A team of dental specialists and volunteers will be in Belize providing free dental services for two weeks, starting Monday, October 23rd. The Belize Mission Project is a yearly program from the United States of America and has been coming to the country for the past 26 years. The first set of the American dental caregivers arrived in San Pedro Town on Friday, October 20th, and for the upcoming two weeks, they are expected to conduct dental work on patients at the San Pedro Lions Den on Barrier Drive.
The island team is comprised of dentists, physicians, volunteers, laboratory technicians, and other medical professionals. The group continues to be spearheaded by Dr. Frank Whipps, but during his absence this year, Dave Dorman spoke to The Sun about their activities on the island. “We will have about 77 people on our team this year during these two weeks, and here on the island we will be doing the removal of partials, replacing front teeth, and some fillings,” said Dorman. “We will also have clinics in other parts of Belize, like in the Corozal, Belize and Stann Creek Districts, where we will be providing fluoride treatment.”
This is Dorman’s 10th year of coming to Belize with the on-going Mission Project. “When we leave next week, planning will begin for next year’s visit,” said Dorman. “We are happy to be here. During the past years, we have made a lot of friends, and we all really look forward to this time of the year.” Most of the team members have been taking part in the initiative for several years, but every year, new members join the team after finding out about the Mission through word of mouth or through dental professional magazine advertisements.
Island residents requiring dental care can visit the free dental clinic at the San Pedro Lions Den from 8AM to 5PM daily. It is advisable to ensure that you submit your name to the Belizean volunteers who will issue a ticket number to access dental assistance. The public is again reminded that the clinics are free of cost.
It is estimated that Belize Mission Project costs the US volunteers more than $1 million US dollars for the two weeks they are away from their place of work, as well as their cost of staying and traveling to Belize.
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