The more you do, the more you can do. Oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr Emma Lewis has begun volunteering with Healing Smiles and encourages other specialists to get on-board.
When Dr Emma Lewis received an email in 2021 from Dr Jacinta Vu requesting specialist volunteers
join Healing Smiles, Emma was happy to reply to say she would be willing to help.
“I have always enjoyed volunteer work and have fortunately had the opportunity to be involved with other organisations including treating cleft lip/palate patients in the Philippines, general oral surgery for patients in Nicaragua and Alachua County in Florida, as well as more recently alongside a multidisciplinary team in Cambodia. It is a real privilege to help people in this way and seems a natural choice with the qualifications we have worked hard to obtain."
“I find the work extremely rewarding,” she adds. “It is not only providing the oral and maxillofacial surgery itself but problem solving with the challenges that you often faced with such as language barriers, equipment and environmental situations.”
So far, the treatment Emma has provided for Healing Smiles patients has been mainly extractions. “One particular patient required multiple extractions as part of her overall treatment plan – all of which were difficult and required a surgical approach,” she says. “The treatment required a couple of visits so the fact she returned for her treatment is always encouraging!”
Emma says she often responds better to last minute calls for help to treat Healing Smiles patients, which Sandra Wood (Healing Smiles Volunteerism Coordinator) understands. “As a surgeon, we are brought up making last-minute decisions and squeezing people in; it is not unusual to have a day’s plan change several times. "I have also provided advice regarding impacted teeth, possible facial fractures and medical-related questions.”
When asked about the feedback received from Healing Smiles patients, Emma says they are always grateful and humble. “Our work is often one aspect to their overall care and so we may only treat them the one time,” she adds. “This may be at a real low point for them, especially if they are in pain or having to lose teeth unexpectedly.
“The nice thing about being part of a group like this, is that often we will receive feedback through the other treating members and Sandra is also very good at keeping us informed. Whilst we may all provide the treatment in our various offices, this is when you really feel like you are part of team accomplishing a common goal to help these patients in need.”
To other specialists considering volunteering, Emma encourages them to put up their hand. “Volunteering is highly rewarding and made easy when part of a great organisation such as Healing Smiles,” she says. “The key is having a person such as Sandra, who is the glue to keeping the process in motion and coordinated. The work would also not be possible without the help and support from my office team.
I think it would be fair to say that we all live busy lives and often putting your hand up to be involved can be quite daunting with thoughts of where it will fit in.
“I really believe in the adage: ‘the more you do, the more you can do’. Helping people is in our nature and what we are good at, so it’s a no-brainer to me!”
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