In July of 2024, Paula Chebat traveled to San Martin village in Guatemala with a crew of Global Dental Relief trip leaders and volunteers – including dentists, hygienists, assistants, students and general volunteers.  Paula discovered GDR through an online search, looking to use her expertise as a dental hygienist to give back to underserved communities.

We hope you enjoy reading about her experience below! To learn more about our opportunities to volunteer abroad, contact GDR today.

1. Describe your experience working in the clinic.

As a dental hygienist in the clinic, my role was to follow the scopes of practice outlined by the state of California, where I hold my license. Each day began with breakfast at a local restaurant run by Cristy, who coordinated our work with the school children. My schedule typically involved clinic hours from 8:30 to 12:30pm, followed by a lunch break at Cristy’s, and an afternoon session from 1-4pm.

After clinic hours, we would enjoy dinner at Cristy’s before heading back to the hotel to freshen up. Evenings were spent playing cards together until bedtime, fostering a sense of camaraderie among the team.

Some days, we explored the local market or took scenic truck rides around town, which added to the experience. The interactions with the students were the highlight of my work. Despite my limited Spanish, we connected through laughter and empathy. One child made me a bracelet with a tooth on it as a thank you, and I still wear it today. This gesture was a touching reminder of the impact we can have on the communities we serve.

2. What was your biggest takeaway from volunteering with Global Dental Relief?

Volunteering with Global Dental Relief was a transformative experience, and my biggest takeaway was the profound impact of providing dental care in underserved communities. The opportunity to help children who otherwise would not have access to dental services highlighted the importance of oral health in overall well-being. Despite language barriers, I learned that empathy and kindness transcend words, allowing me to connect with patients on a personal level.

Working alongside dedicated professionals and local organizers taught me the value of teamwork and adaptability. Each day presented new challenges, from limited resources to navigating cultural differences, yet our collective commitment to making a difference kept us motivated. The gratitude and resilience of the children and their families were incredibly moving, and their appreciation reinforced my passion for dental care.

Additionally, the experience deepened my understanding of global health disparities and the crucial role of volunteer work in addressing these gaps. It reminded me that even small acts of service can create lasting change. This experience inspired me to continue seeking opportunities to volunteer and advocate for improved access to dental care worldwide.

3. How did this opportunity impact you? How will this experience impact your dental hygiene career?

Volunteering with Global Dental Relief had a profound impact on me, both personally and professionally. This experience deepened my appreciation for the importance of dental care in local and global health and highlighted the disparities in access to such services. Witnessing firsthand the difference that dental care can make in underserved communities reinforced my commitment to providing compassionate and comprehensive care to all patients.

This opportunity also taught me invaluable lessons in adaptability and cultural sensitivity. Working in a different environment with limited resources required me to think creatively and develop efficient solutions. These skills will be crucial as I advance in my dental career, allowing me to better serve a diverse patient population and navigate various challenges with flexibility and empathy.

The experience also strengthened my communication skills, as I learned to connect with patients despite language barriers. Building rapport through empathy and nonverbal communication has enriched my approach to patient care and will continue to enhance my interactions in the dental field.

Overall, this volunteer work has inspired me to seek further opportunities for service and advocacy, aiming to make a meaningful impact on oral health disparities worldwide and ensure that all individuals have access to quality dental care.

The post Providing Dental Hygiene Services in Underserved Communities first appeared on Global Dental Relief.

Do you dream of traveling internationally to help children around the world live happier, healthier lives? You can make this dream a reality by volunteering with Global Dental Relief! The following fundraising tips are ways to help fund your dream of volunteering abroad.

Write a Fundraising Letter
A letter writing campaign is one of the simplest and most effective fundraising methods. Compose a letter to send to your friends, family and colleagues. Explain why you are fundraising and how their contribution will help children across the globe receive free dental care. Ask for a specific amount of money and be honest about the total amount needed to cover the cost for you to volunteer.

