Equipment

1. Current Requirements for Dental Outreaches

The above is a list made September 2019 of the supplies we need for our dental outreaches this year. If it is possible, please would you consider bringing some of this with you or sending a parcel or the money to buy it here in Fiji?

Reading glasses

We hand out reading glasses on every outreach. We mostly give out the lower strengths of +1 to +2.75 and we would like to keep our stocks of these topped up. We also need many sunglasses and we have very few to give out and so have to restrict  who we give to based on age. So if you can donate any sunglasses it would be a real blessing

Donate

Below we list all our equipment we have at the base. If you could hand carry any of the smaller, consumable items it would be a great blessing. We have dispensation to import medical equipment and can provide you with the necessary papers for customs. We are also looking for help to freight some larger items that could be donated such as mattresses, lamps and chairs. Can you help? Not least please bring small games and gifts for the children and bibles.

Medical

Our mobile primary health clinic includes basic medical equipment such as stethoscope, otoscope, ophthalmoscope, sphygmomanometers (manual and automatic) and blood sugar testers. We have basic equipment for minor surgical procedures such as lumps and boils, and wound care supplies and dressings.

Our medications include antibiotics, painkillers and medication for diabetes, blood pressure, asthma, allergies, ears, eyes and common skin diseases. We also bring different resources for education such as posters and handouts for common problems in Fiji.

Dental

3 dental chairs

3 dental units with attachments for high-speed, slow-speed, 3-in-1 and aspiration

Large and small compressors

Protective equipment e.g. gloves, masks, glasses (suggest bringing your own scrubs)

Range of forceps and elevators for extractions

Range of restorative and surgical hand-pieces and burs

Dental anaesthetic with syringes and needles

Composite, glass ionomer and amalgam filling materials with appropriate bonding systems

Range of restorative dental instruments incl. mirrors, probes, excavators, pluggers, carvers etc.

Curing lights

Separating/finishing/occlusal strips

Perio probes

Ultrasonic scalers

Hand scalers

Polishing cups and prophy paste

Although we have one free-standing dental light it is usually much more practical for dentists and/or their nurses to wear head-lights. We have some generic lights, but if you own a specialist dental head-light we would recommend bringing it with you.

The nature and timing of our work means that providing anything lab-dependent, such as dentures or crowns, is not possible. We provide purely restorative and extraction options (occasionally including periodontal care). Although this may seem restrictive it meets the vast majority of Fiji’s dental needs. Most patients we see have advanced caries or periodontal disease and expect extractions when they see us, for which they often very thankful. Dealing with the discomfort of pulpally compromised teeth is in itself a huge task amongst the local population, but we do provide restorations where appropriate.

Optometry

We have no full-time staff qualified in optometry at present. However, we have diagnostic equipment and a considerable range of prescription glasses available for visiting professionals. We also have the option of referring patients in need of cataract surgery to Taveuni Eye Project.

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