Our First Project...
Our first endeavor, Project Clean Teeth, was a huge success. Working with local dentists, we saw 100 patients, and were able to go to a poor local Guajarati primary school and teach 625 students about proper oral hygiene. Both clinic patients and school children were given a new toothbrush, toothpaste and floss. Additionally, we donated dental supplies to a local orphanage.
Most of the people we talked to have never used floss in their entire lives. The majority of the patients we interacted with said they only brushed once a day too, which explains some of their dental problems. Some of the clinic patients will be coming back for reoccurring appointments, free of charge, for about a month until they are fully treated; however, during our time there we saw patients receive: 21 X-rays, 12 OPG’s, 16 scalings, 34 fillings, 17 root canals, 181 extractions, and 16 dentures. The Bhai Bhai Dental clinic was very modern. Their equipment was brand new, their techniques were modern, and even their clinic practices such as sterilization and patient records were up to date with the most advanced clinics. The dentists we were working with, Dr. Chirayu Shah, Dr. Janki Shah, and Dr. Keval Shah, were all relatively young and eager to help us learn to make an impact on the local community.
During off times in the clinic we made our way to a local Gujarati school to give a presentation about proper dental hygiene and give away dental supplies. We did this by using a projector and setting up an assembly type presentation, by going from grade to grade. The school appeared to be very poor and definitely one where the kids probably did not have access to much dental care. These kids were sent home with a push card outlining our main points and tips to put in their bathroom to remind all family members of how to properly take care of their teeth. At the end of these presentations we provided a separate presentation for school teachers and employees. Everyone at the school was very grateful and the presentations to the kids were probably the highlight of the entire project.
We give special thanks to Anekant Community Center, for guiding us, Remote Area Medical, for their large supply donation, Henry Schien Cares Foundation, for their Health Kits donation, and Ultradent for donating supplies. Additionally, thank you to all our many donors, without which this would not have been possible!
During off times in the clinic we made our way to a local Gujarati school to give a presentation about proper dental hygiene and give away dental supplies. We did this by using a projector and setting up an assembly type presentation, by going from grade to grade. The school appeared to be very poor and definitely one where the kids probably did not have access to much dental care. These kids were sent home with a push card outlining our main points and tips to put in their bathroom to remind all family members of how to properly take care of their teeth. At the end of these presentations we provided a separate presentation for school teachers and employees. Everyone at the school was very grateful and the presentations to the kids were probably the highlight of the entire project.
We give special thanks to Anekant Community Center, for guiding us, Remote Area Medical, for their large supply donation, Henry Schien Cares Foundation, for their Health Kits donation, and Ultradent for donating supplies. Additionally, thank you to all our many donors, without which this would not have been possible!