Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited (GULF), in its third-year collaboration with the Faculty of Dentistry Chulalongkorn University (Dent Chula), completed the second round of “GULF Sparks Smiles” initiative for the year 2023, where a total of four rounds of dental care services will be conducted. Following the launch of a special facility at the Bangkok School for the Blind earlier this year, GULF extended its outreach to include the visually impaired and reinforces the campaign’s objective of broadening community access to dental healthcare. The year’s second dental service event was held at Thippawas temple in Lat Krabang district, Bangkok. In response to the overwhelming positive feedback and increased traction, this most recent event’s duration was extended to two days, enabling larger patient turnout and allowing for walk-in registrations.

Natthavoot Koottathape, Associate Dean, Physical Resources, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, expressed, “For the third year running, Dent Chula and GULF have partnered to implement the GULF Sparks Smiles initiative. This is our second visit to the Lat Krabang district as we aim to progressively inspire the locals to adopt better oral hygiene practices and personal health habits. We also want to encourage them to practice self-care by coming in for regular oral and dental health exams, thereby ensuring ongoing care and betterment of individual and community health in the long-term. Among those who have returned for the treatment this time around included individuals who overcame their fear of dental procedures. There were also children aged 4-5 who had just begun receiving dental checkups. This is, indeed, a strong indication that there is a growing understanding and reception of the benefits of dental wellness maintenance, which aligns with GULF’s mission to sustainably enrich the quality of life for individuals in various communities. We certainly look forward to seeing even greater results in the coming years.”

Penchan Sricharoenchai, a Volunteer Dentist, shared, “I initially became involved in GULF’s initiative in 2022 as a volunteer dentist at Thippawas Community. Due to the prevalence of dental health issues amongst the community’s children and adults, some of whom had never seen a dentist before, it was quite a challenging experience for me. Despite the physical exhaustion, it was rewarding to have the opportunity to apply my professional expertise to assist others. Following my decision to become a volunteer dentist in my spare time, I decided to return here and it was fulfilling to witness the sustained positive impact this program has on the community. Individuals are also becoming more aware of the importance of maintaining oral health hygiene, a shift which signifies a beginning of a journey towards fewer oral health issues and communal health problems.”

“This initiative is the result of the joint collaboration of several parties, including GULF, Dent Chula, and the community, who worked tirelessly to help enhance people’s quality of life. As a representative of the community, I would like to thank both the team of dentists and GULF for organizing such a successful event and bringing a team of expert dentists who are dedicated to serving both the locals and those from outside of the community,” added Ms. Nara Kaewklom, Community Leader of Phatthana Thippawas Village in Lat Krabang District, Bangkok.

The “GULF Sparks Smiles” dental unit offers free essential dental services, including fillings, tooth extractions, scaling, fluoride coating, and x-rays, in addition to more complex procedures, such as wisdom tooth extractions. The unit has the capacity to handle between 150 to 200 cases daily and had overseen an upward of over 250 cases in its 2-day operation during its second installment this year. In addition to organizing this effective campaign, GULF supplied staff volunteers to assist with patient registration and facilitated on-site procedures. This year, the dental facility will extend its reach to two additional locations. For the latest updates and information, please visit GULF Spark Facebook Fanpage at facebook.com/GulfSPARK.TH