Participants in the third Bright Smiles Charity Ride know that dental cavities are 55 per cent higher in children living in remote communities.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Shocking dental health data published by the Royal Flying Doctor Service motivates their fundraising.
They will leave Pokobin in the Hunter Valley on Thursday to travel 1300 kilometres along back roads, staying overnight at Coonabarabran, Dubbo and Parkes.
In 2017 the Bright Smiles Charity Ride raised more than $40,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Sections (RFDS SE) oral health program.
Im pleased to say that the third edition of the Bright Smiles charity motorcycle ride will again be supporting the RFDS SEs oral health program, organiser Bill Patrick said.
The dental service has made great strides since we started Bright Smiles. The team has been expanded and a dental van enables the team to service communities without airstrips where the RFDS SE fly-in clinics cant go.
In 2016 the RFDS published a report called Filling the Gaps which found 33 per cent of people in remote areas were living with untreated tooth decay compared with 23 per cent in major cities.
Gum disease affected 34 per cent of people in remote areas as compared with 22 per cent in the big smoke.
RFDS SE dentist Dr Jenny Pham said people did not realise how severely poor oral health could affect them.
Oral disease, particularly when left untreated, is associated with certain cardiovascular diseases, respiratory illnesses and other chronic diseases, she said.
Other common conditions such as endocarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart), stroke, aspiration pneumonia, diabetes, kidney disease and some adverse pregnancy outcomes are also associated with poor oral health.
The riders will visit the RFDS SE Base at Dubbo on Saturday to meet with its oral health team.
To support the Bright Smiles Charity Ride go to www.everydayhero.com.au/event/brightsmilescharityride2018.