Do you have a passion for volunteering and dental care? Consider joining Global Dental Relief on a volunteer trip to one of five developing countries where we provide vital dental care for children. Volunteers are the backbone of the work we do – treating as many as 800 children in the course of a week with complete dental care. We promise it will be a life-changing experience. Learn more below about how you can get involved to help children live happier, healthier lives!

Global Dental Relief provides life-changing dental care to children in Nepal, Guatemala, Ladakh, Kenya and Cambodia. Many times, the children we treat don’t have access to dental care. By establishing mobile dental clinics in these areas – and committing to seeing the same kids year after year – volunteers are able to make a significant impact in lives of children worldwide. As a volunteer with Global Dental Relief, here is what you can expect to experience when you participate in a clinic:

• Saving the smile of a child: This is our main goal and one of the most rewarding experiences you can have! Children come in to the clinic in profound pain and with infection. Volunteers address all areas of the mouth in the clinic – the child walks out visibly changed – smiling brighter and free of pain and infection!

• Hands-on experience: While working in one of our dental clinics, you will be surrounded by dental professionals who offer meaningful guidance and knowledge into the world of dental care.

• Lifelong friendships: What could be better than interacting with other passionate, like-minded, energetic and hard-working individuals. People who choose to volunteer share a common thread that is the basis for lifelong friendships. How about establishing genuine connections that will last a lifetime?

• New cultures: The regions where our clinics are set up offer one-of-a-kind experiences and interactions with the local culture. These interactions do not happen from a tour bus, they happen while working side by side with the local partners and families of the children we see in the clinic.

• Newfound appreciation: As citizens of a developed country, we have access to dental care any time we need it. We may not like going to the dentist, or we may find it expensive, but we have the ability to get treatment. Volunteering in a GDR clinic, gives you a deep appreciation for dentists and other medical professionals, and for the quality of care available to each of us.

The volunteer experience is one that is hard to explain. The culture, the children, and the communities you encounter during your time as a volunteer with Global Dental Relief are unforgettable!

Learn even more about volunteering with us and how you can start your application. Contact our office today at email: volunteer@globaldentalrelief.org or call 303-858-8857.

The post The Volunteer Experience: What Is It Like to Volunteer with Global Dental Relief? first appeared on Global Dental Relief.

Theresa arrived in Antigua, Guatemala, not sure what volunteering would look like. This was nothing like past “vacations” where you sit on a beach and drink margaritas. She had a different focus in mind – to help children in the Guatemalan Highlands live happier, healthier lives.

Theresa Tran, RDH got her degree in hygiene from the Community College of Denver in the spring of 2012. She always dreamed of using her education for a greater good. When she learned about Global Dental Relief — a Colorado-based non-profit that sends volunteers overseas to provide dental care — there was no question that she wanted to sign up for a trip!

That was six years ago. Since then, Theresa has volunteered in Nepal, Cambodia and Kenya with Global Dental Relief, sharing her passion and skills with children around the world.

Theresa pictured with children in Guatemala.

This spring she will return to Guatemala with a team of five dentists, two other hygienists and a handful of general. The mission – to help 700 children improve their oral health. The team will spend the week giving dental exams, cleanings, restorations and extractions, to children who otherwise lack access or resources to receive dental care.

Theresa reflects: “Every time I volunteer with GDR, I feel grateful being part of a team that extends the quality of life for so many children, for their families, and even the village. I believe that we provide more than just a visit to the dentist. We are making an impact that extends from one child to another, from one family to another.”

Like Theresa, Kathy Pidcock, RDH was looking to share her specialty with the world, to do something bigger than herself. Kathy entered the healthcare industry over thirty years ago with the aim to help people become healthier through education and good oral habits. Deep inside she always wanted to reach people who would never experience the dental care that so many of us take for granted.

As a hygienist, Kathy found this opportunity through GDR, first in Guatemala in 2014 and then in Kenya and Nepal. One of the things that struck Kathy as both a volunteer and trip leader is that all dental equipment and supplies are provided, volunteers only need to bring their enthusiasm and open hearts to the clinic.

Kathy pictured with patient and local assistant in Nepal.

“Working with Global Dental Relief was easy; the group is so well organized,” Kathy says. “I was completely at ease traveling to Guatemala for my first volunteer experience. I have since returned to Guatemala three times, first as a volunteer and now as a trip leader. I highly recommend this organization to fulfill a dream of being part of helping children with their oral health.”

As a trip leader, she flies in a few days before the volunteers to set up the clinic and ensure populations of children are ready to be seen. The result is a well-oiled machine, in which 100 plus children receive complete dental care each day.

