Giving back to Society <strong>Dental</strong> Students Provide <strong>Dental</strong> 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 <strong>Dental</strong> 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 <strong>Asia</strong> Pacic, please contact Ms. Jamie Tan at jamietan@pabloasia.com for more information. DA Hugging line: <strong>Dental</strong> 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 <strong>2018</strong>
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