Dental Mission News
What is now called the Dental Mission originally began in 2001 when a team from the Foundation acted as clowns at a medical mission for children with hare-lip and cleft-palate. They were shocked to see the children’s bad teeth. In a meeting with the Danish Dental Association, Flemming Hansen was asked to write an article in their magazine and as a result of that article, the first dentists came to Cebu a few months later. In July 2002 we organized the first Dental mission, sponsored by M. Lhuillier Philippines in Cebu.
The largest group of participants for the Dental Mission arrived in Cebu, in 2007, in the form of 23 dentists, dental students and dental hygienists. Through that month of Dental Mission, approx. 3,500 patients were treated, and since we started in 2002 until now (2010), over 20 thousand patients have been treated.
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Launching our “Nice Smile Clinic” |
At Umapad Elem. School |
At Women’s Prison in Cebu |
Through sponsorship from “Gladsaxe Rotary Club”, grants from a fond in Novo Nordisk, The United Nations Women’s Guild of Geneva, Switzerland and local sponsors, it was possible for us to open “The Nice Smile Dental Clinic” in 2006. The clinic catered to two public elementary schools where all students were given free treatment throughout an entire school year and the “tooth brushing program” was also implemented.
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Free toothbrushes at a Dental Mission at Umapad Elementary School |
Dental Hygienist Monica Håland |
Dr. Per Rasmussen from Denmark and Maria Luisa Pityo from Rise Above |
Sponsorship is a necessity to maintain this project. There is a substantial cost associated with acquiring the necessary materials, medicine, maintenance of equipment and sometimes the replacement/upgrading of the equipment used for the project. In addition, there are costs associated with the employment of a full time dentist and an assistant.
You can help sponsor a Dental Mission, through getting your family, friends, business or local association involved. You can help people who cannot afford to go to the dentist, and relieve them from suffering severe toothache for prolonged periods of time. With a team of 5 dentists, the cost comes to an average of 10.000 pesos per day.
One of the biggest causes of absence from school in the Philippines is toothache.
