Dr Noraini Alwi
KUCHING: The Malaysian Association of Orthodontists (MAO) is raising more funds for its community project ‘The Laila Taib Smile of Hope Project’ which provides free orthodontic treatment to children in orphanages in the state.
Its vice president and project chairperson Dr Noraini Alwi said since the project was launched in 2010, it has received contribution of funds from the state government, generous individuals as well as from major German orthodontic manufacturer Forestadent which serves as the sponsor of orthodontic materials and clinical equipments required for the project.
“At present, a basic course of orthodontic treatment for a child would cost around RM10,000 to RM15,000 for a single-phase treatment, depending on the complexity of the case and the materials used, bearing in mind that these costs are not inclusive of other expenses such as surgical procedures and those requiring multidisciplinary management.
“Our project currently requires between RM80,000 to RM100,000 of funding annually where the funds will be used to purchase materials such as such as oral hygiene aids, disposable basic dental materials, restorative and preventive materials and special orthodontic items,” she told a press conference at KKLT yesterday.
Also present were MAO president Col Dr Shalene Kereshanan and assistant secretary Dr Ahmad Burhanuddin Abdullah.
Dr Noraini pointed out that more than 80 per cent of the patients in the project had been treated successfully by MAO members.
“We provide our service at Kompleks Kebajikan Laila Taib (KKLT) where we started off with an initial 20 orphans from the orphanage and since then our project committee has screened and rendered treatment for more than 100 orphans.
“The treatment sessions for the orphans are planned on six sessions per year with procedures such as primary dental care of scaling and polishing, fillings, fluoride-releasing fissure sealants and extractions rendered to those needing them,” she said.
She also noted that in the initial phase of the project, MOA had found that basic dental care had been neglected for some of the orphans in the sense that almost every tooth had suffered dental decay.
“The volunteers had to ensure that preliminary care to prepare the children for orthodontic treatment was carried out and these children were also taught the basics and importance of good dental health as part of the procedures.
“Those whose oral health status had improved to the desired level and who had completed all basic dental treatment would then have their braces fitted,” she explained.
With the project now in its fifth year, Dr Noraini expressed her hope to see the project expand to other orphanages in other districts in the state.
“We hope to be able to extend the orthodontic treatment to other cities such as Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu so that it becomes a project extended to all orphanages within Sarawak.”
Due to the complexity of orthodontic management and the high cost of treatment, the MAO is continuously soliciting aid not only in terms of materials used but also financial assistance through monetary donations from the general public, organisations and corporate bodies.
For all enquiries, please email Dr Noraini at [email protected], Dr Shalene at [email protected] or Dr Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim at [email protected].