Ashly Punnoose and Kowoon Noh are third year dental students. They will join other dental students at the camp which is based at the Mission Hospital. They will carry out screening and treatments in villages, schools and children’s homes. Children who need a tooth extracted will be treated by the students under the supervision of local dental professionals at the hospital’s dental clinic.
The Schoolhouse Dental Camp is not just about providing vital experience to dental students – it provides dental care and treatment to children who would otherwise receive no treatment at all.
Ashly and Kowoon are currently raising the funds they need for the trip, and as part of that they are crowdfunding the costs. Via their Crowdfunder web page – www.crowdfunder.co.uk/dental-camp-in-tamil-nadu-south-india?txid=63 – members of the public can pledge money in return for specified rewards.
The pair said: “This is our chance to really make a difference to children’s oral health in an impoverished part of the world. Without the Schoolhouse Dental Camp children in Tamil Nadu would get no dental care at all. It’s a great opportunity to use the clinical skills we have gained treating NHS patients under supervision at the University’s Dental Education Facilities across the South West. We really hope that people will help us raise the amount we need to get to Tamil Nadu and make our contribution towards better children’s oral health in the region.”