Dental Charities
East Timor
Timor L’Este is a beautiful country which has been left ravaged and without proper infrastructure since Indonesia withdrew its occupying forces. There are 2 Dentists in the country (both in Dili!!) which leaves the rest of the country dependant on foreign Dentists volunteering their time and materials. Dr. Digges has travelled to Timor and carried out Dental work in Dili, Bachau and other areas.
Balgo
Balgo is situated in the middle of Australia, 11 – 12 hours drive by 4 wheel drive along the dirt road through the Tanami desert from Alice Springs.
The aboriginal community in this isolated area – where Dr. Digges’ brother Father Matthew Digges lives – are a long way from the nearest Dentist.
Dr. Digges and a friend, Dr. Tim Hart, took their daughters and a niece to this community to carry out much needed Dentistry there.
NDF - The National Dental Foundation
A couple of years ago, Dr. Digges and Dr. Mueller decided that not enough was being done for those who fall through the cracks in our State and National dental systems. They opened up their practice for a day to treat people from the Matt Talbot hostel and Youth off the streets.
Since then, Dr. Digges has become the State President of a National group of like-minded Dentists, and the idea has grown so that several times a year, Dr. Digges organises several practices to open their doors to people in need selected by state charities.
The National Dental Foundation rescue days wouldn’t have been possible without Dr David Digges and Dr Heather Mueller and the team and Bellevue Hill Dental.
In May 2006 we conducted a pilot test to see how the program would run. Dr Digges campaigned for support for NDF NSW dental volunteer day within the industry and profession. Now 5 years on the program has more than doubled in size due to the demand and recognition from the profession.
Dr Digges who is chairman for NDF NSW and federal president emphasises a preventive approach to regaining oral health for all charity clients coming from pro-bono care work and works with the industry members of the committee Dr Heather Mueller and Dr Malcolm Cooke to ensure everyone receives oral health instruction and take away oral health hygiene products that have been donated by Colgate and Henry Schein Halas. Of course, relief of pain and any fillings are also done.
The state of dental health in Australia is not very good and all parties need to acknowledge greater effort and contribution by governments is required to improve the dental health of our nation.
