Dental Asia May/June 2018

Giving back to Society
Dental Students Provide Dental Humanitarian Missions in Latin America
by David Burger
“Do what you can while you still can.”
– Dr. T. Bob Davis
It is a philosophy that has driven, General dentist Dr. Davis – more
commonly known as “T. Bob”- for over 36 years to bring more than
1,500 dental students and about 500 dentists to Latin America to
provide dental humanitarian missions.
The tradition continued this year, as Dr. Davis returned from a
late March trip to Guatemala accompanied by 50 dental students
—21 from Texas A&M University College of Dentistry and 29 from
The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston. Along with
16 dentists recruited by Dr. Davis, the large contingent treated 820
people in the impoverished region of San Raymundo, Guatemala
delivering more than US $329,000 worth of dental care.
Dr. Davis, president of Academy of Dentistry International,
said the trip during the
students’ spring break
was “probably the best
trip ever in most every
respect.” This is his sixth
annual trip to Guatemala
after years in Mexico
and Nicaragua, and he
said sustainability in his
beloved San Raymundo is
what inspired him to come
back year after year. While
the need for dentistry is
still deep in this southern
area, it brings Dr. Davis joy
to see returning patients
who now require simple
cleanings rather than root
canals.
“It was unbelievable,”
said Brady Atkins, a fourthy
e a r d e n t a l s t u d e n t a t
UT-Houston who went
Vital assistance: First-year dental student
Dorothy Hino and Dr. Rachel Sells treat a
young patient in a Guatemala operatory
d u r i n g t h e i r h u m a n i t a r i a n t r i p t o t h e
Central American country in March.
with Dr. Davis on the spring break trip for the fourth time.
“Wanting to serve people and making a tangible dierence is what
immediately drew me to dentistry.”
During Mr. Atkins’ trips, he saw many people helping others and
knew ‘that it was what he wanted to do’.
John Ratli, a second-year dental student at Texas A&M, also
went to Guatemala in March, his second time with Dr. Davis. “My
learning can make a dierence in changing people’s lives. You see
everything you see in school, in practice. The trips are a testament
to people believing in T. Bob’s message: ‘Take a leap of faith and
be of service to others’,” Mr. Ratli said.
Dr. Davis’ trips have been annual rites of passage among many
Texas A&M and UT-Houston dental students, who gravitate
toward the trips in part because of Dr. Davis’ long time ties to the
Christian Dental Society.
Initially, Mr. Ratli was sceptical until he saw people in pain
transformed after attending the Guatemala trips. “I was a little
nervous but Dr. Davis is so organised and the dentists are all
inspirational with their commitment to impacting the youth,”
shared Mr. Ratli.
Though volunteer dental students are busy accommodating
patients and, at times, skipping their meals, students love helping
during dental missions. Dr. Davis makes time to schedule worship
services and fun team-building exercises, such as soccer games,
giving the locals and dental students time to bond and enjoy.
Dr. Davis went on his rst dental mission four decades ago, after
his wife signed him up for it, and he immediately became hooked.
It only took him ve years before he started taking dental students
with him.
“They get a sense of who they are becoming. They share their
heart and love for people. They come here with a purpose in mind,”
Dr. Davis said of the students.
For more information about the Academy of Dentistry International,
visit www.adint.org
To learn more about international volunteerism and nd an
opportunity, visit the ADA Foundation’s international volunteer
website: www.internationalvolunteer.ADA.org.
If anyone is interested in helping or funding products and
equipment for the dental missions in Asia Pacic, please contact
Ms. Jamie Tan at jamietan@pabloasia.com for more information. DA
Hugging line: Dental students, from left, Chris Shin, Megan Luna,
Abigail Livesay, Blake Hamblin and Raven Grant receive thanks from local
students in San Raymundo, Guatemala, for treating them with dental
care on a humanitarian trip in March.
6 DENTAL ASIA
MAY / JUNE 2018