Members of the HPSH provide their expertise in Roatan, Honduras.

Health care professionals from the Ohio State University’s College of Dentistry and the University Medical Center take great pride in providing care for their traditional patients. Some professionals decide to participate in groups that allow them to share their skills through mission work and volunteerism at the national and international levels. These volunteers find great joy in their work, as they address dental issues of groups that have not had access to oral care. Health Professionals Serving Humanity (HPSH) and the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) are two such groups that provide opportunities for professionals to volunteer.

HPSH consists of dentists, oral surgeons, pharmacists, nurses, assistants and other volunteers affiliated with the Ohio State College of Dentistry and the University Medical Center. In February of 2006, members of this group ventured to the island of Roatan, Honduras for their seventh dental mission in the country. Located 30 miles off the main land of Honduras, Roatan has many people in need of basic dental care. Most of the island’s residents have never seen a dentist.

We set up the clinic, which consisted of three portable dental chairs for restorative needs and two other chairs for surgical needs. Due to the lack of routine dental hygiene in this patient population, many patients had very complex oral pathologies. The patients completed their dental examination and any necessary procedures. Then, they proceeded to the pharmacy. Our pharmacist and other volunteers gave each patient a toothbrush and toothpaste, educated them on routine oral hygiene, and dispensed any necessary medications.

The Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) provides volunteer opportunities closer to home. The Ohio State College of Dentistry student chapter of the HDA has provided care to the local Hispanic population through La Clínica Latina for approximately six years.

The dental sector of the clinic started solely as an information table, providing a place where families could ask questions about oral health and receive education on proper oral hygiene. Subsequent donations given by various state organizations and private sponsors enabled the HDA to purchase two portable dental units and two portable dental chairs, along with most of the equipment needed to provide limited dental treatments. All treatment offered through the dental clinic was free of charge and included examinations, simple restorations, cleanings and oral hygiene instructions.

Unfortunately, the dental sector of La Clínica Latina has not been able to see patients since March 2006, because the dental needs of the patients coming to the clinic were exceeding the available resources. The Ohio State student chapter of the HDA is currently looking for proper equipment and a facility where we can continue to serve the Latin@ population of Central Ohio.

The Ohio State student chapter of HDA was present at El Día del Niño celebration.

In the meantime, the Ohio State student chapter of the HDA continues to serve the Latin@ community through various outreach programs. We were honored to attend the celebration for El Día del Niño (Children’s Day) on April 29, 2006. The Ohio Hispanic Coalition organized the celebration and over 600 people took part. This was a wonderful opportunity to promote oral health within the Hispanic community. Perhaps, this will inspire some future dentists to become involved in outreach programs throughout their community and the world.