Volunteering with Healing Smiles has given Dr Behnaz Zarandion the perfect opportunity to replay the love and support she received.
Dr Behnaz Zarandion is a regular volunteer with Healing Smiles – enabling her to do something she has always wanted to do – use her skills to help others.
“I had thoughts of serving the indigenous community in the rural region,” Behnaz recalls. “However, the commitment to my family and running my private practice,did not allow me to do that.”
Behnaz says she had wanted to become a dentist since she was in seventh grade, she always wanted to be able to use her knowledge and skills to help the less privileged members of our community.
“I came to Australia as a refugee due to the Bahá’í persecutions in Iran,” she says. “As Bahá’ís are not allowed tertiary education in Iran, being able to do this in Australia was an immense blessing. I didn’t take it lightly and I always wanted to repay it by serving as a thank you to all the love, support and great opportunities my family and I had received in Australia.”
Behnaz retired from working in a private practice last year and started working at OHCWA. “I came across Dr Tracey Gold (we graduated together in 1992!), and she mentioned about Healing Smiles and their need for volunteers. I couldn’t believe my luck! That’s exactly what I wanted to do. Hence, I have been serving this great cause since August 2024.”
Behnaz has volunteering for Healing Smiles one day a week every fortnight, providing whatever treatment is needed to patients who are survivors of domestic violence. “We tend to start with full examination and diagnosis, followed by scale and debridements, educating the patients for their home care, restorations, extraction, root canal treatments, fixed and/or removable prosthodontics,” she explains.Behnaz says observing the transformation, both clinically and emotionally, in the patients has been very gratifying.
“They (the patients) are lovely ladies, who usually have a lot of concerns and anxiety to start with,” she says. “By the time we get a chance to discuss and address their needs, they tend to become much more calm and feel at ease. They become very cooperative and thankful for the treatments they are given.”
To other dentists considering volunteering with Healing Smiles, Behnaz says it is a great opportunity to serve the community with all the skills and knowledge that dentists have and can provide.
“It is located locally, hence, easy access, especially with the new clinic and set up, it would be an amazing experience,” she says. “But of course, you need to come prepared. However, as a dentist who is experienced, we are pretty tough and can handle any challenges. The set up, the supportive team and the desire and passion to serve, makes this a very rewarding and enriching experience.”
To find out more information about volunteering with Healing Smiles, or to express interest in volunteering, email [email protected]
