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Canberra Today 13°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Dr Lam uses her dental practice to give back

The team at Braddon Dental Surgery, from left, dental assistant Sabine Toohey, dentist Dr Laura Pham, dentist Dr Loc Lam and dental assistant Helen Harding.

Braddon Dental Surgery is offering a series of “charity days” throughout the year. This is a sponsored post.

BRADDON Dental Surgery is offering a series of “charity days” throughout the year, where the entire takings of the day will be donated to local and overseas charities, says owner and principal dentist Dr Loc Lam.

On the “charity days”, Dr Lam and her team will donate all payments to a charity for dental work performed on the day.

Dr Lam says patients are encouraged to book in on a day that supports a charity that’s important to them, and if they don’t need to see a dentist at that time, they can make a donation instead. New patients are welcome too, she says.

There will be four charity events: the first, on Saturday, February 6 will donate funds to Karinya House, a local not-for-profit providing shelter, stability and support for women who are pregnant or have new babies, and may be at risk of violence or homelessness.

On Saturday, May 15, funds raised will go to support Companion House, a community-based organisation that works with those who’ve sought safety in Australia from persecution, torture and war-related trauma; and on Saturday, July 10, they will donate to Sanjiwani Australia, a charity that supports the Sanjiwani Public Health Mission Nepal, which provides health services to Nepalese villagers who face daily challenges brought on by the remote, harsh environment.

The final charity day will be on Saturday, November 27, with the nominated charity yet to be confirmed.

Braddon Dental Surgery offers family dental, general check-ups, fillings, crowns and bridges, implants, teeth whitening, on-site x-ray, cosmetic veneers, root canal, sleep apnoea and emergency services.

And for Dr Lam, who started Braddon Dental Surgery more than 30 years ago, charity work and giving back has always been a part of the picture.

Pre-covid, Dr Lam would travel regularly to Vietnam and Nepal, often with her daughter and colleague Dr Laura Pham, to provide free dental work to underprivileged communities.

“Since covid has meant I’m unable to travel, I wanted to provide help closer to home,” she says.

“The charities we’ve decided to support locally were chosen by members of the team here at Braddon Dental Surgery, so they’re all very close to our hearts.”

Originally from Vietnam, Dr Lam says she’s gone back there to work through a children’s charity, Children’s Health Aid Team (CHAT), based in Perth, that offers dental care and oral health education to people in need in areas of South and Central Vietnam, including orphans and those with disability.

“I come from a refugee background, and feel fortunate to have been able to study in Australia at Queensland University, graduating in 1986, so I’ve always wanted to give back,” she says.

“There are so many people who need help and doing charity work gives me a sense that I’m doing something useful.”

Dr Lam’s connection to Nepal came following a holiday there in 2013, when she saw a need for healthcare services in the more remote areas of the country, and began working with an Australian couple who had set up a dental clinic there.

She now volunteers at Sanjiwani Public Health Mission Nepal, based in Ghandruk, a village in the Annapurna region of Nepal, and along with her husband, John Guilfoyle, supports the clinic in the remote region.

“All our regular patients know about my charity work overseas, and often ask about my trips and the kind of work I’ve been doing,” she says.

“Offering charity work in our own dental surgery, with our patients getting to be a part of it, is a way for me to carry on supporting others.”

A donation link has already been set up for clients of Braddon Dental Surgery to donate to Karinya House. This link will remain active until the end of February.

Braddon Dental, 3/18 Lonsdale Street, Braddon. Call 6257 3072, visit braddondental.com.au or donate to Karinya House via karinyahouse.secure.force.com/secure/donate

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