Many of the staff at Toothbuds are engaged with volunteerism both individually and collectively as a team, so were keen to be of service when they saw an opportunity to assist Healing Smiles.
When the Healing Smiles team put a call-out for volunteer DCAs to assist at some of their clinics, it caught the attention of the team at Toothbuds Paediatric Dentistry.
Knowing his team’s interest in supporting worthy causes, Paediatric Dentist from Toothbuds, Dr Rod Jennings, made a generous suggestion – to reimburse volunteers from his team for their time at the Healing Smiles clinic so they could offer this support, while not sacrificing their income.
“Shelly was our first team member to step forward as soon as we saw the message looking for someone to volunteer for a Healing Smiles clinic,” Rod says. “Then shortly a number of others offered to do be involved, too.
“We are very much in an industry aligned with being of service to others, though a reduced income may be a barrier to some being able to contribute to volunteerism without an unfortunate personal financial setback,” Rod adds. “We purposely schedule a dental assistant as a steri nurse or a spare pair of hands, so with the joint decision to forgo this support for a good cause the team ratified that we could get by without that extra person – and I know the Healing Smiles dentists the DCAs were assisting certainly appreciated it.”
The Toothbuds team assisted with several Healing Smiles clinics under these arrangements.
“Everyone was very keen to help Healing Smiles,” Rod says. “Our team certainly has an acute awareness of Domestic Violence and other issues; we often see the children from these families,” he adds. “They might be referred to us through government departments or support organisations, looking to avoid what can be longer waitlists for subsidised care.
“Even though we are not in the position to care for the mothers or adult children from these families, I see it very much as a continuation of our mission. We have always strived to provide accessible care, whether extending education to community groups or bulk-billing care under the Medicare Child Dental Benefits Scheme. It is all about improving access. We have never aimed to provide an exclusive experience – we want to be out in the community and amongst it. We are always looking out to expand this service for others.”
Rod says the experience has been very positive for the entire Toothbuds team. “It feeds back into the team culture and everyone shares their experiences which is so appreciated,” he says. “There is a cost to the practice but the benefit to the community is so much more rewarding. That meaningful work is so important.”
Away from the practice, many members of the Toothbuds team are also involved in other forms of volunteerism. “It is always very fulfilling to be able to give back, sometimes feeling selfishly so,” Rod says. “Having volunteered to provide dental support for the Special Olympics Special Smiles program, WA iSports, the Kimberley Dental Team and other organisations, I can personally vouch for the sense of reward.”
“It can be surprising the adventures volunteerism opportunities can take you on. Whether at home or abroad, many of our team have found a way to contribute to others: volunteerism begets volunteerism and I think it is because others see how fulfilling it is.”
When asked what he would say to another practice considering looking into a volunteerism activity with the team, Rod says he would encourage it 100 percent.
“Volunteering has that positive feedback loop for the team,” he explains. “It helps to reinforce a great team culture and it brings new perspectives. For example, we have taken the opportunity to review what support structures we have for families needing holistic care – socially and emotionally, not just dentally. We hope to take on board some of the perspectives of Healing Smiles on how we can do this. We have a very child-focused approach because the children are our patients, but the families of those children are also very important. I would like to think what we can do will have meaning for the whole family.”
