An American couple based in Samoa, Dr. Roger Roth and Mrs. Julie Roth, recently flew to Pago Pago, American Samoa to provide free dental services and promote a new DVD that promotes dental health.
The Roths are volunteers for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have helped many Samoans, young and old, with their dental problems.
While in American Samoa, they not only provided dental and hygiene services, they also spoke with journalists about the DVD, titled: Everybody wants good teeth! Let’s make it happen! In Samoan, the title translates to: “E manana’o tagata uma I ni nifo lelei! Ia tatau tatou faia nei loa!”
The video, produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is a gift from the Church to the people of Samoa in association with Samoa’s 50th anniversary of independence.
The Roths have also been working with Pago Pago’s Lyndon Baines Johnson Medical Center to seek for and gather donations of dental supplies to support the work of American Samoa’s dentists and hygienists.
Dr. Stanley Gurr and his team from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Medical Center have been showing the DVD to young people, including students in the Manu’a School District, teaching them proper care for their teeth as well as preventative care.
Kalilimoku Hunt, National Director of Public Affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, organized for the Roths to visit teachers and administrators from the Early Childhood Education Department.
“It was wonderful to see so many of our educators and other professionals who work with our young people embracing the DVD, and many are already using it,” Mr Hunt said.
In an interview with KVZK Television, the Roths explained the importance of the DVD’s messages for children, parents and teachers. They stressed that training children to care for their teeth will lower the chance of gum disease, tooth decay, and other oral diseases.
“Good preventative care illustrated in this DVD will enable every person on Island to maintain a healthy smile,” Mrs. Roth said in the interview.
The Roths may visit American Samoa again in the coming months. For more information contact Dr. Malaela Tuioletai of Lyndon Baines Johnson Medical Center, or Mr. Kalilimoku Hunt on +684 622-7319.
Read more about the Welfare and Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.