Volunteers Around the World is excited to announce the begin of Dental Outreach!!
For our first day of Volunteers Around the World mobile dental clinics we went to the community of El Añil, about 30 minutes outside of Jarabacoa. The volunteers and dentists were in a van and we had to get a separate truck to take all of the necessary dental supplies and equipment. After a few stops to buy gas and water, we could finally arrived to a little club house in the community.
The volunteers were excited and ready to start!
Dr. Victor Cruz, Dr. Mariela Cespedes and Dr. Mariel Garrido guided the students on getting the clinic set up. After about an hour of arranging the mobile clinic, we got started!
Volunteers divided in different groups. Their jobs included taking vitals, sterilizing instruments, organizing dental equipment trays, assisting dentists, and taking x-rays.
Everyone did an excellent job fulfilling their tasks, even when the clinic got very busy and intense! The dentists and students maintained their good humor throughout the day, and with the music in the backround, everyone was dancing and working hard!
Volunteers were talking to the patients, learning the processes of different procedures and even getting more involved with some of the procedures whenever possible!
Smiles, shouts of joy and high fives filled the air.
Everyone took the biosecurity measures very seriously, and the volunteers were working with the highest standards.
After a long and successful day, everyone ran to the shower upon arriving back at the hotel. It was a very exciting first day. Some could not believe all they had seen or even done!
A total of 40 patients were assisted. We did fillings, extractions, sealants and teeth cleanings. Dental Outreach is off to a fantastic start!
