Bridge2Aid

The 2 factors that are most important in reducing poverty are health and education. Relieving extreme pain is a critical requirement for effective and efficient schooling, working, and looking after the family.

Dental pain is very common – 59% of adults and children will suffer each year . Because of the way it affects the body, dental pain is among the most debilitating, constant, and excruciating conditions. It has significant financial, social and academic impact if not dealt with promptly.

While there is ready and easy access to affordable emergency dental services in the developed world, in rural communities of the developing world, there is no such access, and people live with acute dental pain for months and years.

The consequences are
• Subsistence farmers cannot work and provide food for their families
• Mothers cannot care properly for their families
• Children cannot go to school, or concentrate adequately and so fall behind academically
• Anyone with dental pain fails to eat a healthy diet, and further illness and nutritional deficiencies develop

Working in partnership with the Tanzania Government since 2004, Bridge2Aid has pioneered a model of intensive training for PHC workers that equips them with skills and tools required to provide a simple emergency dental service at the dispensary level. Trainees are able to treat over 90% of the dental problems they will be presented with.