RAAF dental drill combats plaque in Derby

The Royal Australian Air Force will touch down in Derby this month for Exercise Kummundoo and while it may sound like the latest live fire exercise, the only enemy these air force personnel will be fighting is dental plaque and gum disease. Throughout October, RAAF dentists will be stationed in Derby and will help local services deliver much-needed dental care to the community in an effort to address the challenges of accessing dental treatment in the Kimberley. Officer in charge of the exercise Flt-Lt Maryam Ferooz, said she felt honoured to lead the effort. “I am looking forward to learning from the community, including about their country. I hope to be able to work with a wide range of age groups in Derby to improve oral health,” she said. The exercise will give RAAF personnel the opportunity to hone their dentistry skills under different conditions and engage directly with Indigenous Australians on their ancestral lands. Flt-Lt Ferooz said the collaborative effort was a testament to the strong ties between Defence and Indigenous communities. “My team are driven by a sense of purpose, and delivering dental care, as well as oral health training and advice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote Australia is a real privilege,” she said. The air force team will also run community sessions to help highlight the importance of good oral health and healthy lifestyle choices, and provide defence career information. It comes after hundreds of Australian Defence Force personnel were deployed to the Kimberley in response to the once-in-a-century floods that inundated the region earlier this year. Exercise Kummundoo is delivered by the RAAF in collaboration with Derby Aboriginal Health Service and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.