Summary of Upcoming Service Projects

    Compiled by Dr. Karl Koerner, 801-502-8585.

    1. Uganda.
      1. Dentists involved: Drew Cahoon
        (Raymond, Canada), Tom Sorensen (Vancouver, WA), Richard Alder…
      2. Drew Cahoon contact info: dgcahoon@gmail.com, 403-752-4545 (w), 403-752-4007 (h), 403-795-3366
        (c)
      3. Mainly a Rotary project with
        an emphasis on dental education on the university level.
      4. Purposes:
        1. Teach ART technique to dental
          graduates – especially the 3 yr. ones “PDHO” or “technician”
          graduates (vs. the 5 year dental graduates).
        2. Treat missionaries.
        3. Other clinical services.
      5. Uganda is south of Egypt and
        Sudan, west of Kenya, on the north of Lake Victoria touching the Equator.
        English is the official language. 85% of its people are Christian. Its
        29 million people live in an area just a little bigger than Utah. Due
        to its average altitude of 3000 feet, it has a delightful climate. The
        Church is growing rapidly in Uganda, with families and priesthood remarkably
        strong.

        Dr. Drew Cahoon is the champion
        of the Academy’s Uganda project. His Rotary Club of Raymond Alberta,
        Canada, with a lot of creative fund raising, delivered about 1.5 million
        dollars of equipment to the dental school in the capitol of Kampala
        August of 2007. The school produces about 15 dentists per year, for
        a country that has only 1 dentist for every 800,000 people! Drew recognized
        something more had to be done to help the people of Uganda with their
        dental care.

        Drew has been remarkably successful
        at working with local government and the dental school and Rotary and
        LDS leaders. The country had previously officially adopted a policy
        of training Public Health Dental Officers (PHDOs) in local anesthesia,
        extraction, and antibiotics for 3 years at the dental school. These
        PHDOs are employed at the health centers all over Uganda. A person with
        pain or swelling was presented to a health center; the PHDO would locate
        the offending tooth and extract it. Then the PHDO, if he or she had
        time, would look around for cavities; then extract decayed teeth to
        prevent the next emergency abscess! This gives new meaning to the concept
        of preventive dentistry!

        Drew asked the Academy to help
        train the PHDOs in Atraumatic Restorative Technique (ART) and preventive
        education. ART is basically excavating the decay with hand instruments
        and restoring with Fugi 9 glass ionomer. By law the PHDOs are able to
        employ ART. Academy officers desire to adopt projects that strengthen
        local dental practitioners and teaching institutions, so we were very
        pleased when Drew asked if the Academy would take on the Uganda project.
        Drew presented the needs to our members at our August 2007 Conference
        and quickly obtained the needed volunteers.

        In March 2008 seven dentists
        and spouses, and in August 2008 for dentists went to Uganda to teach
        ART to 29 PHDOs. They were well received and government has expressed
        interest in taking over the funding. The third week of January 2009
        a group of three dentists, four dental hygienists (and spouses) will
        go to Uganda to teach conservative periodontal therapy to dental instructors
        and students and to PHDO instructors and students. PHDOs can give anesthetic,
        so root planning below the gums, is the next step.

    1. Mali
      1. Our trip to the country of
        Mali will be Dec. 27, 2008-Jan. 9, 2009. There will be more in the future.
      2. Dr. Brett Moyes is heading
        things up and has been there before. His email is         moyesboys3@msn.com. Brett can also be reached at 801-479-5515.
      3. We have not been able to get
        an oral surgeon, periodontist, or dentist wit ha lot of surgical experience
        to go with us.
      4. From Dr. Laurence Palmer:
        A vise can easily be obtained—in fact, two of my daughters and a son-in-law
        are currently in China and will arrive home one week before we leave
        for Mali. They will be obtaining their visas at the airport in Mali.
        Please help us come up with anyone for this or other trips. Thanks so
        much. Laurence’s email address:         laurencepalmer@hotmail.com.

    1. Ghana
      1. Kristen Kinateder Mecham has
        traveled to Ghana several times in the last few years to continue efforts
        to help improve dental education in their schools and set-up a hygienists’
        program there. Recently, she had several students come to Utah to observe
        and learn. Dr. George Bailey has also helped with this endeavor.
      2. Key aspects:
        1. They need dentists (specialists
          or generalists) and/or hygienists to go for one or preferably two weeks.
          This can be followed by some interesting sight-seeing.
        2. They have free room and board
          in a house with a kitchenette. It has sleeping accommodations for 4
          people (example: dentist and staff, dentist or hygienist and their family,
          etc.)
        3. Work involves chairside demonstrations
          of any kind of dental work (all disciplines welcome) including hygiene
          and also some teaching with PowerPoint. Kristen Mecham, who is a professor
          in hygiene at UVU in Provo will provide the PowerPoint presentations.
          You serve as a clinical instructor in the dental school. No license
          is required.
        4. This type of project is not
          necessarily treating a lot of indigent patients as you can tell.
        5. Contact Kristen at mechamkr@uvu.edu or call her at 81-836-3157.

    1. Zimbabwe
      1. Steve Sorensen is going to
        Zimbabwe soon (January) to evaluate missionary needs and take care of
        the 12 units donated to the school there from John Spencer through Deseret
        International. Below: John Spencer and his wife Janelle, co-founders
        of Dental Components Incorporated. They are willing to donate dental
        units to our projects anywhere in the world
        – given the right situation.         Coordination of this is through Jerry
        Summerhays.

    1. Deseret International Projects.
      Below: Bill Jackson, his son Doug and their wives receiving an award
      at the Academy’s annual meeting. Several of our projects are in association
      with their organization.
    2. Cambodia

      Dates of the next trip: Was scheduled
      for Feb. 25-27, 09 but needs to be rescheduled because of a conflict
      with Chinese New Year.