Partner with Local Businesses
Don’t be afraid to use your connections to reach out to business owners in your community.  If you don’t know the owners, send a copy of your fundraising letter and follow-up with a phone call. Consider your connections and be bold with your ask!

Contact Clubs and Local Organizations
Look for clubs in or around your community that would be willing to donate to your cause. Start by contacting clubs and requesting to have 15-20 minutes during their next chapter meeting to explain your cause. Be specific about your money request and be clear about how it will be used during your volunteer trip with GDR. Consider your connections! Who do you know that may be a member of a local club or organization?

Social Media
Social media may be the best way to promote awareness and raise funds for your volunteer project. Social media allows you to immediately connect with peers, colleagues, and friends. Feel free to include GDR’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to help people learn more about the difference they will be helping you make in the lives of children overseas. You can also use social media to get the word out about online fundraising campaigns, such as GoFundMe.

Host a Party
Host a party! Invite everyone you know to join you and learn about your trip. Charge a donation at the door and offer light appetizers and simple beverages. Give a short slide show or talk about the work you will be doing with GDR. It’s a fun evening and a great way to raise money for your volunteer experience.

Most importantly, don’t be discouraged by someone’s “no,” instead be encouraged to work hard and stay motivated!

Global Dental Relief brings people from all over the world together for one cause: to make a difference in the life of a child. It’s a truly unique experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life. We invite you to learn more about how to fundraise effectively by contacting our office at volunter@globaldentalrelief.org or 303.858.8857 today.

The post The How-To of Fundraising for a Global Dental Relief Trip first appeared on Global Dental Relief.

Global Dental Relief (GDR) is on a mission to provide dental care for those who need it most –children. Childhood is a time to learn, grow, and develop habits that will shape adult life; children who have access to quality dental care develop positive oral health habits that carry over into adulthood.

GDR focuses on dental care for children because:

1. Limited access to care

In many parts of the world, dentists are few and the costs of care often reach beyond the family’s financial abilities. Most children do not visit a dentist regularly, or even at all. For many GDR patients, it is the first time they have access to proper dental care and oral health education.

2. A healthy mouth leads to a healthy life

A child’s smile shares a close association with many other important functions in their body, and oral issues can deeply impact their quality of life. For example, if a child develops a minor cavity but is unable to visit a dentist, the cavity can grow to cause chronic pain which makes eating, sleeping concentrating in school and even speaking uncomfortable. Over time, a child may experience tooth loss and decreased self-esteem. GDR returns every two years to the communities they serve to ensure that children can receive dental care before dental issues inhibit their lives.

3. Educating smiles for a better future

Oral health education and proper dental treatment benefit a child for a lifetime. Dental exams, routine cleanings, fluoride treatments, and restorative dental treatment help provide long-lasting benefits for a child’s oral health. GDR brings dentists, hygienists and general volunteers together to positively impact the life of a child by providing the resources they need for lifelong dental health.

If you are interested in learning more about the mission of Global Dental Relief or would like to join us on one of our upcoming adventures, please feel free to contact us at volunteer@globaldentalrelief.org or 303.858.8857 today!

The post Why Dental Care for Kids? first appeared on Global Dental Relief.

In February, BP Dental employees Michael Luna and Jake Snell traveled to Cambodia to share their skills and big hearts helping children. For two weeks, they worked in a Global Dental Relief (GDR) clinic, providing free dental care to underprivileged children in Siem Reap.

These unlikely volunteers found GDR thanks to a very generous offer from BP Dental to donate their web design and digital marketing services. BP Dental is based in Utah and works with hundreds of dental offices around the US, managing their websites and media outreach.

Michael Luna and Jake Snell enjoying a tooth-brushing lesson with the kids.

For both Michael and Jake, this was their first experience traveling to a developing country. Their trip is a perfect example of the vital role non-dental volunteers fill in a dental clinic and illustrates the critical need GDR has to recruit non-dental volunteers to work in clinics around the world.

