Sunderland dentist returns from mercy mission
A DENTIST from the North East has returned from a mercy mission to treat children in a remote Moroccan mountain village.
Michael Oliver, of Olivers Dental Surgery in Sunderland, took on the challenge as part of a national charity he founded to give children living in remote parts of Morocco access to pain-free dentistry.
The 51-year-old says a mixture of a high sugar diet and no dentistry has led to the children suffering toothache much earlier than in the western world.
Joined by 38-year-old dental nurse Joanne Barella, Mr Oliver set out for North Africa last month.
While out there, the pair treated 160 children at a specially-developed clinic in El Jebah, in the Rif Mountains. “We picked Morocco because the children have really poor teeth and they haven’t any dentists,” said Mr Oliver.
“In fact, we were quite surprised at how bad the children’s teeth were – they are pretty atrocious.
“They have a bad, really high-sugar diet and are fed honey and sweet teas from a young age.”
Mr Oliver vowed to help the children and founded Dental Mavericks.
The charity, a campaign now led by seven UK dentists, last year raised £10,000 and is now able to provide a clinic for the Moroccan youngsters.
But the avid Sunderland fan has been sure to spread more than goodwill. The Fulwell-born Black Cats’ fanatic has been handing out SAFC shirts so families will remember their trip to the dentist.
He is even hoping to nurture a Moroccan-based Sunderland AFC North Africa supporters’ branch.
He said: “It feels great to help these children. First of all, the children are wonderful.
“Families have great pride in their children. For all that they live in squalor, the children are clean and tidy and very pleasant.
“There is a communication issue as I don’t speak Arabic but some people speak French in the Arabic dialect. We were able to treat 160 children mainly for pain relief, usually by extraction.
“Next year we hope to buy equipment and provide the sort of dentistry that we would recognise here, such as fillings. Then hopefully we will be able to save some teeth too.”