Oral Health and Dentistry Awards 2020

GHP / 2020 Oral Health & Dentistry Awards 9 , Nov20578 Expressing the importance of oral health has always been a challenge, particularly with minority groups in the UK. The teambehind African and Caribbean Dental Association UK wanted tomake a real difference, bringing people together in order tomake a change in the local community. Their work has achieved somuch, leading to their success in the Oral Health and Dentistry Awards. We take a closer look to see how they’ve achieved such success. Best Oral Health Awareness Initiative 2020 - UK Formed by Dr Julius Babayemi and Dr Timi Adesanya, ACDA is a charitable organisation designed to raise awareness of oral health amongst minority groups. Often, these groups are the people least likely to turn to dentists and oral specialists for help, with many problems arising as a result. The organisation brings together 230 different people, from a variety of different professions including dentists, dental nurses, dental technicians, dental therapists and hygienists. Reaching to such a broad range of people allows them to share a wealth of different experiences and to learn more effectively from each other. Mentoring is a key part of the success of ACDA, providing positive role models to student practitioners. The aim of the group is simple, namely, to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in oral health amongst ethnic minority groups, especially within the African and Caribbean communities in the UK. The team’s methods of achieving this are through personal development and advancing education of young people. By ensuring that they have a constantly evolving capacity for work, they can participate more effectively in society at large. Those who turn to ACDA have found impressive benefits, including mentoring, job opportunities, networking opportunities, discounts to industry events and help with purchasing practices. There are untold benefits to joining the team at ACDA, assisting them with the aim of creating a broader outlook in the world of dental health. Of course, the society has made many impressive advances recently, including meeting with the Special Advisor to Theresa May, when she was the UK’s Prime Minister. This opportunity allows members to have direct contact with the heart of government, discussing the diversity issues and barriers that many young black people face in the world today. Having the space to take part in this discussion was a direct result of the world that ACDA has undertaken over the years. As time goes on, the team at ACDA are intending to raise their ambitions even higher. Their membership is set to increase as awareness of the charity’s existence spreads. This will not just apply to those who specialise in oral health, but to the public at large. The aim is not just to continue the good work that the team currently undertake, but to expand upon it in new and interesting ways. One of these is to engage dental institutions to understand how the admissions process works and how increase the quota of admission of students from African and Caribbean ethnic group within dental schools. Doing this would make an enormous difference to the way in which the industry is seen by the public at large. While the dental industry has come a long way, there is still far to travel. The work of ACDA cannot let up if the team want to achieve the success that they so richly deserve. We celebrate their impressive achievements, and look forward to seeing what more they can bring to the impressive tapestry that is the UK’s dental scene. Company: African and Caribbean Dental Association UK Contact: Olurotimi Adesanya Website: www.acda-uk.org A C C A African & Caribbean Dental Association UK