As early as dental hygiene school, I felt compelled to use my clinical skills and knowledge to give back in some way. My dental hygiene program offered students opportunities to do outreach through community service projects. These included local health fairs, dental screenings, and educational programs at elementary schools and a senior center. Students also volunteered during the summer at a children’s dental health clinic, where hygiene and dental students provided free treatment to school-aged children from families with lower incomes.
Near the end of my final year of school, a faith-based organization visited our class to discuss international medical and dental mission trips. Another classmate and I made tentative plans to sign up the following year once we were gainfully employed and could financially afford the trip – that was in 2007. As is often the case, life got in the way, and I was unable to afford to go, not only because of the actual cost of the trip but also because of the additional cost of missed work.
My desire to take a mission trip never left, but the cost kept me from pursuing an international opportunity. Instead, I found ways to give back locally by volunteering with Give Kids a Smile (a local free dental day held at my alma mater) and also with a group of dentists who provided free dental services to patients with lower incomes in the Dallas area. I also often dropped toothbrushes and toothpaste at local Little Free Pantry locations around my community.
Many years passed, and in 2013, I began working as a full-time hygienist for the same dentist who had visited my graduating class back in 2007 to talk about dental mission trips. He asked me to join the mission trip group going to Romania in June 2014. I still had financial concerns being a single homeowner with a mortgage and other bills to pay. The cost, typically covering flights, lodging, local transport, meals, supplies, and personal expenses, made the commitment considerable. With financial help from him and other donors, I was able to make the trip.
My First International Mission: Experience and Impact
The 10-day trip serving in Braila, Romania, was long and exhausting, yet I would take it twice more and will go again. The work was also challenging, as we were seeing patients ranging from school-age children to older adults with very limited access to dental care. Many of the patients had never received preventive dental care. Some procedures were completed with sedation.
The large mission team was comprehensive, consisting of dentists, dental assistants, dental hygienists, an oral surgeon, a dermatologist and his nurse, a radiologist and ultrasound tech, an internal medicine doctor, a colorectal surgeon, an anesthesiology team, a general surgeon, and countless nonmedical support team members.
This group also included team members who held vacation Bible school with local children, a maintenance team focused on doing repair work at a local children’s home, and even a goat ministry team who donated goats to local families experiencing poverty so they would have access to goat milk for bartering/trading with other community members.
I was deeply grateful to have a specific skill set to offer these people and help better their lives. Despite the language barrier and being strangers, each of them knew we were there to help, and their gratitude was immeasurable.
I felt raw and emotional throughout the trip. I think I cried every single day. Some tears came from exhaustion, but most were tears of joy and awe. How could little ol’ me from East Texas be in Romania providing hygiene treatment and serving these people? How could I, as a dental hygienist, be making such profound connections simply by using my clinical skills coupled with a large dose of compassion? Was this real life?
I returned to Romania with the same group in 2015 and 2016. Those trips were just as rewarding and impactful. Thanks to social media, I still get to keep in touch with the friends I made across the world.
The Need in Your Backyard: Serving Locally
Financially, I needed to take a break from international mission trips, so I sought out ways to help locally. I know not everyone is able to take international mission trips, but please do not let finances or family obligations deter you from finding local ways to give back.
In recent years, I have volunteered with an organization that provides dental treatment to patients who are survivors of human trafficking. A colleague of mine helped organize this free dental day at our local college dental hygiene clinic, and it continues to grow in size and scope every year.
You don’t have to travel around the world to make a huge impact. The need is right in your backyard, so look for local opportunities where you live. In my area, countless organizations and churches offer free or reduced-cost dental care to the community. Other local opportunities might include donating dental home care supplies to shelters or food pantries, organizing an oral health education seminar at older adult or community centers, or hosting a free dental day at your office.
Thailand and Beyond: Overcoming Financial Barriers
In 2023, I was itching to return to international mission work, so I joined a church mission team led by a high school friend and travelled to Thailand. While there, we visited numerous children’s homes. Our small dental team provided care to approximately 100 children and staff, while others on the team held vacation Bible school with the kids.
