Dental Work & Treatment
In Uganda there are only 5 oral surgeons to serve a population of 26 million people! There are only 250 fully trained dentists in the country, but only about 1/3 of them can actually afford to set-up and run a private practice. Those who do are concentrated in the cities.
Providedental health care, ongoing disease prevention education and supplies to underserved populations.
Train local people to take responsibility for preventive education and care.
Establish self-sustaining, community enterprises that mutually benefit health and well-being.
Share the virtues and values of other cultures with each other in order to enrich all of our lives.
Develop bridges of love and understanding between us and all peoples so that we become a planet of friendly neighbors instead of fearful strangers.
Most of the population, who live in the country, rely on public health providers called dental nurses who receive some basic training and are then assigned by the government to work in outlying public health facilities where the equipment is often broken and non-functional, and access to basic dental materials for doing fillings and surgery is non-existent!
It is not surprising then that most people have never received dental treatment and never will. The resultant suffering from toothaches and infections cause loss of productivity, lack of nutrition and weakening of the immune system. Many people, especially children, are chronically debilitated and even die from the untreated dental disease.
It is not uncommon for the untreated swelling and growths from infection related cysts and tumors to advance to the point where patients can no longer eat, breathe or see properly and the resultant deformities make them outcasts in their own communities.
For World Wide Smiles is committed to solving this problem. The key is disease prevention education and having enough dental professionals from outside the country come experience and work with the problem so they can contribute their ideas, expertise, equipment, training and time.
We start by working in rural schools, dispensing toothbrushes and oral hygiene instructions and empowering the teachers to carry-on the daily routine of brushing at the school.
We bring in portable dental equipment that can be set up in the middle of a field if necessary and a team of dental professional and other volunteers who can provide a wide range of services.
We work in conjunction with local dental providers and other volunteers so we can train them and dispense dental materials and techniques that they can use after we leave.
We upgrade and remodel existing dental facilities so they become functional, and empower local dental providers to do outreach in more remote areas by giving them the tools they need to be effective, thereby elevating their social status as valuable contributors to their community.
We collaborate with dental educators and universities to form partnerships to share and exchange students, faculty, equipment, and knowledge.
Our belief is that over time we will create a global network of dental disease prevention education and enough caring & capable dental providers to reach all those in need.
We hope that all of you who are interested in this dream will join with us. All it requires is a caring heart and a giving attitude. We welcome all people regardless of your educational background because whatever it is can enhance and enrich the lives of another and will provide unbelievable fulfillment for both the giver and the receiver. Find out more about volunteer opportunites here
Please visit our Contact Form to contact us or to make an enquiry .
