Oral Health Program
Upskilling to prevent dental caries and promote optimal health
Healthier smiles means better health
Since independence Timor-Leste has increased its oral health workforce to thirteen registered dentists and forty-six dental nurses.
Despite these small wins, oral health remains an underfunded major gap in the nation’s healthcare.
We work to improve the knowledge, capacity and skills of the oral health workforce to promote good oral health, prevent dental caries and provide vital dental treatment.
What are we doing?
Preventing Cavities with Silver Diamine Flouride
Many people don’t know that cavities will spread through the mouth if not treated.
Silver Diamine Flouride can stop cavity causing bacteria in its tracks, preventing existing cavities from getting worse and preventing the spread to other teeth.
In 2022 we:
Treated 1,008 children with SDF
Developing comptency based training modules
Dental nurses are the main providers of dental healthcare in Timor-Leste. However, they have received limited professional development and little ongoing support to enable them to carry the burden of providing sustained care for the population.
So far we have:
Our first module is in use with dental nurses
Providing Clinical Expertise and Knowledge sharing
We support the clinical services delivered at our partners at Ryder-Cheshire Klibur Domin. We also engage support other NGO clinics to receive dental consumables and equipment via Australia and other countries.
So far we have:
Supported 3 oral healthcare partners
Public education in oral health
We conducted cash-prized social media campaigns surrounding World Oral Health Day on the importance of tooth brushing (poem and tooth brushing video demonstrations).
We received participation across Timor-Leste, Portugal and Brazil.
So far we have:
Run our first social media campaign
Developing standardised guidelines
The development and implementation of treatment guidelines is an important strategy for ensuring that dental treatments and medicines are provided safely, appropriately, effectively, and at the lowest cost.
Guidelines help oral health care professionals make decisions about the best way to treat a patient
. They also help as well as promoting standards of practice and improve the quality of health care
In 2022 we
Collaborated to draft the treatment guidelines for dental carries
Nationwide engagement and advocacy
We actively engage with professional groups to advocate for a greater focus on oral health.
Our partners include the National Department of Non-Communicable, National Oral Health Program Dental Association of Timor-Leste (ADETIL), National Institute of Public Health, and Ministry of Health Cabinet of Quality Control.
Together we work to establish systems that increase engagement and professional development support.
In 2022 we:
Signed a research and training agreement with ADETIL
Latest News about our Oral Health Program
The oral health team
Jenifer Apriani Martins Ximenes
Dentist
Efigenia Pereira dos Santos
Dental Nurse
Flaviana da Silva
Oral Health Coordinator
Who we work with on this program?
Timor-Leste Ministry of Health
Timor Leste Dental Association
How your donation helps
A little goes a long way to improving health in Timor-Leste
Oral health campaign
$55/m
over 12 months
Covers the running of a oral health social media campaign.
Professional Development Events
$1,750
would have covered the full cost of our first professional development event
Oral health equipment
$580/m
over 12 months
Covers the cost of oral health equipment for one Community health care centre.