Dental Mission to the Dominican Republic is Once Again a Success
On November 27, 2010, a team of 17 dentists, dental students and dental staff members from all over the United States embarked on a seven day dental mission to Sabana Yegua, Dominican Republic, with the goal of treating the underserved population in the area associated with the parish of Sagrada Familia (Holy Family). The first such mission occurred in 2004 and has grown annually in numbers of participating personnel, numbers of patients treated and types of dental procedures provided.
Compassionate Dental Care International, (CDCI) a grass roots 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, is the sponsoring group that has supported this program since its inception. Founded by Dr. Toni Roucka and four others (Dr. Richard Heidemann, Dr. David Paape, Dr. Jeff Jamieson, and Dr. Michaelangelo Aust), CDCI attracts participation via a strong network of dedicated dentists. Many trip participants keep coming back year after year as the experience is extremely rewarding for them. All of the trip participants volunteer their time and donate funds to secure the necessary dental supplies, logistical and transportation costs in country as well as food and housing.
Sagrada Familia, the host parish in Sabana Yegua and a sister parish of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, makes these trips possible for CDCI. The church staffs’ generous and gracious attentiveness to the groups needs makes their “home away from home” very comfortable and safe. This year, Michael Wolf, a young Catholic missionary from the Community of St. Paul the Apostle, coordinated the groups’ logistical support in country. His attention to detail and fun, energetic attitude was a true blessing.
Overall, this year’s trip was once again a great success. Nearly 600 patients were treated. Though the goal is not to treat as many patients as possible, but to treat those with the most need in a compassionate and caring environment, the number of patients treated continues to increase annually. Dental services that CDCI is equipped to provide include extractions, fillings, dental sealants, fluoride varnishes, periodontal treatment and oral hygiene instruction. Nearly 1000 toothbrushes were also dispensed this year.
In 2008, CDCI funded and installed a permanent dental clinic on the Sagrada Familia grounds to add to the services the church is able to provide to the community on an ongoing basis. One local dentist has agreed to volunteer her time and provides free dental care to Sabana Yegua residents one half-day per week in this clinic. The dental needs in the area are tremendous and though both of these programs help, they have barely scratched the surface. CDCI intends on supporting dental care in the area for years to come.
There is another dental mission to Sabana Yegua tentatively scheduled for Fall of 2011.
If you would like to learn more about CDCI, please visit their website at www.cdci.us.