we are looking for people to help and still need supplies for april 5th -10th, june 10th-17th, sept.16th-23rd and some time in nov.
we need childrens' tooth brushes, floss, small toys to give as prizes as they leave, gloves masks gauze filling materials,really anything dental related.
the volunteers can help organize and register the kids and keep them occupied while waitng and some can help show them how to brush and floss their teeth and assist chair side and clean up between patients. any dentists interested could help do exams, emergency and restorative treatments.
contact Mark Johnson at
[email protected] here's a little more informationHello Fellow Volunteers,
After a quick six years the San Pedro Smile Center is complete
and waiting for you to make it a success.
Let me reintroduce myself, because I have been collecting
names for the last six years and telling you I'll get back to you
when the clinic opens. I am Dr. Mark Johnson. My wife Joan and I
practice dentistry in Minnesota and Belize. We also have a beach
house that you may have rented
www.bluedolphinbelize.com. We also
have a private practice in Belize
www.minnesotadentistry.net. We
may have met you at our home, volunteering somewhere, in Belize or
by referral.
With this new two operatory facility our goal is to change the
Belizean peoples' attitude toward dentistry, especially the
children. Right now we're viewed as the person you go to when you
have pain and swelling to "get the tooth pulled". we hope to
encourage prevention and change their mind set. We are going down
with our staff and some friends to see the first patients mid
January. Our target will be the school children, ages 4-12 and we
plan to give them a ride in the chair count their teeth MAYBE deal
with any immediate needs,treatment plan them, give them a toy and
leave them with a smile.
I have been charged with recruiting volunteers, credentialing
the doctors for their temporary belizean dental license and
scheduling their stays. We hope to offer near by
complimentary hotel accommodations and receipts for donations of
time and supplies.
Our volunteers will have to get themselves to San Pedro Town,
Ambergris Caye, Central America. Most major airlines fly to Belize
International now. We are on an island so you have to take a 14
passenger 15minute plane ride or 60 minute ferryboat ride to get
there.
If you are still interested in helping with this project,
where there really is a great need, please let me know, any input
is appreciated because we have never done anything like this
before.
Very truly yours,
Dr. Mark Johnson
hello fellow volunteers,
thank you for getting back to me! we completed installing the 2
operatory dental clinic in the san pedro smile center on
the island of ambergris caye, belize just 2 weeks ago. it turned out
very nice and may well be the nicest volunteer facility in the
country. we have a combo. of new and good used, rebuilt equipment
and will give the clinic its maiden voyage this jan 25th-31st. i'm
bringing myself, 4 of my staff and have invited 2 other doctors for
this session. we hope to supply the clinic with instruments and
sundries and "work the bugs out" and get in as many kids as we can,
give them a ride in the chair, count their teeth,start some type of
tx plan and give them a toy, tooth brush and floss and send them home
(or back to school) with a smile. it's going to be interesting so
pray for us. my wife joan, a dental hygienist and i are scheduled to
go back april 1st to 15th and with the help of others, hopefully
you, will work 5 - 1/2 days within these dates. it's been suggested
to me to work 1-5 so the volunteers can have the mornings for their
r&r. we'll secure complementary accommodations for the volunteers
and receipts of their contributions. if interested please let us
know asap. dr dwight, i'll need you to fax your credentials to 320
274 3152 so i can secure your bz dental license at no cost to you.
thank you all for offering to help and we hope april works but if
not maybe some time in the future.
God Bless,
dr mark johnson