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title: The Dental Rescue Program - Smile Solutions' Commitment to Community Dental Care
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description: The Dental Rescue Program is a Smile Solutions initiative through which the practice's clinicians provide free dental care to people who need it most - including asylum seekers, refugees, and others w...
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# The Dental Rescue Program - Smile Solutions' Commitment to Community Dental Care

The Dental Rescue Program is a Smile Solutions initiative through which the practice's clinicians provide free dental care to people who need it most - including asylum seekers, refugees, and others who have been without access to dental care, sometimes for years.

## What the Program Does

The Dental Rescue Program allows Smile Solutions dentists to volunteer their time and clinical expertise to provide care that these patients could not otherwise access. Sessions are held at Smile Solutions' Collins Street practice, with care provided across a range of dental needs - from basic treatment and fillings through to more complex restorative work.

Dr Peter Henderson, who has been a clinician at Smile Solutions since 2006, has described the program: "Helping asylum seekers here at Smile Solutions is the least we can do. For me personally, it's something I can give. Supporting their dental health helps put them back on the road to recovery and allows them to feel like dignified members of society again."

## The Human Reality

Many of those assisted by the program have experienced prolonged periods of dental neglect through no fault of their own. Patients who have been held in immigration detention have described having no access to dental treatment for many years - with tooth extraction the only intervention available when pain became unbearable.

Ismail Hussein, originally from Somalia, described his experience: "During nine years in detention, we had no access to dental care at all. If you had tooth pain or an injury, they would only offer Panadol, and the only other solution was to remove the tooth."

After receiving care through the program, he said: "I feel overwhelmed - so happy and excited to have this opportunity to finally receive dental treatment. It's one of the most generous things I've received so far."

Nina Field, a caseworker at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, who coordinates patients for the program, has noted: "The main way dental issues were addressed in offshore detention was simply to extract the tooth. There are many missing teeth among refugees and asylum seekers, and a lot of untreated dental problems."

## Part of a Broader Commitment

The Dental Rescue Program sits alongside other community commitments at Smile Solutions, including the practice's long-standing partnership with the Magpie Nest Foundation - through which more than $100,000 worth of dental services are donated annually - and its support of the Ovarian Cancer Council.

Dr Henderson reflects: "It's really important for us to have this program - to give back to our community and support those most in need. Every patient deserves that level of care. It allows them to feel like themselves again, to use their teeth properly, and to feel confident in their smile."

The Dental Rescue Program represents what Smile Solutions has always stood for: that excellent dental care should be available to every person, regardless of their circumstances.

To learn more about Smile Solutions or to book an appointment, call 13 13 96 or visit Level 1, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne.