Health fair brings relief to toothache sufferer

For almost two years, Lisa Wright suffered from headaches brought about by two decaying teeth. The insurmountable pain and discomfort she was forced to struggle with got even more intense as she did not have the $30,000 needed to extract the teeth as well as to do follow-up care.

"Me not working fi one, so me affi batta batta with the pain every day. It rough! Anybody weh know bout toothache can testify say di pain weh me a feel anuh nothing normal," Wright expressed.

It is for that reason that she made every effort to attend the health fair hosted by the Jamaica Energy Partners (JEP) last Friday to take full advantage of free dental care being offered to the residents of Old Harbour Bay and its environs. She was one of the first people to arrive at the Old Harbour Bay Primary School, and was eager to see the dental team.

"Me couldn't manage fi it miss me because me couldn't tek di pain nuh more. Me couldn't wait fi today come, God know. This come een like a blessing fi me right now," Wright, the mother of three, said.

The 26-year-old Wright shared that for the past 18 months she had given up on eating all sweet treats, especially her favourite Black Forest cake.

After seeing the dentist, Wright told THE STAR, "Me nah eat back nutten sweet afta today. Me nuh want guh back through this again."

Deslyn Neuine, the proprietor of DS Prime Health Services, the dental sponsors of the health fair, said the entity has been a partner for the past nine years.

About 125 people were treated to free dental care on Friday, with Neuine noting that it was due to the company's free offering that had residents flocking.

"Dental care is expensive. The feeling is great to see somebody come here and get their teeth cleaned properly. But when you give them the service and give them the care of mouth instructions, and then in another year, you come back and you see the same problems in their mouth, it makes you feel real bad. There is a lot of emphasis placed on oral hygiene, but people are just not taking care of their teeth," Neuine said.