6 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST NEWS The July/Aug 2023 edition of Australasian Dentist reported on the launch of Tooth Buddies, an avenue for supporting simple, yet e ective, grassroots, primary oral health programs in Vanuatu. Tooth Buddies is an initiative of the Australian NGO, Medical Sailing Ministries Inc. (MSM), who, in association with in-country partners and the Vanuatu Ministry of Health (MoH), established a daily, supervised, brushing program called Gudfala Tut Skul (pr Goodfella Toot Skool), meaning “Healthy Teeth School”. It all began in 2018 with one school and a few dozen kids, and over time expanded to 72 locations, across three provinces, directly involving 4,000 children aged 4-6, plus an estimated 15-20,000 additional family members. Back in 2023 we had just received o cial “Vanuatu Made” recognition for the coconut oil-based, bubblegum avored, uoride toothpaste, used in the brushing program. e toothpaste formulation was generously developed by DentaLife Australia, in response to the children’s dislike of the strong minty avour of traditional products, which the children described as “too spicy”. Due to the devastating impact of the 17 December 2024 earthquake, along with tropical cyclones Kevin, Judy, Lola and Tam, the past three years have been a challenge. Although, an exciting development has been the development of an oral health training course to up-skill maternal health nurses, with a particular focus on mothers and babies. To ensure these grassroots programs continue to grow, we are now eager to partner with oral health professionals and dental clinics. We invite you to become a Vanuatu Tooth Buddy, through the support of Gudfala Smile – both the brushing and training programs – described below: Gudfala (pr Goodfella) Smile – Preschool Brushing Gudfala Smile – Preschool, is a supervised brushing program, focusing on children aged 3 to 5. It builds on the success of the Gudfala Tut Skul (pr Goodfella Toot Skool) program, rst established in 2018 following the launch of Vanuatu’s rst-ever truly national oral health survey. A survey that revealed: u 70% of 5-7-year-olds su er tooth decay u 77.5% su er from bleeding gums, and u 40% rarely, or never brush their teeth As we often say, for the cost of just three cappuccinos, around $12, one child can participate in the program for one whole year. e ve key elements of the Gudfala Smile – Preschool brushing program are that it is: 1. Evidence Based 2. Vanuatu run 3. Proven and Repeatable 4. Uses locally made toothpaste, and 5. Involves around 4,000 children daily Gudfala Smile – Oral Health Nurse Training Program Continuing with the … “prevention is better than cure” … approach, this program is all about up-skilling maternal health nurses with primary oral health knowledge and skills. Speci cally, to impact 0–2-year-olds, and of course, mothers and carers. e program has been enthusiastically embraced and implemented by the Vanuatu MoH, with generous support from the UK-based Borrow Foundation and the Northern Territory Health Department. In addition, there was the vision, dedication and plain hard work of dentist Dr Barry Stewart, a former director of MSM. Along with oral health education, awareness and the adoption of positive hygiene habits, the course teaches the application of uoride varnish. In support of this, a “Varnish for Vanuatu” campaign was launched late last year by the Oral Health Association of Australia (OHAA). If you’d like to get involved, feel free to make contact through the Tooth Buddies website where tax deductible donations can also be made. Your Invitation to Become a Vanuatu Tooth Buddy If you’d like to support the Gudfala Smile brushing and/or training programs, we’d really love to hear from you. Find out more by emailing Rob, Mike and Deb at msmvanuatu@gmail.com or by visiting the website at www.toothbuddies.com.au/ support You may even consider “adopting” a kindy or playgroup, ensuring all the children can participate in the program. We could then arrange regular reports from the eld, which you can share with friends, colleagues and patients. As they say in Vanuatu … Lukim Yu and Tank yu Tumas u References: Tooth Buddies Contact: msmvanuatu@gmail.com Vanuatu National Oral health Survey FACT SHEET: https://msm.org.au/wp-content/ uploads/2021/09/2018-11-10-FACT-SHEET-FINAL. pdf Story of Gudfala Tut Colour Picture Book: https:// msm.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/StoriBlong-Gudfala-Tut-Childrens-Book-low-res.pdf Support Tooth Buddies at: https://toothbuddies. com.au/support Teacher’s feedback on Gudfala Tut Skul program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZT2H_hYDBo Gudfala Smile Nurse Training Program, TV report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ByDzLfP214 Become a Vanuatu Tooth Buddy through grassroots oral health programs By Rob Latimer, Sailor and co-founder of Medical Sailing Ministries Inc.
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