ADAWA Website

Dr Lucy De Jesus was on the committee of Women in Dentistry (WID) when the idea for Healing Smiles was sparked.

“I was impressed by the work the former committee had done in terms of fundraising for different charities, but felt strongly that we could do more as a group,” she recalls. “I started talking about the idea that we had unique skills and talents as practicing dentists and could use these skills to help people directly, rather than fundraise for outside organisations.”

“With a lot of work from other WID committee members and assistance from many others, Healing Smiles became a reality. I feel so proud to have been there from the start, and to see how much Healing Smiles has grown and the amazing work that’s been done.”

Lucy has been a consistent supporter of Healing Smiles by taking on cases whenever she is asked, which usually involves non-surgical periodontal treatment and some surgical extractions. “I complete the patient’s examination, their initial course of periodontal treatment and a first review,” she says. “If the patient wishes to return for on-going maintenance treatment, I offer it at a heavily discounted price. We can’t provide lifelong pro-bono maintenance treatment for these patients, but what we do certainly makes a huge positive difference.”

She says the experience of helping these patients has been very satisfying. “The patients are always so grateful,” Lucy says. “They can really see the difference and how much their gums have improved. They no longer have bad breath, and their smile and self-esteem improve.

“There was a gorgeous lady with mild gum disease who returned with a beautiful card that said: ‘You have a heart of gold’. I was surprised because I felt like I had not done much to help her, but she had been in a situation where her husband had refused to let her see a dentist, so I think she was thankful that she finally had a chance to receive dental treatment. It was a great feeling to be able to provide that for her.”

To other specialists who are thinking about volunteering, Lucy encourages them to get on board. “Someone close to me has suffered domestic abuse, which is why I feel very passionate about supporting this cause,” she says. “Domestic abuse does not just affect women of a lower economic status – it can easily happen to strong, independent, accomplished women.

“My staff at Perth Periodontics are really happy to be involved as well,” she adds. “It brings an overall good feeling for everyone in the practice by boosting staff morale and team spirit. I encourage my colleagues to try to help to make a difference.

“Dentistry has given us incredible life opportunities and I feel we are lucky to be able to do the job that we do. It is wonderful to be able to give back to the community by using our skills and experience to help others.”

–

For more details about Healing Smiles, contact Clinical Coordinator Dr Jacinta Vu at healingsmileswa@gmail.com