginal Medical Services, and is greatly supported and sponsored by The McCusker Charitable Foundation, Lotterywest, Dental Partners, Australian Dental Association (WA Branch) through Student Scholarships and via the State Health Department, Oral Health Improvement Unit, obtaining National Partnership Agreement Grants from the Federal government and many dental suppliers and dental companies.
KDT has been the recipient now of four Wrigley Company Foundation ADAF Community Service Grants over the past four years. The International College of Dentists (Australasian Section Vlll), has supported KDT with grants over the past four years and most recently recipient of the CBA Staff Community Fund Award.
For other resent awards please veiw the ABC video below and click here
Still with the energy to help others in need, volunteers of the Kimberley Dental Team during the off season up north, are committed to working in Perth to helping those most vulnerable in our community. Improving a person's or family's general wellbeing and dental health is tremendously rewarding. Providing oral health education and oral health products and instruction as well as providing much needed dental treatment is happily undertaken by our teams. KDT Southern regularly visits Oxford Foyer for youth in transition, Uniting Care West for the homeless, Uniting Care Family Foundations for families, Tuart Place for Forgotten Australians and Mercy Care Aged facility.
Please visit our website at www.kimberleydentalteam.com Donations can be made online.
Thank you
Please visit our website at www.kimberleydentalteam.com Donations can be made online.
Thank you
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Give a Smile
Midland Orthodontics also participates in the Give a Smile™ public health initiative established by the Australian Society of Orthodontists (ASO) aimed at providing orthodontic care for no fee to patients selected from public orthodontic waiting lists throughout Australia. The program’s purpose is to enable ASO Orthodontists to give a smile both figuratively and literally to people who are in great need of orthodontic care yet whose financial circumstances prevent them accessing treatment through the private health system. For more information please visit www.giveasmile.org.au |
We are also proud to support...
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