As part of its mission to provide access to oral care around the world, the Envista Smile Project completed its second mission trip to the Dominican Republic, where volunteers treated a combination of 782 juvenile and adult patients, who otherwise would not have access to dental services. For many of these patients in the rural village of San Francisco de Macoris, this was their first time ever receiving professional dental care.
The team of 25 volunteers performed oral examinations, scalings, oral prophylaxis, fillings, root canals, and routine and surgical extractions, providing the equivalent of $315,000 in free dental work.
“It was a privilege that our volunteers were able to return to the Dominican Republic and provide dentistry services to children and adults who otherwise would not have access to oral care,” said Envista Smile Board President, Rubin Casas. “In addition to treatment, we also prioritized oral health education to help protect patients’ wellbeing long after our team left the Dominican Republic.”
“It was a truly humbling and remarkable experience to be able to help this at-risk population,” said Dr. Carlos Munoz. “As a volunteer, I felt profoundly impacted by experiencing this multicultural society of wealth and poverty and having the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way.”
Envista Smile Project is a philanthropic foundation designed to improve the smiles and oral health of disadvantaged communities by supporting increased access to oral care and oral health education. The Smile Project’s mission is to collaborate with dental professionals and Envista employee volunteers to donate products, treatment, and oral health education to communities in need around the world.
If you are interested in joining a future mission trip or would like more information about the Envista Smile Project, visit envistasmileproject.com.
