Dental Volunteer Projects in Central America
For more information about volunteering on Central America dental volunteer projects please view the: Global Dental Relief One World 365 Proflile.
Or browse One World 365 Dental Volunteer Projects.
Below is an interview with Katie Cassin and Paige Tyman - two non-dental volunteers who recently participated in a dental clinic in Guatemala.
Volunteer Katie Cassin
What were the highlights of your trip?
Katie: Having the opportunity to interact with the kids and being exposed to a different culture and way-of-life. Although I don't want to be a dentist, I still became pretty well versed in it. After I came home I was able to diagnose several of my roommates with cavities they weren't even aware of - Ha Ha!
Paige: Though not speaking the language was initially a challenge, participating in the dental work allowed me to bond with the kids and my fellow volunteers.
Volunteer Paige Tyman
Volunteer Paige Tyman with children in the clinc.
What would you tell someone thinking about going on a trip?
Paige: Any of Global Dental's trips fundamentally change your perspective of the world and your own life. It's an indescribable difference. Though we may be very different in a lot of ways, we're also very similar. We have different cultures and different borders, but ultimately we all want the same things in life - happiness, security, an to be surrounded by friends and family.
Katie: The coolest part about the trips is that no matter what your background is, you can always participate in whatever work is being done. You'll learn things you never would have thought yourself interested in, and you'll meet people you never would have otherwise.
What memories do you take away from your trip?
Paige: One of the volunteers immediately became friends with one of the patients. They were close the entire trip - it was a sad parting when it was time to leave. Relationships like that one are formed all the time on these trips. Volunteering in a dental clinic offers a unique opportunity to connect on a deep level with someone of a different culture.
Katie: Since language barrier was present, I communicated with eye contact and body language, which became a memorable experience. I know I feel closer to the girls I worked with down there as a result. At the end of the last week, they brought nail polish to the clinic to paint my nails!
Katie Cassin recently graduated from the University of Colorado. Paige Tyman will be a junior at Littleton High School in Littleton, Colorado this fall. Sam Mathews, our summer intern, will be a junior at Kent Denver this fall.
