Serbia: Mobile Dental Clinic

RMF Mobile Dental Clinic Officially Opens: Q3 2018

November 01, 2018

Dr. Dragana Marković, Dr Milica Radonjić, Dr. Julija Ljuština, Milan Pantelić, Stevan Ilijevski

Serbia Initiative Reports

A dental examination in RMF Mobile Dental Clinic

Mobile Dental Clinic

RMF’s Presence

Dental care for migrants and refugees has been largely neglected in the previous years of the migrant crisis, and they were unable to obtain adequate dental care during their stay in Serbia as, according to the law, they were entitled to only emergency dental interventions. Recognizing the urgent need for dental care at Obrenovac Reception and Transition Center, RMF Serbia launched the Mobile Dental Clinic project, which was completed on March 22. This is the first and only mobile dental clinic in Serbia. It officially opened for service on July 3, and it is open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

Our dental team, which consists of a dentist and a dental nurse, performs 15 to 30 procedures per day. The dental team also aims to inform and educate project beneficiaries on the importance of oral hygiene. The staff is employed through the Obrenovac Health Centre, and RMF Serbia finances their salaries, dental equipment, materials, and medicines. With this project, we have achieved great cooperation with the government sector. In individual cases, RMF Serbia also provides basic dental care to the local population employed at Obrenovac Transit Centre.

During this reporting period, RMF was involved in the following activities and accomplishments:

The dental team saw 650 patients, most of whom had complex issues which required further interventions and check-ups.
324 patients had toothaches, 203 had bleeding gums, 53 patients had swelling and tooth sensitivity, 14 had oral cysts, 66 patients had jaw pain, and 17 had broken teeth.
Cavities were the most common oral disease with 142 cases. 108 patients had dental gangrene, and 104 had periodontal disease. 92 patients had inflamed gums, 92 had abscesses in the lower and upper jaws, and there were also 23 acute and 37 chronic pulp inflammation cases. 35 cases of pericoronitis and 26 cases of inflamed wisdom teeth were also noted.
The dental team performed 50 tooth extractions.
All dental procedures in the domain of basic dental healthcare were performed, including preventive examinations for the detection of tooth disease, tooth repair, medical treatment of deep cavities, dental nerve inflammation treatment, filling of dental canals, treatment of infected teeth and gums, paradontopathy treatment, tooth extraction, drainage, etc.RMF Serbia is proud to be the very first organization to address the refugee and migrant population’s urgent need for dental care. With the opening of the RMF Mobile Dental Clinic, persons of concern have the opportunity to receive comprehensive dental care, which is one step towards the better integration of the refugees and migrant population. RMF Serbia is excited to continue working on this project with our partners, The Ministry of Health and the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration.

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Provide comprehensive dental care for all refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers in Obrenovac Reception and Transition Centre.
Inform project beneficiaries about the importance of oral hygiene and educate them on best oral hygiene practices.

In order to address the urgent need for comprehensive dental care among refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers at Obrenovac Reception and Transit Centre, RMF Balkans opened a mobile dental clinic, the first of its kind in Serbia.

The RMF-supported dentist and dental nurse see 20 to 30 patients per day and perform preventive examinations, fillings, extractions, repairs, and other treatments. The dental team is also dedicated to educating project beneficiaries on the importance of oral hygiene.