Goldenwoman.org

By Linnet Muchoki 

Afya Bora Complete Dentistry Limited is a dream come true for Dr Donna Williams-Ngirwa, who has been in love with Tanzania and her people since she was a child.  The celebrated dental surgeon in New York City, America, extracted a tooth from a patient for the first time in Shinyanga, Tanzania.  In 2022,  Dr Donna and her family set up Afya Bora Complete Dentistry- a state-of-the-art dental clinic in Tanzania’s largest city and de facto business capital, Dar es Salaam. “Afya Bora” from  Swahili means ‘good or comprehensive health.” Dr Donna says she has been interested in the dental field since she was young. “From a very young age, I  deeply knew that my passion was in health care. I later realized that dentistry was a perfect career choice for me,” she says. 

https://forms.gle/THYh5JAkxYJV5fQi9

She joined a dental school after her undergraduate studies. Since then, there has been no turning back. “I  received my  Doctor in Dental Surgery Degree from the first dental school globally, the University of Maryland, in 1990,” she notes. For over 30 years, dental practice has become a way of life. Her first years of practice were in the Virgin Highlands in America. Initially employed, she thought she could serve better by opening her dental practice. She moved to New York to start her private practice, which turned her into a healthcare entrepreneur.

“My dad was a paediatrician. As a child, I used to go to his office. Sometimes I would act as a  Volunteer. Looking back, observing hospital equipment and procedures slowly must have planted a  seed within me,” she says.

Dr Donna spent part of her childhood in Tanzania.  “My dad was saddened by children suffering from preventable and treatable diseases, sometimes leading to untimely death.  He wanted to make a difference,” she notes. 

“Since 1981, my family has been supporting various projects on health and education in Bukoba,” notes that such activities are carried out via Adventures in Health, Education and Agricultural Development (AHEAD).    “We have helped set up a rural dispensary and helped build a secondary school, among other support,” she says. 

Dr Donna and her husband decided to set up Afya Bora Complete Dentistry Limited to provide sustainable support.  “It is a modern dental office that will transmit knowledge to dentists from East Africa and provide preventive education to the masses on oral health.

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A DENTIST

Dr Donna says she did four years of Undergraduate after high school, followed by another four years of dental school.  “When I finished over  30 years ago, there weren’t as many specialists doing a residency as now,” she says. Often people would get out and do another year or two in General Practice Residency.  Then they would specialize in any of the over eight specialities they can go to after Dental School, including Orthodontics, Endodontics or Periodontics. She says that setting up and managing Morningside Dental Care, one of the finest dental clinics in all of New York City, has been life-changing. 

Dr Donna’s BOOK

Dr Donna thinks that a good smile can open many doors. Good oral health is vital for a confident and beautiful smile, essential in making a great first impression.

 “So much research has proved a connection between a person’s oral health and total overall health,” she says. Her groundbreaking book “The Power Of A Smile: How Complete Health Dentistry Is Revolutionizing America” was published in 2019. 

“I wrote the book to make the masses understand the importance of their oral health and identify the missing link to their overall health,” she says.

THE LINK BETWEEN DENTAL HYGIENE AND OVERALL HEALTH

Thousands and thousands of bacteria generally live inside a human mouth. Dr Donna says that we are healthy helps create a protective barrier from ailments.

“When we don’t care for our dental hygiene, we invite bacteria into the bloodstreams. They can spread to various body organs like the lungs, heart, liver and kidneys,” she notes.

‘Literally speaking, all body organs can be affected by one’s poor oral health,’ she elucidated. According to Dr Donna, it was necessary to maintain dental hygiene in the age of coronavirus, which equals reducing the bacterial load. Hence, the body stays stronger and more resilient to diseases.’

Dr Donna quotes a study by  United Concordia Insurance company. It involved people with more than one chronic condition. The results say that for patients with two ailments like diabetes and gum disease concurrently, if their gum disease is treated, they can reduce health care costs by about $2800. At the same time, they get a 38% reduction in hospitalization just by treating gum disease alone.

IMPACT THAT SHE SEES ON HERSELF

Some years ago, Dr Donner and her family were in Tanzania for a holiday. A   gentleman with us at a meeting unexpectedly fell on the ground. Her father immediately started CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) on him.   He was able to resuscitate him. It was sad to note that no one knew about CPR in the village. This means anyone around them with a similar condition would be sentenced to a death sentence. The villagers believed nothing could be done to help their people because they didn’t have any necessary equipment, like AED (Automated External Defibrillator), a machine used to resuscitate patients. None of that was available, so she wanted to make sure they changed it when they returned last year.

“We were able to bring two AED Machines to the village dispensary. People have been trained on how to use AED machines.”

*Linnet Muchoki loves to chronicle Africa’s women leaders as change agents. Email: Linnet.muchoki@gmail.com

End