The dental profession has a long and proud history of working in the community to promote the importance of oral health and the critical role it plays in a person’s quality of life.

This spirit of volunteering was on impressive display over the Easter break as a group of nearly 90 dedicated volunteers spent their Easter break delivering free dental and medical care to the residents of Tara, a farming town on the Queensland Darling Downs.

Part of an annual tradition that has operated since 2006 when the first volunteering mission was without mobile units and had to rely on a van loaned to them by Queensland Health, the trip is sponsored by the Buddhist Tze Chi Foundation.

It chose Tara when it emerged that that locals in need of dental care faced extensive waiting periods of up to two years to receive publicly-funded treatments.

Over the course of this year's trip, over 250 patients were treated over 12 hour days, with some even receiving treatment in their homes if they couldn't make it to the dental team in town.

If you're interested in offering your services in a volunteering capacity, go to Volunteering for an extensive range of opportunities.

This media release was sourced directly from the Australian Dental Association.