Pediatric dentistry treatments are intended to help protect a child's oral health and give them the smile they deserve. But it comes at a heavy price that many parents especially from disadvantaged backgrounds cannot afford. This is where Dr Londiwe Sibisi-Maboye (42) and her team at the Kids Dental Home Inc and Kids Dental Home Foundation come in. They give children bright and beautiful smiles for free.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
When growing up, Dr Sibisi-Maboye struggled with dental issues and her parents who could hardly afford to get her teeth fixed. They had to travel long distances to get her help. Sibisi-Maboye knew right then that she had to do something when she grows up to help those from disadvantaged backgrounds just like her. "I started the Foundation because of my personal dentistry issues that my father couldn't resolve because of finances. I know what it is like for parents not to afford to get their children beautiful smiles and I knew I had to make a difference," she said. She added that she has seen people travelling hours from rural areas because they want what's best for their kids. "My experience taught me that I can be the change I want to see. That's how we started the NPO informally and had a mobile dental clinic around teaching parents about dental health because I didn't want people to go through what I went through," Sibisi-Maboye said.
THE ORGANISATION FOCUS
Severe tooth decay affects 51% of children between the ages of 0-6 years globally and Sibisi-Maboye says there are a lot of psychological issues that come with it. "Kids are being bullied and in the process, they lose confidence in themselves. That's our focus as the organisation because it's preventable," she said. She says there have been instances where kids are made to wait for up to two years at a government hospital to be operated on and that their organisation's mission is to operate as many children as possible. " We started last year when we operated on ten children in Pretoria and 14 at the Mandela Children Hospital this year," One of the children who benefited from surgeries is Unahina Manganya. His mother Andronica Manganya said Unahina had a challenge with tooth decay, and he was always in pain and his self-confidence suffered in the process. "We found out about Kids Dental Home on social media and we decided to try it out. Their service was overwhelming and welcoming. Their services are personalised, they made us comfortable and we are really grateful that our child has benefited and it changed his life," Manganya said.
MAKING KIDS COMFORTABLE
It's undeniable that one of the least favourite people for kids is a dentist. But Sibisi-Maboye said the Foundation made it their mission to make their environment as child friendly as possible. "Kids are afraid to go to the dentist and we wanted to be different. We wanted to create a none threatening environment by making our offices and environment engaging themes," she said.
RAISING FUNDS
To raise funds, they have a community event called Ride for Smile, a charity ride for kids' dental surgeries where they collaborate with Kollonade Retail Park in Pretoria. "We approach hospitals to partner with us, and we are also open to volunteers including nurses and dentists," The Ride for Smile cycling event takes place twice a year where the Foundation raises funds, in March during the Oral month and another on September 25. To participate in the Ride for Smile, you can follow https://rideforsmiles.myactive.co.za/CaptureDetails/LoginRegister.aspx for more information.