Despite being out of their comfort zone, both young men adjusted well and demonstrated great work ethic in the clinic. “Working with GDR has been amazing,” commented Jake. “I love seeing the kids come in smiling and the feeling that I get from serving them. It is very humbling to come to another country for the first time and see how much I take for granted. These kids are happy even though they have much less than we do.”

Michael and Jake assisted chairside in hygiene, intake, and treatment. Each day was demanding as they worked in the hot climate under field conditions with portable units and field lighting. It had been a wonderful two weeks; a culmination of special interactions and small gestures between children and volunteers bridging generations and cultures. As they departed the village, Mike and Jake knew these sweet Cambodian children would receive ongoing care; another team would return in two years’ time.

Volunteering time overseas is not all BP Dental has offered GDR over the last year. BP Dental has been a generous partner. Their staff has worked diligently to help GDR build a new, user-friendly website. The blog team has written and published blogs, and their media team has created marketing tools which many of you have seen on the GDR website and Facebook page.

With the efforts and enthusiasm of BP Dental, Global Dental Relief has been able to reach a new audience of volunteers; volunteers with an enthusiasm and zeal for making a difference in the life a child.

Global Dental Relief extends the utmost of thanks to BP Dental, their team, and all their hard work in the ongoing partnership to help bring free dental care to children overseas.

The post BP Dental Partners with Global Dental Relief first appeared on Global Dental Relief.

Each project offers a unique experience of volunteering in a dental clinic, followed by sightseeing. Volunteers return from a GDR clinic with a full heart, after seeing firsthand the impact dental care has on a child’s health and well-being.

After a week of working in the dental clinic, volunteers have the chance to explore popular and often historic sites in the country they are visiting. In Cambodia, volunteers enjoy a beautiful floating village tour and visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Angkor Wat, in addition to other ancient temples. In Antigua, Guatemala volunteers spend a weekend at Lake Atitlan after working in Ciudad Vieja for the week. For more information about, you can find the Cambodia and Antigua clinic itineraries by following this link.

GDR clinics attract volunteers from many different professions and backgrounds. Our general volunteers – those without a background in dentistry – may be teachers, attorneys, students, nurses – basically, anyone with a desire to help children is needed in the clinic. Volunteers receive a full project briefing on site, which includes being trained on their specific clinic job. Regardless of your background, you will be an asset to any GDR team while working in the clinic.

Below is a preview of our upcoming 2018 clinics with current volunteer openings:

• Siem Reap, Cambodia February 5th-17th
  • General volunteers
  • Dental Volunteer Openings
• Antigua, Guatemala March 2nd-11th
  • General Volunteers
• Antigua, Guatemala March 9th-18th
  • Dental Volunteer Openings

What are you waiting for? Join us today and help children around the world live happier healthier lives!

If you are considering joining us at one of these clinics, you can begin your online volunteer application here. Our full 2018 Project Schedule can also be found on our website. Our 2019 Project schedule will be published in late December.

Please feel free to contact us at volunteer@globaldentalrelief.org or call us at 303-858-8857 with any questions you have about volunteering overseas.

The post Volunteer with Global Dental Relief in 2018 and See the World as You’ve Never Seen it Before! first appeared on Global Dental Relief.

Here are five ways to support GDR’s work without ever boarding a plane:

1.) Our clinics are held afloat by every single donation offered to our organization. In fact, every $20 donated provides one child the first dental care of their lives. GDR is able to leverage every dollar donated to maximize the amount of care we can provide in the field. Administration costs are less than 10% of our budget and our dedicated volunteers donate their time and talent, paying their own way to help kids in need. This means your donation goes directly to providing dental care to children.

2.) Do you have friends or family who are service-loving dental professionals or who would love our cause? You can shop at our Global Dental Relief store to find meaningful gifts for your loved ones. Whether it be a gift card, holiday card packs, a travel bag or a CD of lovely classical compositions, it will not only brighten the lives of those you care about, but every purchase helps children in need.

