{"id":40405,"date":"2025-03-03T15:15:10","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T04:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/?p=40405"},"modified":"2025-03-03T15:19:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T04:19:38","slug":"filling-the-gap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/filling-the-gap\/","title":{"rendered":"Filling the gap"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">5<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up.jpg\" alt=\"Filling the Gap\" class=\"wp-image-40406 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up-696x464.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up.jpg\" alt=\"Filling the Gap\" class=\"wp-image-40406 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/dental-check-up-696x464.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photography: dragonimages\/123RF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-as-the-pro-bono-dental-aid-service-filling-the-gap-nears-its-20th-year-the-service-remains-reliant-upon-a-strong-supply-of-volunteer-dentists-by-cameron-cooper\">As the pro bono dental aid service Filling the Gap nears its 20th year, the service remains reliant upon a strong supply of volunteer dentists. By Cameron Cooper<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pro bono dental service <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fillingthegap.org.au\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Filling the Gap<\/a> has issued a call for more volunteer dentists to help guarantee existing funding and drive regional expansion as it approaches almost two decades of oral health support for under-privileged Australians. The service aims to build on its success by increasing its volunteer base in 2025 to service its annual complement of free dental appointments for vulnerable communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re targeting around 750 appointments for the 2025 financial year,\u201d says Dr Jodie Olivier, chair of Filling the Gap and vice-president of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adansw.com.au\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Australian Dental Association NSW Branch<\/a>. \u201cAt the moment we\u2019re on target for 2025, but in order to stay on target we do need a steady supply of volunteers in the pipeline.\u201d<\/p><div class=\"bitem-article-desktop-720x300-in-text\" id=\"bitem-2239657756\"><!-- Bite 720x300 [async] -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">if (!window.AdButler){(function(){var s = document.createElement(\"script\"); s.async = true; s.type = \"text\/javascript\";s.src = 'https:\/\/servedby.engagemedia.com.au\/app.js';var n = document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0]; n.parentNode.insertBefore(s, n);}());}<\/script>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\nvar AdButler = AdButler || {}; AdButler.ads = AdButler.ads || [];\r\nvar abkw = window.abkw || '';\r\nvar plc705185 = window.plc705185 || 0;\r\ndocument.write('<'+'div id=\"placement_705185_'+plc705185+'\"><\\\/'+'div>');\r\nAdButler.ads.push({handler: function(opt){ AdButler.register(165450, 705185, [720,300], 'placement_705185_'+opt.place, opt); }, opt: { place: plc705185++, keywords: abkw, domain: 'servedby.engagemedia.com.au', click:'CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER' }});\r\n<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Filling the Gap has a range of programs that prioritise the homeless, asylum-seekers, refugees, victims of domestic violence, people recovering from addiction and those who cannot access mainstream dental services.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But with many dentists battling high practice workloads, making an ongoing commitment to volunteering for the service can be daunting. \u201cDentists are busy treating their own patient base, as well as ensuring they maintain required CPD quotas, so it can be difficult to take time out of a busy schedule to volunteer,\u201d Dr Olivier says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere is also a cost involved\u2014for example, lost earnings as well as overheads associated with providing pro bono care within dental practices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Filling the Gap\u2019s focus in 2025 is attracting dentists to work at either the service\u2019s clinic in St Leonards, Sydney, or within their own private clinics performing crucial dental aid work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A waitlist for services indicates more can be done if additional volunteer dental practitioners and support staff come on board. \u201cWhat we\u2019re doing is really only the tip of the iceberg for the wider needs in the community,\u201d Dr Olivier says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A key goal is to ramp up regional pro bono dental services across New South Wales, she adds. \u201cWe have a strong focus on service delivery, so we hope to recruit more volunteers, so we can expand our programs to underserved regional communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-rules-of-engagement\">Rules of engagement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To woo more volunteers, Dr Olivier says her team at ADA NSW will \u201cshout from the rooftops\u201d to promote Filling the Gap and encourages dental workers to follow the dental charity\u2019s achievements through ADA NSW publications and social media channels. \u201cWord of mouth is also powerful,\u201d she says. \u201cWe encourage dentists who have enjoyed their experience volunteering for Filling the Gap to spread the word to their colleagues.