2005 UNC Honduras Project Meets Oral Health Needs in Guatamala & Honduras
This past August, three UNC dental students, Jeff Hyde( DDS 2007), Jason Jones (DDS 2007), and Nazir Ahmad (DDS 2008), traveled to Central America to address the oral health care needs of the citizens of Honduras and Guatemala. The team lived at a large orphanage near Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where they also worked at the on-site dental clinic. While there, they delivered preventative care and restorative care to the children and staff of the orphanage. The dental students visited classrooms to distribute toothpaste, toothbrushes and floss to the children and teachers. The team also provided oral hygiene instructions and then applied topical fluoride to the hundreds of needy children. This year, for the first time, the team visited a large orphanage outside of Guatemala City to deliver dental supplies and visit their dental clinic. These two orphanages, as well as one in Mexico visited annually by UNC students, are part of a system of NPH schools located throughout Latin America.
The mission of the Honduras Project is to enhance the oral health care of the at-risk orphan population while providing an enriching cultural and dental experience to the volunteer students. The 2005 team wishes to thank all those who helped make the trip possible.