This was another surreal moment because I never imagined myself travelling to Thailand with a high school friend who became a pastor. Still, I was again thankful to use my clinical skills to positively impact those in desperate need of care.
Deciding to take an international mission trip is a financial commitment, but there are ways to help offset the cost. On each of my trips, at least half of the cost was subsidized through donations from friends and family. Both organizations I traveled with offered tools to help with fundraising, such as donation request form letters, suggestions, and websites for online donations. Do not be afraid to ask for financial help. I was pleasantly surprised by donations from unexpected sources.
Social media is also an excellent resource for donation requests. I composed a few paragraphs about my upcoming trip, emailed them to personal contacts, and posted them to social media along with a link to my donation webpage.
Other ideas include selling baked goods, t-shirts, or craft projects, or offering services such as dog walking or house cleaning. Where there is a will, there is a way. The fundraising ideas are endless.
For the Thailand trip, I was tasked with helping collect donations for dental supplies. Enter social media again. Along with the dentist and the other hygienist on the team, I compiled an extensive list of necessary supplies and posted the need on social media. The pastor leading the trip also shared the list with his congregation. In addition, local dental offices and dental supply representatives donated.
We were able to collect every single supply needed, with more to spare, simply by asking. I have found that while others might not be able to take mission trips themselves, they are often very willing to contribute to mission teams either financially or by supply donations.
A Shift in Perspective
A significant takeaway for me from international mission work was seeing what life is like in other countries and cultures. I came away from each trip feeling very humbled and with a distinct shift in perception of life and culture in the United States. My shift in perception also included a change in my attitude toward our healthcare system. I realized that, as broken as many of those in the United States believe our healthcare system might be, we still have access to modern medicine.
Each trip included youth and young adults who grew up with technology and every modern convenience. I found it very interesting to see how this younger generation reacted to visiting areas with a high percentage of residents experiencing poverty. Discussions with them during and after the trip revealed that many had no idea that other countries did not live like we do in the United States. Seeing their eyes open to the reality of conditions in different countries was quite remarkable.
The majority of my fellow trip participants expressed a desire to continue mission work now that they better understand the immense need. In addition to giving back and helping address unmet needs, dental professionals find that participation in global oral health initiatives brings personal benefits, such as professional development and feelings of reward and fulfillment, while being immersed in a new culture.1
Beyond the direct dental health impact on the patients served by visiting mission teams, there is also an economic impact on the region – a ripple effect felt far beyond those receiving dental services. Many mission teams visit areas with economic instability that are unlikely to benefit from tourism dollars. Globally, it’s estimated that more than 10 million people engage in volunteer tourism each year, collectively spending nearly $850 million on volunteer-focused travel.2 By simply visiting the community, the local economy is boosted through dollars spent by the mission team at hotels, restaurants, and other local shops.
As you can see, participating in a dental mission team provides benefits that extend beyond surface-level patient care, positively impacting patients, volunteers, and the area’s economy.
In Closing
Before my first mission trip, I was told I would gain more than I could possibly give, and that proved to be absolutely true. I wasn’t prepared for the profound impact that first mission trip would have on me, and it continues to resonate more than 10 years later. We can all benefit from the experience of giving back, serving others, and being selfless. You possess a specific skill set – one that can help others regardless of geographic location or economic standing.
When I decided to change careers and become a dental hygienist, I never would have guessed it would take me halfway around the world. I am forever changed and thankful for the opportunity this career gave me.
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References
- Hackley, D., Colburn, C., Creasey, J. Do Good, Better: Making a Difference in Global Oral Health. Journal of the California Dental Association. 2024; 52(1): 2330507. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19424396.2024.2330507
- Volunteer Tourism Market (2024 – 2030). (2023). Grand View Research. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/volunteer-tourism-market-report
