A team of 19 volunteers – including 9 College of Dental Medicine students – returned safely from Honduras after serving there the week of September 10-17. We worked once again with our friends at Good Samaritan Baptist Mission in San Marcos de Colon. The turnout was consistent all week; over 500 patients received dental or optical care.
As we learned on previous trips, the rate of dental disease is extremely high in this region of Honduras due to a cultural propensity to consume multiple forms of sugar each day. Unfortunately, the water source for the town is not fluoridated.
Seven of the students on the team were from the D3 class. While their experience level was limited, their enthusiasm to learn was high. They quickly took to instruction and over the week either assisted or performed multiple composite and amalgam restorations. Several were able to perform their first extractions!
DCF was founded almost 20 years ago to build Christ-centered relationships among students and mentors. In that period of time, hundreds of students have been challenged to grow in their faith and to make service – especially to the underprivileged – a significant part of their future dental practice. May the Lord continue to accomplish His purposes through DCF!
If you’re interested in partnering with DCF to make trips like this possible, send us an email at dentalcommunityfellowship@gmail.com