Since the year 2000 we have sent dental teams to Nicaragua to do the following:
1. To provide dental care for the poor of Nicaragua.
2. To
work with and share knowledge with the dental schools in Nicaragua.
3. To
provide continuing education in Healthcare.
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One
of our annual dental teams that serviced six different clinics throughout the
country.
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The
program makes expert dental care available to poor children, youth, and adults who cannot get quality care because it is neither
available nor affordable.
Capacity building 1: The
program improves the technical skill of students being trained in dental colleges in partner countries.
Capacity building 2: The program improves the technical skills of
professionals working in dental colleges.
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With what results?
Results are seen at two levels, the personal level and the systemic level.
- At
the personal level, we have an abundance of "before" and "after" evidence that the work is effective.
For example, the dental health of those patients that we have seen for successive years is remarkable, requiring little more
than routine maintenance.
- At the systemic level, we are contributing directly to Nicaragua's
capacity to treat the needs of its own population. After working with us, our in-country university partners
are offering free dental clinics to patients who formerly had no access to care.
