We used to go on dental missions while I was in dental school in the Philippines. I attended at least two per semester. Extracted my first tooth as a freshman, under the guidance of upperclassmen and licensed dentists.
We coordinated with local government officials (town captains) who are more than happy to accommodate us. We sent out solicitation letters to distributors of local anesthetics, gloves, needles and such, and always got their support by receiving free supplies. We brought our own surgical instruments.
The town captains or mayors would in turn provide us with free food and often, room for the night. Not to mention, beer🙂
One major problem was sterilization. Sometimes the areas served were so remote that there was no electricity. If there was, it was unreliable and power outages were common. Taking an autoclave is impractical...we bought along a huge pot to boil water in, using a kerosene stove or some firewood. So you can imagine how primitive things were and how much time it took to sterilize instruments.
The dental services were mostly extractions. The dental missions were usually held in a public school, gymnasium or a town hall. There were no dental chairs. Procedures were done on a pupil's "tablet chair" or a stool. I remember we had to do an emergency odontectomy on one of those--scary if you think that we did not even have the benefit of radiography.
If you are interested in going on a dental mission to the Philippines, I suggest you contact the Philippine Dental Association. They open a free dental clinic in the Association's office in Makati City, so maybe they could accommodate you there. Or you can contact the Alpha Phi Omega Dental Alumni Association of the Philippines--the APhiO's are service-oriented and go on dental missions on a regular basis. Maybe they could use your help.
Good luck.
Ivorinedust
"Apolonia, relieve my toothache!"
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