3.) If you are seeking to make an even greater difference in the lives of children around the world, you can become a sponsor. Our sponsors help us equip and operate clinics for thousands of children every year. You can sponsor dental care for all the children in a single school, in a clinic, in an entire country or even thousands of children in all five countries.

4.) At the end of our lives, we would all like to know that we have made an impact in the world. One way to do this is to leave what is called a charitable bequest in your will. To find out more, take a look at our Become a Legacy Partner webpage.

5.) And finally, if you happen to be a dental supplier, we are always in need of donated dental supplies to aid our clinics, whether it be toothbrushes, dental instruments, latex gloves, fluoride varnish, etc. For a full list of what we are looking for, check out our Donate Supplies page.

Thank you, from the children we serve, for your care and concern. Your generosity will help children around the world live happier, healthier lives. For more information on serving opportunities available, please email us at volunteer@globaldentalrelief.org.

The post Supporting the Children of GDR by Serving from Afar first appeared on Global Dental Relief.

1. Educational impact. We are able to educate and instill oral health awareness and habits in children before decay sets in. Each time a child enters a GDR clinic, they learn why to brush, how to brush and the effects that diet has on their teeth. They hear this message again and again. They then pass their knowledge to their parents, siblings and friends.

2. We start treating kids at age six before extensive dental decay has had time to develop in permanent teeth. By reaching kids young we can arrest decay when it first starts. Children are tracked by school and they return to GDR clinics every two years to receive long-term continuous care.

Over the course of 16 years, GDR volunteers have provided complete dental care to 135,000 children in five countries. The donated value of care exceeds 30 million. Each child receives an exam, a cleaning, and any fillings or extractions they may need. They receive a toothbrush and a fluoride varnish treatment.

Here’s a snapshot of a day in the life of the children at our clinic:

1. Children arrive in groups with other students from their school. First, they each receive brand new toothbrush. Some of these children have never seen a toothbrush before. Volunteers work with kids to teach them how to brush and about nutrition and the effects that sugar has on their teeth.

2. Once inside the clinic, each child receives a full exam

3. If a cavity or other dental issue is detected, dentists and hygienists offer treatment immediately. If further treatment is needed children return to the clinic two or three times over the course of the week until all care is completed.

4. Each child receives an application of fluoride varnish to help strengthen their tooth enamel.

The clinic is bustling with children and volunteers. There are glimpses of awe and trepidation, but what is remembered by all are the moments of connection as volunteers and children reach across cultures.

Time and again, we see this model work. Children return to our clinic with healthier teeth, and stronger oral hygiene habits. Good oral health leads to better overall physical health, and their newfound knowledge touches their families and friends.

Whether you are a dentist, hygienist, dental assistant, or a non-dental volunteer, the magic of this organization comes from your dedication to making a difference. Would you like to join us? email volunteer@globaldentalrelief.org, call us at 303.858.8857, or register by visiting our registry page.

The post The Global Dental Relief Model of Care first appeared on Global Dental Relief.

Global Dental Relief (GDR) partners with Cranberry USA, a dental supply company and generous sponsor. As a GDR sponsor, Cranberry USA offers five $1,000 scholarships to pre-dental and pre-dental hygiene students who are passionate about bringing dental care to kids overseas.

Thanks to Cranberry USA, Jocelin Calcagano – our first scholarship recipient – was able to join Global Dental Relief as a general volunteer in San Martin, Guatemala. Jocelin taught oral health education to students, she was able to gain hands-on experience by assisting dentists all while gaining practical experience for her future.

Jocelin was moved by the children she served and worked with, experiencing another culture first hand.  She gained insight into her future profession while working alongside experienced dentists and hygienists.

“The Cranberry Scholarship allowed me to see dental care in action. I’ve always wanted to do service overseas but could never afford it. Cranberry helped me tremendously, they were the reason I was able to attend the clinic.”

Jocelin is highly motivated with a strong desire to make an impact, big or small.  She applies for dental school this summer, aiming for a dual degree in dentistry and public health. In her scholarship application she writes: A career in dentistry, gives me the platform to promote preventative care and create alliances that drive change in communities … Dentistry is not just a career choice for me; it is a commitment to service that I’m ready to fulfill.

