In the years since the war, Timor-Leste has had almost no dental health care available.
Despite great gains in other areas of health, dental care continues to be a severe gap in the nations health care capacity.
Dental Health in Timor Leste
Current dental services in Timor-Leste lack appropriate resourcing in equipment and consumables, with emergency dental care (mainly extractions) currently the focus.
Even at this lowest level, inadequate training and supervision of dental staff can lead to poor outcomes, including chronic pain, nerve injury, bleeding complications, bacterial endocarditis, and accidental transmission of blood borne viruses such as Hepatitis B.
qualified dentists in Timor-Leste
qualified dental nurses
over
people needing dental care
That’s less than one dentist for every 180,000 people in Timor- Leste
Current dental services in Timor-Leste lack appropriate resourcing in equipment and consumables, with emergency dental care (mainly extractions) currently the focus.
Even at this lowest level, inadequate training and supervision of dental staff can lead to poor outcomes, including chronic pain, nerve injury, bleeding complications, bacterial endocarditis, and accidental transmission of blood borne viruses such as Hepatitis B.
Establishment and supervision of clinical standards is badly needed, yet very difficult to provide.
How Maluk Timor is helping build the dental health capacity of Timor-Leste
1. Working with our supporters
We are working with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeon’s as well as the Timorese Ministry of Health to offer the best possible standard of training and care to the next generation.
Maluk Timor is working in partnership with a group of eminent dentists from Australia who are dedicated to raising the standard of dental health in Timor-Leste. These dentists have already designed and equipped a busy dental service providing free care to all patients.
They facilitated the resourcing, maintenance and procurement of dental equipment and supplies, and have provided regular supervision of the two registered dental nurses practicing there.
They hope to relocate and expand this service by co-locating it with a Community Health Centre (CHC) in Dili. It will then be developed as a clinical training site to allow trainee dental nurses to observe and gain experience.
2. Promote dental health
It is well understood, however, that what is most badly needed is widespread health promotion of dental health. Maluk Timor will commit further energies to support the existing school outreach initiatives (One-2-One Charitable Trust, and Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Future) to prevent oral disease, in keeping with the objectives of the Strategic Development Plan (2011-2030). Additionally, Maluk Timor will form a partnership with the Balibo Dental Clinic (Balibo House Trust) to support the sustainability of that program.
3. Dental Training Workshops
As the capacity of the dental centre increases, dental nurses (and students) from around the country will be invited to spend time in the centre as observers and practitioners, undergoing a structured competency program (co-designed by Maluk Timor, ADETIL and the Ministry of Health) to promote consistent clinical standards nationally.
Expanded public health initiatives to promote dental health in Timor-Leste will be supported by Maluk Timor dentists, with a focus on reaching school-aged children and their parents.
This whole program is being built as a model for the Timorese government to adopt and expand to cover the entire nation.
Latest news from our dental training program
You can’t hold our professional and enthusiastic Dental nurse team back!
You can’t hold our professional and enthusiastic Dental nurse team back! Broken down car, no problems, there are always 🏍. Luis, Efi and our new Volunteering dental nurse hit their third school doing screening in Tibar. Persistent and systematically working their way...
A glimpses of the future in Dentistry
A glimpses of the future. Dr Inda, a young Timorese dental professional was trained in the Philippines, mentored by Aussies dentists for a few years in her early career is now developing material and delivering dental training to our Timorese Family Medicine GP...
The dental health screening in schools by Maluk Timor
The dental health of Timor Leste needs not only capacity building for practical skills experience but is so often hindered by a lack of medication. Can you imagine having a tooth extraction without local Anaethetics? ????????Didn’t think so. So the rotting tooth stays...
Maluk Timor Dental Nurses join teams with Klibur Domin Dental Nurse
Maluk Timor Dental Nurses join teams with Klibur Domin Dental Nurse to do Dental Education in Escola Basica Tulau Tibar. The students were screened then brought back to clinic for treatments as needed. Will sticky lollies & soda company’s ever have to answer for what...
Dentistry – the changing culture of adult peer education
A glimpses of the future. Dr Inda, a young Timorese dental professional was trained in the Philippines, mentored by Aussies dentists for a few years in her early career is now developing material and delivering dental training to our Timorese Family Medicine GP...