Over the last 2 years, 204 Seafarers and family members have received urgent dental care thanks to a grant to the Marine Transport Workers of Ukraine (MTWTU) funding their Union Dent Project.
The MTWTU Union Dent project supports seafarers and their families to access essential dental care. Dental care in Ukraine has increased in price by up to 60% since the start of the war, making it unaffordable for many. As well as the challenges of accessing affordable dental care in Ukraine, seafarers in general are at increased risk of dental problems, due to a variety of factors including long stays on ships with poor-quality water, high consumption of caffeinated drinks due to shift work and lack of access to dental treatment whilst at sea.
Oleksii, a ship’s cook said: "For us, seafarers, health is the main asset. It is especially important to keep your teeth in good order because it is not always possible to visit a doctor while on a voyage. Cost-free dental treatment as part of the Union Dent project has become a real rescue for me and my family because it is a very large expense. The Union's help is a great support."
The Trust’s grant to the project supported 204 recipients, who needed a variety of dental care relieving chronic dental problems or emergency dental treatment. Treatments provided covered a wide range of needs from dentures, root canals, dental crowns and implants to more serious cases involving full prosthetic restoration and bone grafts. Seafarers and family members were able to apply to the project to cover the full cost of this emergency and complex dental work.
Olena, wife of a Chief Engineer, said "When we got the opportunity to get quality dental treatment for free, we couldn't believe it! In a private clinic, such services are expensive, but here, everything is done professionally, with care, and free of charge for the families of the Trade Union's seafarers. Thank you for this support - nowadays, such initiatives really save seafarers' families!"
Volodymyr, Bosun told the MTWTU: "I am extremely grateful to MTWTU and ITF Seafarers' Trust for the opportunity to undergo dental treatment. I would never have been able to afford such expensive procedures on my own. I had many problems with my teeth and had given up hope of having healthy teeth. This help is simply invaluable. I sincerely thank the MTWTU for support,"
