Colgate has kicked off the year welcoming the appointment of two new members, dentists Dr Arosha Weerakoon and Dr Isabel Evans, to its Advocate Community, a group of dental and oral health professionals who have preventive oral care at the core of their professional beliefs.
Entering its fourth year, the Advocate Community supports and encourages young and established oral health professionals through the sharing of their knowledge on a range of relevant and topical issues based on their experience in the profession.
Advocate content delivers practical information for young professionals to employ during university studies right through to the practice setting. It drives dialogue on a wide variety of topics including preventive oral health, social responsibility, career development, mental health, and sustainable dentistry.
“The community is made up of dental practitioners who are dedicated and passionate about promoting preventive oral health practices,” Dr Evans said.
“As a Wiradjuri-Ngunnawal woman this is so important for my mob who experience poorer oral health than other Australians, with higher incidence of tooth loss, decay and gum disease.
“I believe this discrepancy can be improved by promoting culturally safe oral health messages and practices. I’m excited to share some tips to improve cultural safety at dental practices, as well as oral health initiatives for our mob.”
Dr Weerakoon added, “It is an honour to be selected as the 2022/23 Colgate Advocate for Oral Health. As a dental practitioner involved in research, I wish to encourage my peers to do so as well. I look forward to promoting professionalism and creating a discourse about enhancing patient care.”
The community members, who include representation from across Australia and New Zealand, are:
- Haydyn Bathurst, Fifth Year Dental Student, NSW
- William Carlson-Jones, Lecturer and Oral Health Therapist, NSW
- Dr Isabel Evans, Dentist, ACT
- Dr Sam Koh, Dentist, VIC
- Christine Murthi, Oral Health Therapist, NZ
- Dr Kaejenn Tchia, Dentist, NT
- Dr Emma Turner, Dental Registrar, VIC
- Dr Arosha Weerakoon, Lecturer and Dentist, Qld
“The Advocate Community, enabled by Colgate, continues to be such an important initiative to help support young professionals,” said Dr Sue Cartwright, scientific affairs & public health manager, Colgate Oral Care.
“The community’s collective voice provides peer-to-peer insights for young dental and oral health practitioners, helps to spark new ideas and encourages young practitioners in their career development. The community understands the challenges ‘new recruits’ may be facing, and this initiative provides a valuable resource for them.”
The community brings together young professionals to leverage their experience and perspectives for the benefit of the profession. Working with Colgate, the Advocates’ articles are published on www.colgateprofessional.com.au/Advocates and shared via the Advocates’ social channels.