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>Volunteering for Filling the Gap is extremely rewarding. There\u2019s a sense of fulfilment and purpose, so volunteering can help our own wellbeing too and bring dental teams together. <br><br><strong>Dr Jodie Olivier, chair, Filling the Gap<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When recruiting, Dr Olivier says there is an emphasis on flexibility so people \u201ccan volunteer in a way that suits them\u201d. Dentists could restrict their support to a single dental session in St Leonards, where all necessary equipment and materials are supplied, or offer mid to long-term support. Those who open their own clinics to needy patients can do so as a one-off, or on an ongoing basis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some dentists may opt to treat multiple patients with acute needs or take on a single patient and complete a full course of treatment. \u201cAll assistance is welcome,\u201d Dr Olivier says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She concedes there may be a \u201chesitancy about the unknown\u201d that stops some potential volunteers from helping, especially given that the program facilitates care for patients outside the usual demographic of some practices. To help address this, Dr Olivier says clinic coordinators work closely with the case workers from referring charities to manage patients.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-proud-history\">Proud history<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>From 2006 to 2016, Filling the Gap provided more than 10,000 dental appointments and about 25,000 dental procedures to Indigenous communities in far north Queensland.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since gaining rights to the brand in 2018, ADA NSW has continued to address dental disadvantage in a broader section of the community. \u201cWe\u2019ve facilitated over 4000 dental appointments worth more than $2 million in pro bono dental care since Filling the Gap relaunched,\u201d Dr Olivier says. Filling the Gap also provides oral health education sessions and facilitates <a href=\"https:\/\/adadhf.org.au\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ADA Dental Health Foundation<\/a> (DHF) programs in NSW and the ACT. In addition to dental check-ups, common treatments through the initiative include cleaning teeth, filling cavities, extracting teeth, and fitting dentures. Many patients who receive dental care through the service may not have been to a dentist for years, and they typically experience a range of significant social and health challenges that can result in extensive dental needs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr Olivier cites the case of one Filling the Gap patient who presented with multiple teeth that required extraction, and poorly fitting dentures that had been causing him significant pain and embarrassment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur volunteer dentists were able to restore his oral health through completing the extractions and making new dentures to allow him to eat and smile in comfort, providing him with a renewed sense of self-worth and a path forward toward rebuilding his life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ambitious-agenda\">Ambitious agenda<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2025-27 strategic plan for Filling the Gap outlines a program to provide in excess of $1 million for dental charitable services. It also wants to promote a culture of volunteerism, create avenues for community engagement within the dental profession and increase the pool and geographical distribution of volunteers. There are also plans to lift the profile of Filling the Gap and explore opportunities to expand the service to regional areas. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But for now, the aim is promote the benefits of volunteering. \u201cVolunteering for Filling the Gap is extremely rewarding,\u201d Dr Olivier enthuses. \u201cThere\u2019s a sense of fulfilment and purpose, so volunteering can help our own wellbeing too and bring dental teams together.\u201d &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the pro bono dental aid service Filling the Gap nears its 20th year, the service remains reliant upon a strong supply of volunteer dentists. By Cameron Cooper Pro bono dental service Filling the Gap has issued a call for more volunteer dentists to help guarantee existing funding and drive regional expansion as it approaches [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":40406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7170,688],"tags":[375,684,1297,1298],"class_list":{"0":"post-40405","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-featured","8":"category-your-world","9":"tag-ada-nsw","10":"tag-featured","11":"tag-filling-the-gap","12":"tag-volunteer-dentists"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Filling the gap - Bite Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/filling-the-gap\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Filling the gap\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As the pro bono dental aid service Filling the Gap nears its 20th year, the service remains reliant upon a strong supply of volunteer dentists. 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