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.

“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.