Dr Amy Lau is one of the dedicated dentists giving back with TIMA.
Dr Amy Lau has been giving back by volunteering with TIMA since 2019. “I was working with Dr Lydia See, one of the devoted organisers of the TIMA dental team,” Amy recalls. “She asked if I have some spare time and would I be interested in helping people with dental needs. She mentioned the clinic held in OHCWA once a month to help treating patients who are normally not eligible to be seen in the public system or who need to be placed on a long waiting list. As a previous public dental practitioner, I saw this as a great initiative and signed myself up to the next clinic held.”
Amy says her experience of volunteering with TIMA has been fantastic. “During my volunteering years with TIMA, I have met a great team of volunteers who have put themselves out there to assist with running the monthly dental clinic,” she says. “Many of them have no dental background but are executing their strength in administrative background preparation and supports.
We have some brilliant dental assistants who not only help the operators but also help to train up the first- and second-year dental students.
“I have also worked with dental students who are eager to return what they are learning back to the community (later returning for volunteering as operators after they are qualified) and many fellow colleagues, including general and specialist dentists.”
Amy’s main role in the clinic is to treat patients with missing dentitions – providing them dentures. “As dentists, we have made many dentures as per textbooks. However, the way they are received by different patients can be governed by so many factors, such as the usual anatomical defects, oral para-function and dietary requirements,” Amy explains.
“One of the cases I have been working on was a man who cannot speak English, who needed a full upper denture remake (he was referred to us from another organisation as they couldn’t make another denture to meet his expectation). Each time he came to see me, he would write a long letter and get someone to translate it English, explaining what wasn’t working for his current denture.”
Amy says they took extra time on history taking and explaining to him what they were trying to do, and after nine months he had a functioning denture that he was very pleased with.
She adds volunteering has been a very rewarding experience. “To me the most rewarding part about volunteering is the fact that I have encountered patients who came through the door – many with gross dental neglect and were being very apprehensive – slowly transformed into individuals who can let go of their fear and relax in the dental chair and trust us enough to keep returning to each monthly clinic.
“Sometimes I feel we are not just restoring their teeth but also restoring their loss of faith in people. Maybe being a dentist is not just about achieving a high standard of treatment outcomes but also to show the patients we care about their wellbeing too.
“In TIMA clinic, we treat patients who are unemployed, refugees, victims of crimes and domestic abuse, new migrants from different cultures, and some with mental illnesses or suffering from depression,” Amy adds. “Our volunteer team are always putting extra effort to greet them on arrival and help to ease their anxiety through casual chatting and introducing oral health education. I have met many dental colleagues who are passionate about dentistry and patient care in TIMA. You can always see many smiling faces (patients and volunteers) walking down the corridor at the clinic. I feel very fortunate to be working with such a great team of people.”
Amy urges anyone with a few Sundays free who would like to make a difference in another’s life to join the TIMA monthly clinic. To enquire about volunteering with TIMA, please email: [email protected]
