Save R Kids, Leguan children benefit from dental care outreach
Leguan children with the outreach team after the medical examinations
Leguan children with the outreach team after the medical examinations

–thanks to generosity of young overseas-based Guyanese

CLOSE to seven dozen children between the ages of three and 16 benefited yesterday from the expertise and generosity of young Jonnel Mortley, an overseas-based Guyanese woman who is certified in the area of dental care.

Ms Jonnel Mortley doing a demonstration to the children of Save R Kids
Ms Jonnel Mortley doing a demonstration to the children of Save R Kids

Presently in Guyana holidaying with relatives, Mortley kept up a tradition of providing dental care to children of her homeland whenever she travels here.

This publication accompanied the young professional and a small team of family members yesterday first to the Maryville Primary School at Leguan, where well over thirty children were taught the importance of taking care of their teeth, had demonstrations done on healthy teeth care, and were also given cavity checks. Each child, moreover, had fluoride placed on their teeth as part of the exercise.

They were taught the importance of flossing, the proper way teeth should be brushed, and the need to ensure that their teeth and mouths are cleaned each night before going to sleep.

A child from the children’s home demonstrates how she usually takes care of her teeth daily (Photos by Leroy Smith)
A child from the children’s home demonstrates how she usually takes care of her teeth daily (Photos by Leroy Smith)

Jonnel also encouraged the children to temper their love for sweets and candy, and focus more on eating healthy stuff which helps to strengthen the teeth.

She encouraged the parents and teachers gathered yesterday to ensure that the children practise the lessons taught, and admonished that they should be supervised in the care of their mouths and teeth.

At the end of the day’s activity, each child was presented with a dental kit consisting of toothpaste, flossing materials, and other items used for oral care.

Jonnel’s team had initially planned to extend the service to two hundred children on the island, but that was not possible. Many of the children who were expected to show up were either away from the island on holiday, or were just not aware of the type of dental care they were to be exposed to.

Some adults also showed up at the facility looking to have other health services from the team, but that could not have been accommodated.

After realising that they did not have the expected complement of children at Leguan, the team travelled to the West Coast of Demerara, where they continued the outreach after the exercise had been completed at Leguan.

Their next stop was at the Save R Kids Children’s Home at Cornelia Ida, where the service was identical to that given at Leguan. Although that visit had been unplanned, it was accommodated by the administration of the home, and turned out to be more than the visiting team had expected.

The children were very interactive, and seemed to have a better idea of the concept of dental care and its importance. Nevertheless, they were still engaged by Mrs Mortley.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle after the engagements, Mrs Mortley said she was pleased to work with the children, especially those at the children’s home. She thanked home administrator Michelle Campbell for accommodating the team although the visit was spontaneous.

Mrs Mortley disclosed that the items used during the outreach were donated by the Colgate company, where she works in the United States, and some were provided by her personally.

In her response, Michelle Campbell said that the initiative and work which was done by the team was indeed a blessing for the children. The home has close to forty children, and was founded in 2002 by Patricia Jackson of Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. It receives support from the Atlanta City Church.

Campbell said that visiting teams coming to the home is nothing new, and very often there are medical teams which would visit from overseas.

However, she did not hesitate to point out that those teams, while they provide excellent health care to the children, were not fully focused on dental care as the team which visited yesterday.

Mortley and Campbell entered an arrangement to continue working together, and already Mortley has committed to having a full-fledged team of doctors of various specialties travel to the children’s home to conduct a more detailed health engagement with the children and staff.

(By Leroy Smith)

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