27
Volume1 Issue5
|
I
ssues and
P
eople
ICDFellowsDrs. JackCottrell and
DonnaBrodeparticipated inamission
facilitatedbySperoway, acharity that
providesmedical anddental treatment
to inhabitantsof Central America
andHaiti. Themission,which ran in
November 2013andwasbasedout of
SanSalvador,was Speroway’s largest
mission todateandprovidedprimary
healthcare,medication, foodand
clothing toover 5700 individuals.
TheSperoway teamof about 50
dentists, doctors, assistants andnurses,
paramedics, pharmacists, translators
andother volunteers set up5clinics,
each inadifferent community. The
teamof 7dentists—captainedby
Dr. Cottrell, apast president of CDA—
treatedover 200patients eachday.
“Weperformed scaling—asperiodon-
tal diseasewas thebiggest problem
weencountered,” saysDr. Brode, an
ICD International Councillor. “Wealso
didoral hygiene, amalgams, composite
resins, extractions and limitedendo-
dontics.” The teamusedcomposite
resinbridges to replacemissing
teeth,with thegoal of having
patients lookgoodand feel good
about themselves.
The teamworked straight from
dawn todusk: “Wedon’t stop,” says
Dr. Cottrell. “To stopeven for 20minutes
means that therearepeoplewhoare
not seen.”
Givingback
The ICDbecameaffiliatedwith
Sperowaywhen itsmemberswere
looking forways togiveback to
theglobal community. “Wehad
theeducational component of the
College,” saysDr. Brode, “but some
membersof theCanadianSection
wereasking, ‘What canwedo?What
kindof problemsof access tocareor
efforts inorganizeddentistrycanwe
addressworldwide?’”
The ICD’sCanadianSectionhas a
registeredcharity, theWilliam J.
SpenceFoundation,whichcollects
donations to supportCanadian
dentistswhovolunteer their services
inunderdevelopedcountries. Funding
isdistributedbetweenanumber of
charitableorganizationswhosevalues
best fit thoseof theCollege, including
Speroway.
“Speroway is compassionateand that’s
the reasonwhy Iwas first drawn to
thisnon-profit group,” saysDr. Cottrell.
“Theyactwith integrityand loveof
their fellowman.”
Thevolunteersdonatemore than
just their timeandexpertise to these
missions; they sponsor their own
transportation, accommodationand
meals. Teammembersmust also
supply theequipment andmaterials
necessary toget the jobdone, and that
iswhere the ICDcanhelp.
Thefieldunitsusedby thedental team,
whichareessentiallyadental office ina
box, havehigh- and low-speed suction
andhandpieces, air-water syringes
andevena small compressor. They
werepurchasedwith funding from the
William J. SpenceFoundation. “That is
where the ICDhas reallybeenhelpful
in supportingus, because theseunits
areexpensive,” saysDr. Cottrell. “The
ICDhasbeenextremelygenerous in
We don’t stop. To stop even for20minutesmeans that there are
peoplewhoare not seen.
With the supportof the InternationalCollegeofDentists (ICD),Canadiandentists formed
partof ahumanitarian team thatprovidedoral care toover1000 individuals in someof
ElSalvador’spoorestareas last fall. Individuals in thesecommunitieshave little tonoaccess
tobasicnecessitiesandmanyhadnever seenadentist.
Making a difference at home and abroad
ICDHUMANITARIAN
MISSIONS
