As a seasoned dentist, Erli Sarilita has dedicated her entire career to improving countless people’s dental health, laying the foundation for their well-being in the process. “In Indonesia, not all healthcare facilities have dental care providers. That’s why I'm concerned with the dental health of our next generation, especially in remote areas like Merauke, where I focus my project,” she reasons.
The project, entitled Dental Care Initiative for Children: Empowering Merauke’s Underserved through Social Action, is set to provide free dental checkups and treatments to first to sixth graders - roughly between the ages of 7 and 12 - in Merauke and its surrounding areas. “I've done similar projects in the past, but only in the West Java area, where dental healthcare providers are quite rare. I was curious to learn about the situation in far-flung corners of the country, considering the sheer breadth of Indonesia,” she recounts. “I’m constantly seeking opportunities to expand my skills as a dentist as well as to contribute to more communities across the archipelago.”
Such an undertaking naturally entails collaborative work. “I will be assisted by one oral maxillofacial surgeon from Universitas Padjadjaran, where I serve as an associate professor at the Faculty of Dentistry, and four students from Universitas Musamus Merauke, our local experts for this project,” she adds. “It’s very important to work alongside local communities when doing a project in this manner, especially with entities like puskesmas (community health centres), schools, village offices, local dentists, and local dentist associations.”
Furthermore, Erli and her assistants will have a proper set of procedures in place when carrying out the project. “To begin, we will perform a paper-based survey on the children’s parents and ask for their consent first. Afterwards, we will proceed to the dental check-up and assess the children’s needs before we conduct the treatment,” she explains.