This is the second report from Natalie at Bridge2Aid showing the progress of the Clinical Officer Shine Dental Care Mansfield has sponsored. To find out more information about the great work that Bridge2aid does visit their website at www.bridge2aid.org or visit their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bridge2aid.
‘We are now half way through training and yesterday the teams had a well earned break. The clinical officers are now demonstrating some really good clinical skills and knowledge and the teams have treated over 600 patients. They have been extracting teeth whilst being closely observed and monitored by the training dentists, with direction where needed. It is just as important to learn how to recognise when an extraction is beyond their clinical ability and needs to be referred to the district dental officer, or back into Hope Dental Clinic.
One patient treated was Erestina Erasta, she is a 78-year-old grandmother who has been in pain for around 3 years. Erestina had no access to dental treatment due to the high costs which she couldn’t afford. On Friday, having heard about our clinic, Erestina walked for 2 hours to get to the site for free dental treatment and returned on Saturday for a second extraction. Erestina was very grateful for the free treatment that she received, as she said she was now able to care for her grandchildren.
The last 2 days have really been about consolidating what the clinical officers have already learnt, demonstrating safe practice and looking again at the scope of their skills. Most have been able to see, and some practice the removal of roots using an elevator and they can recognise and manage infected sockets. Having spent time with the nurses learning about the basic principles of OHE, they can now discuss the prevention of perio and caries with their patients.
The nurses have played a key role, in addition to the OHE training, they have spent time with each CO going through instrument sterilisation and the general cleaning of the clinical environment. They have all been shown basic equipment scrubbing, clean and dirty areas, instrument transporting and storing and the use of the pressure cooker for sterilisation.