Haarlem residents who cannot afford the dentist were lucky today. They could have their teeth taken care of for free in the mobile clinic of ‘Dokters van De Wereld’. And this was eagerly taken advantage of. It was busy at Stem in de Stad in the center of Haarlem.
Valerie van Munster, one of the dentists, had her hands full. Two clients from HVO-Querido and twelve from Stem in de Stad will take a seat in the dental chair today. Donovan among them. He has been walking around for a while with upper teeth that are on the verge of breaking. One cough and the prosthesis breaks in two. He tried in vain to close the break with superglue. Donovan complains of pain in his gums. “Eating hurts,” he says. “I’ve already lost seven kilos.”
New prosthesis
Valerie soon finds the cause. Donovan’s ‘repair work’ caused his dentures to become crooked. The solution is a new prosthesis. He will soon get it fitted for free. Valerie is one of the local dentists who also voluntarily perform the follow-up treatment. “It’s nice to do,” she says. “Then Donovan can laugh and eat again.”
Basic package
With the treatments, the dentists not only want to help people with a limited budget, but also want to draw political attention to this problem. “Neglected oral care costs society three billion euros every year,” says Caroline van Wingaarden of ‘Doctors of the World.’ Oral care must be included in the basic package of health insurers.”