I am Salem Qahtani studying BOH at the University of Newcastle.

I come from a
third-world country, Saudi Arabia. As a BOH student, I have always believed that
such a work placement will give me an opportunity to provide better preventative
dental care treatment to those who are underprivileged and certainly need an
equal access to the proper dental care. I have chosen to approach this essay as
a piece of my evidence-based experience throughout my field as a future
hygienist.

Because of my experience both as a student and as a citizen in a third-world
country (is this what you mean by background?), I understand and believe that
individuals should be treated equally and be provided appropriate dental care
and treatment based on the level of their oral health issues. However, I
researched that providing access to dental services in all the third-world
countries is there isnt just one or two countries needing dental care. There are at
least 30 countries that cannot provide enough dental care and treatment.

In addition, according to World Health Organization (WHO), developing countries
are neglected and disadvantaged as they face many oral health diseases present
in developed countries. WHO, researched that developing countries may be
involved with higher risk of dental caries, periodontal disease, tooth loss, oral
mucosal lesions, oropharyngeal cancers, human immunodeficiency virus. These
related oral diseases are major public health problems. It is scientifically proven
that the impact of poor oral health may have a profound effect on general health.
For instance, some oral diseases are related to chronic diseases such as
diabetes.

WHO also stated that the dental services are mostly offered at the regional or
central hospitals of urban centers; and little, if any importance is given to
preventive or restorative dental care due to shortage of oral health personnel.
Moreover, the capacity of the systems is generally limited to pain relief or
emergency care.

In 2004, WHO estimated that five billion people who have experienced oral
health issues were suffered from tooth decay. These were seen to be severe in
most African countries due to the lack of fluoridation as well as consumption of
sugars. Similarly this indicates that those individuals should be encouraged to
take care of their oral health by delivering educational programs in order to
reduce oral health issues.


From November to December 2013, I spent seven days as a volunteer for the
Asia Special Olympics athletes that were based in Newcastle. I effectively
assisted in screening and giving oral hygiene instructions under the dentists
supervisions. Furthermore, I performed well in diagnosing various oral diseases
by discussing with dentists. I also tried motivating the athletes by going through
the preventative strategies on how to look after their oral hygiene while also
recommending them to see their dentist if they needed any further dental
treatments to be done. In this wide program I was able to experience firsthand
my role on hygiene and to understand the role of special needs dentistry for
disabled athletes.

Nevertheless, my will to investigate and experience working with different
individuals from the third world countries has made me interested and willing to
provide further assistance. Being part of the Special Olympics volunteering
group, I have improved my skills and ability to work with a team in future
placements. Moreover, as a health professional, I realized that participating in
such program has broadened my awareness in how to deal with different
individuals from different countries. I can imagine that I would put a smile on
peoples faces by touching them with compassion, in which it will touch their
heart with love.

Because of where I came from and my experience as a volunteer, I know that I
am ready to face any unforeseen challenges that I may encounter if given the
opportunity to be part of the Temor West work placement.