After a week of hard work and many smiles, volunteers who arrived strangers, are now lifelong friends, connected by their common mission to help children live happier, healthier lives.

Sarah Muller, another Colorado hygienist learned about GDR at the Rocky Mountain Dental Convention. She was moved by the stories of past volunteers and wanted to be involved in travel that gives back. With GDR’s 22 clinics a year in Nepal, India, Kenya, Cambodia and Guatemala, it was hard to know where to go first. The following spring, Sarah joined a Guatemala clinic reuniting with other volunteers who had been in Nepal.

“I highly recommend any dental professional to do this at some point in their lives. It’s truly an incredible feeling when you find out how many children’s lives you have influenced just by volunteering for a week. It is also a wonderful way to experience different cultures and do some traveling. I love that GDR always has the option after clinic to do something cultural and open your eyes to many ways of life. Guatemala was a trip of a lifetime!”

Sarah pictured with children in Guatemala.

These three Colorado humanitarians echo the same sentiment — “There is nothing like witnessing firsthand the difference dental care can make in a child’s life. It’s a gift you have that can change the lives of thousands of children for the better. What are you waiting for?”

You can join Theresa in Guatemala this fall, or Kathy in Guatemala in July –don’t wait! Join us and see the world as you’ve never seen it before! You don’t have to be a dentist to volunteer!

For more information on volunteer opportunities, visit our Global Dental Relief website at: www.globaldentalrelief.org, email: volunteer@globaldentalrelief.org or call 303-858-8857.

The post Colorado Dental Hygienists Help Children in Need in Guatemala first appeared on Global Dental Relief.

Why volunteer in Cambodia? Here are our top five reasons!

Cambodia was once a quick stop-over on the South East Asia tourist circuit. People came to visit the 12th century Angkor Temple complex just outside of Siem Reap, and then quickly fled to other more comfortable tourist hangouts in Vietnam and Thailand. But today Siem Reap holds its own – at once an international scene and a place of enormous need, it is the perfect town to spend a few weeks volunteering and soaking up life, Cambodian style. There are endless reasons to volunteer in Cambodia, but here are the top five to make this your next adventure:

1.) The People

Cambodian people are gracious and kind. In spite of a dark past, a warm smile awaits visitors and especially those who come to do volunteer work. Cambodians are eager to get to know you, to share their life stories and to welcome you into their culture. They are generous people; you can’t help but feel a sense of connectedness when you are working side by side with our local partners in the clinic. Volunteers get a window into Cambodian life that regular tourists simply cannot access.

2.) Angkor Wat Temple Complex

The Angkor Wat Temple Complex, period. Need I say more? Built in the 12th century and then hidden by jungle for hundreds of years, the Angkor Temple Complex is something to behold. The iconic faces of Bayon and the elaborate red sandstone carvings of Banteay Srei offer a welcome break from daily volunteer work. Group Visiting the temples early in the morning or after the clinic ends in the afternoon, rounds out the perfect day. There is a steamy mysticism in this land of gods; one cannot help but be moved by the numinous essence these temples exude.

3.) The Khmer Children Need You

Although a quick scan of Siem Reap would lead one to believe that the Khmer people are flourishing economically, the sad truth is that the majority of economic resources are squandered by an elite few. There is little access to healthcare or dental care of any kind, except for those who are well off. Joining a volunteer dental clinic with Global Dental Relief means that you will be part of helping more than 600 Cambodian children to better health, in just a week. Without you, these children do not have access to dental care. They need you, so what are you waiting for?

4.) The Food

Siem Reap is a food lover’s paradise, with a lively and varied dining scene. There are endless food options. Try the traditional Fish Amok, or head to an international restaurant for a taste of Kangaroo. You really can’t go wrong in the food department. Street food is delicious and you always have the option of patronizing a restaurant “with a cause.” Several restaurants educate, train and employee former street children and sex workers. Not only are you giving back during the day, but even your meals can serve as a symbiotic function – nourishing you while helping others. Pretty cool, eh?

5.) The Volunteer Experience

And finally, the big secret that those who volunteer understand – you actually get more out of the experience than those you are helping. Yes, it’s true! Something about stepping outside of yourself and focusing wholeheartedly on another person is cathartic, fulfilling and gratifying in a way that escapes description. You have to do it to understand. Volunteers return over and over again, addicted to the positive vibes that are created when you are completely focused on helping others.

Cambodia is waiting for you! Make this your next adventure. To find out more about volunteer opportunities in Cambodia email volunteer@globaldentalrelief.org.

The post THE TOP 5 REASONS TO VOLUNTEER IN CAMBODIA! 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.