Bright Smiles and Healthy Teeth

In early May, a group of dental volunteers from the US traveled to our schools for their semi-annual trip. The group included 3 dentists (Dr. Charles Morris, Dr. Barry Murphy, and Dr. Lew Libby) and one dental assistant (Ms. Kristina Young). 

The group arrived on a Wednesday and spent 9 hours on both Thursday and Friday examining 120 students from Les Bons Samaritains (LBS) and College James M. Stine (CJMS). They also cared for a few staff members who had emergency dental needs.

For the children, the team provided primarily preventive care including examinations, cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, silver diamine treatments, and fillings.  This care is such a rarity in Haiti as dental practices and resources are few and far between throughout the country. Dr. Libby noted, “We were gratified to find that overall dental health has improved, and that dental care we have provided in the past has proved to be enduring.” He also commented that he was impressed by the students’ cooperation and awareness of the importance of dental health.

Nonetheless, the trip was short and much care is still needed. The dental teams that have traveled to our schools over the years are currently using very outdated equipment, but with a recent donation from Dansereaux Dental Company, we hope to bring our dental care capabilities into the modern day within the next few months!

The team plans to return in the fall for their next round of exams and hopefully will be able to work with the new equipment, increasing their efficiency and the number of students that they can see on each visit.

Here’s to bright smiles and healthy teeth!

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