6 year old Semeni is from Kishima village, Kahama district in Shinyanga region, Tanzania.
Semeni had been suffering from dental pain for approximately 4 weeks prior to visiting our temporary clinic. She hadn’t sought help beforehand because her parents didn’t know where they should take her; a visit to the city was out of bounds due to the expense. A week before our dental training programme, Semeni’s parents heard an announcement about free dental treatment at Kagongwa Health Centre, and walked with her on the day for nearly two hours to seek help.
An examination confirmed that Semeni had several decayed teeth. When asking about Semeni’s oral health routine, her parents confirmed that she did not brush her teeth. They were simply not aware that she should keep her teeth and gums clean.
Under the supervision of a dental volunteer, a trainee Health Worker extracted 2 of Semeni’s problem teeth and offered her oral health advice for the future. Because of our training programme, Semeni and her family now have access to emergency dental care and will never have to wait to seek treatment again.