Jocelin has taken a major step in her pursuit of making a difference in the world of dentistry.  As a pre-dental or pre-dental hygiene student, you can be a part of the difference too.  Global Dental Relief has two remaining scholarships for our 2017 Fall clinics in Cambodia and India.

Global Dental Relief is thankful for generous sponsors, like Cranberry USA, who give students the unique opportunity to work and gain experience in the field of dentistry overseas.

If you are interested in learning more about the Cranberry scholarship or ways you can volunteer with us, call 303-858-8857 or email volunteer@globaldentalrelief.org.

The post Our First Cranberry Scholar in Action: A Cranberry USA and Global Dental Relief Partnership first appeared on Global Dental Relief.

“I really love the mission of Global Dental Relief, but I don’t have any experience in the dental field.”

This is one of the most common responses we hear from prospective volunteers; and contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be a dentist to join us in one of our clinics. In fact, Global Dental Relief clinics could not function without the dedication and commitment of our non-medical volunteers.

At Global Dental Relief, the term “non-medical volunteer” refers to volunteers without any formal dental training. This also includes pre-dental and pre-dental hygiene students who are on their way to becoming dental professionals. GDR volunteers are family members, children (14 and older), students, friends, and retirees; they are executives, lawyers, and consultants. The only requirement of a non-medical volunteer is the desire to help children in need. Our volunteer teams typically consist of 4-5 dentists, 2-3 hygienists and roughly 10 non-medical volunteers. This means that 65% of our volunteers are non-medical.

As a non-medical volunteer, you can expect to do one of the essential jobs listed here:

1. Sterilization
At each of our individual clinics we serve an average of 100 children a day, all of whom require clean instruments for examination and treatment. At our sterilization station, non medical volunteers assist our dental chairs by insuring all instruments are kept cleaned and ready for use!

2. Fluoride
In this particular role, volunteers work directly with children as they come out of the dental chairs. You will apply fluoride paste to their teeth, which combined with regular brushing will help protect from future cavities.

3. Record Keeping and Checkout

Volunteers help keep a careful tally of the information gathered and treatment provided, which will prove invaluable to GDR in calculating our impact and planning future clinics. In this role, you will also get to distribute stickers or other prizes to the children as a reward for their bravery. (AKA the clinic favorite!)

4. Tooth brushing and Dental Hygiene Instructions

This role is great for anyone who has high energy and a love for children! You will team up with a local community member to creatively and interactively teach kids about the importance of good dental hygiene and how to take care of their teeth.

5. Clinic Flow

Our “clinic flow” volunteer is a suitable role for anyone with quick reflexes who is good at thinking on their feet. You will help keep tabs on children in the clinic as they move from station to station.

6. Chairside Assisting
The role of chairside assisting is complex and entails many different responsibilities. From preparing amalgam for the filings to charting – our chairside assistants do it all! As an assistant, you will be trained on the ground to assist our dentists and hygienists in order to serve as many kids as possible.chairside assisting

As you can see, non-medical volunteers are crucial to the success of our clinics. Their hard work allows GDR clinics to provide crucial dental care to thousands of children all over the globe. Without them, this work would not be possible.

If you are thinking of joining a trip, we have several non-medical openings on our upcoming trips. We are always in need of dedicated and compassionate volunteers. The mission and vision of GDR would not be possible without the support and commitment of our volunteers!

To find out more information or how to apply, contact us at volunteer@globaldentalrelief.org.

Current clinics with non-medical openings: (subject to change)

Guatemala June 2nd- 11th, 2017

Cambodia July 2nd – 14th, 2017

India August 21st – September 4th, 2017

India September 2nd – 16th, 2017

Kenya July 11th- 24th, 2017

Cambodia October 24th- November 5th, 2017

The post What it Means to be a Non-Dental Volunteer With GDR! first appeared on Global Dental Relief.