Smiles Forever

In 2023, our community service dental clinic continued to serve as the cornerstone of our programs, and we made significant strides in consolidating our services, protocols, work methods, and ethical standards. We also embraced new materials and techniques, enabling us to expand our capacity to provide free and high-quality dental care.the return to normalcy allowed us to see a greater number of patients each day, particularly those requiring weekly visits for orthodontic and endodontic treatments. The implementation of silver diamine flouride (sdf) for treating less severe cavities provided to be a game-changer. This non-invasive approach eradicates cavities without the need for drilling, followed by glass ionomer cement (gic) fillings, which offer numerous benefits over traditional composite resin fillings. Furthermore, in 2023, we expanded our outreach by adding more beneficiary organizations to our roster. Among our notable additions we include arca de jesus, nueva vida y luis espinal shelter, organizations caring for over 260 children in the outskirts of cochabamba, specifically in the municipality of quillacollo.despite our initial projects of averaging 4,000 patients per year, we surpassed this target by serving over 4,400 patients (763 new patients from the previous year) - an achievement that speaks volumes about the dedication and effectiveness of our team and the pressing need for our services in the community.throughout 2023, our focus remained steadfast on strengthening our community outreach program in marquina. We have been dedicated to providing silver diamine fluoride applications (sdf) and glass ionomer cement fillings (gic) to over 300 children between the ages of 3 to 8 years old during the initial phase of our pilot program. It's worth nothing that the community of marquina still lacks access to local dental care, underscoring the importance of our efforts. As a result, we are actively advocating for the establishment of a community dental operatory in 2024. Throughout our projections, we aim to extend our services to reach more than 1,500 children attending the unidad educativa marquina school (located in the municipality of quillacollo), over the next three years through various stages of the sdf & gic program.