Dr Mark Nathan has long given back, both at home and abroad and encourages other dentists to help make a difference.
Dr Mark Nathan regularly gives back via dental volunteering. “The theme of dental volunteering had always appealed to me, and I was happy when I was able to make it a regular part of my yearly schedule,” says Mark.
The Margaret River based dentist regularly volunteers overseas – with visits to India, Nepal and Papua New Guinea to help those in need.
“I’ve joined Paul Clarke in India with Equal Health in remote Tamil Nadu, providing care to very poor people with limited or no access to dental care,” Mark recalls. “In Nepal it was with George Manos and Project Yeti, in The Kopan Monastery.”
Mark says that he realised early on in India that every day would bring an event, which would in some way, be special – either rewarding or emotionally intense.
“In PNG I joined YWAM, boarding the vessel in Port Moresby and voyaging East along the South Coast to two anchorages,” he adds. “We either used the ship’s tenders to ferry our patients to the clinic on the ship or else took portable equipment on the tenders and travelled to the very remote villages.
“I look forward to continuing all these volunteer roles and adding more locations in the future.”
Back home in Margaret River, Mark and his staff volunteer via the ADA Dental Health Foundation’s Rebuilding Smiles program – so far completing three treatment plans for three grateful patients.
“This supports women who have been victims of domestic violence causing dental trauma,” Mark says. “In our patients’ cases, this was avulsed maxillary central incisors and also with two of the three there were widespread advanced caries.”
Mark says the women presented accustomed to dental pain and vastly compromised aesthetics, which have been their burden for quite some time.
“Watching them grow in confidence as their dental health improves and especially after their aesthetics are restored is rewarding beyond the technicalities of providing dental care,” he says. “Interestingly, my staff get immersed in the process and their lives also and share the same satisfaction at the completion.”
To other dentists considering giving back, Mark says the following: “I’d strongly encourage fellow dentists to consider joining the Rebuilding Smiles program,” he says. “It’s a meaningful way to give back – and one that allows you to volunteer without leaving your practice, using your own team and equipment.”
Would you and your practice team like to make a difference without leaving your practice? Please contact Andrea Paterson, ADA DHF WA State Coordinator at [email protected] to discuss the Rebuilding Smiles program. There is particular need in general Perth and surrounding areas, extending down to Mandurah, if any practices are available to help a patient in need.
