Aspen Dental’s overseas outreach program and Global Dental Relief initiative teamed up to send 15 Aspen Dental independent practitioners to Akumal, Mexico to offer free dental care to more than 1,140 local patients, according to a press release.
"These kids are so joyful and have so much fun and there's so much love in the community here. The issue is they truly don't have the same access to care here that we do in the U.S., so being able to be a part of this and to teach them and to treat their cavities and their disease is really special," DMD, vice president, practice owner development, Aspen Dental, Lauren McDonough, said. "We really brought together a great group of doctors, hygienists, office managers, dental assistants and more. This group was so cohesive — not caring what their position was, just there for the mission and to bring better care to the kids in Akumal."
The initiative will be carried out by a team of dentists, hygienists, dental assistants and lab technicians over the course of a week. The group has assisted communities in Guatemala, Argentina and Mexico for over five years.
During its time at Akumal, the team provided 501 cleanings, 521 fluoride treatments and 63 extractions. Children made up roughly 40% of the patients served during the trip.
The expansion follows the success of Aspen's Healthy Mouth Movement (HMM), initially launched in 2014. Since its establishment, HMM has donated more than $26 million worth of dentistry services to over 33,000 patients around the world. The program collaborates with Aspen’s dental network, which consists of more than 1,000 independent practitioners.
"My whole family is from Mexico, so I think it's just super important to give back to everybody, but especially where you're from," Aspen Dental lead dental assistant, Haidee Aguiniga, said. "I wanted to be able to travel and make a difference, and that was the main reason why I was so excited to go on this trip. I wouldn't have had this opportunity to serve in Mexico without being part of the Aspen Dental team and am grateful that these types of outreach programs exist for us to participate in."