      Purpose: Teaching at the dental school.

      Four dentists are going and their
      wives.

      Any Sightseeing included?

      Estimated cost for each participant?

      More detailed report available on
      request from the organizers.

        1. They will work through the
          Asst. Dean, Dr. Callum Darward (from New Zealand). .
        2. Others going: Craig Smith
          (endodontist), Dean Lang (oral surgeon in CA), and Greg Garn (speaks
          Cambodian, orthodontists).
        3. Elder Michael Morgan is a
          missionary there (and a dentist) who is being very helpful. He will
          be released in a few months.
        4. Dr. John VanDerBerghe is an
          endodontists from SLC and has recently been there to research the situation
          and teach. His email is           antiquefreak2000@yahoo.com, home 801-446-1448, cell 801-641-1191

    1. Philippines
      1. Deseret International is initiating
        dental projects in this country and wants the Academy to work with them.
        1. Will Doug Jackson and Deseret
          International help us with lodging, local transportation, physical facilities
          so we can get a project started? We aren’t sure yet.
      2. Proposed: 3 trips a year for
        2 dentists. 1) Some of the time at the university and 2) some on outreach
        (clinical treatment on indigents) with local students helping.
      3. Nothing definite is scheduled
        yet.
      4. Some participants: Dr. Chris
        Vernon, former Philippines missionary who wants to do work there. Likes
        to do trips with Dr. Lynn Aste.
      5. Dr. Paul Benson and Dr. Dwayne
        Zobel went there in October, 2008 to investigate.
        1. The report from Dr. Zobell:
          My suggestion is that this project be studied carefully to future participation
          from both Mabuhay Deseret Foundation and the Academy of LDS Dentists.
          It is a wonderful opportunity that can provide a clear “win – win”
          for all of the participants involved. There is virtually no language
          barrier, Dr. De Leon is the type of dental administrator we would all
          love to have in our corner, and there are endless opportunities to provide
          needed dental procedures and also help raise the level of dental education
          in the Fatima Dental College. The trip is one that is physically taxing
          and an adjustment period of a few days prior to embarking on a rigorous
          expedition schedule would be necessary. If a large enough group were
          in place, perhaps those who desire to work on cleft palate procedures,
          those who have interest in doing a more remote type of expedition, and
          those who desire to work in the Dental College and provide dental continuing
          education presentations would all be able to travel together. The Dean
          would like to have participation with lectures and other continuing
          education next October, and, with enough advance planning, some clinical
          outreach could be accomplished as well.

    1. AYUDA Projects
      1. The current AYUDA Chairman
        is Dr. Dave Dickerson from Pleasant Grove. Phone: 801-785-8500.
      2. They have 12 Adec (Rotadent)
        dental units that can be “borrowed” for dental projects (pay $100
        each and get $50 back when they are returned in good condition). The
        12 units actually belong to the Academy of LDS Dentists.
      3. AYUDA has seven portable dental
        units of their own.
      4. Current projects planned –
        all under the direction and control of Dr. Dickerson:
        1. Fiji: Contact persons Dr.
          Mike Harris and Dr. Craig Smith. Summer, 2009.

    1. China

      Contact/Coordinating person (contact
      info.): Chaoyang: Dr. Delmar Gray, 208-870-6881. Suqian, Dr. Adam Hodges,
      208-316-2307

      Dates of the next trip: Chaoyang
      April 17-26, 2009. Suqian October 9-18, 2009.

      Any sightseeing included: Yes, 1-2
      days.

      Estimated cost for each participant: $1800

      More detailed report on each one
      available on request (Microsoft Word and JPEGs).

      1. There have been three projects
        to China under the auspices of the Academy over the last two years.
        Two more are scheduled for 2009 – one in the Fall and one in the Spring.
        1. One to be conducted by Adam
          Hodges and Brian Rencher (from Twin Falls, Idaho) to Suqian – where
          two previous ones have been.
        2. One to be conducted by Delmar
          Gray – to the orphanage north of Beijing where he built two operatories
          a few years ago funded by New Skin.

    1. Bulgaria
      1. Another trip is scheduled
        soon to an orphanage in Plavdiv.
      2. Jan Wray (teaches at a dental
        assisting school in Utah and is the wife of Dr. Sid Wray in Bountiful)
        is the contact person. Her contact info is: 801-546-0545 (home), 792-6731
        (cell, 593-2728 (work).
      3. The sponsor of the last trip
        was “One Heart Bulgaria”.
      4. Things were off to a rough
        start but may be improving. The problem is we are not accepted by some
        Eastern European countries very well. There may be a “pride” issue
        or they perhaps are in denial of how far behind they really are.

    1. Peru
      1. For the last two years, Dr.
        Dwayne Zobell has spearheaded service projects to Lima and vicinity.
      2. The Area President is appreciative
        of what has been done, especially with Latin missionaries in the Lima
        Missions.
      3. Contact person for a possible
        project in the Fall of 2009: Dr. David Dickerson 801-785-8500
      4. Dwayne (ddzdds@aol.com) wrote in Nov. of 2008: There is interest to
        return to Lima and do a missionary project, but not sure if we will
        be able to use the dental school because of a poor relationship with
        the Lima South Mission this past year.

    1. Mexico
      1. Guadalajara
        1. Dwayne Zobell has been the
          one trying to organize trips to Guadalajara and has done a great job.
          Dwayne wrote in Nov. 2008: In my opinion, this place just about dead
          due to how the equipment and Delfino were taken out of the picture a
          few years ago. I doubt that it is a viable project anymore. Dwayne:           ddzdds@aol.com
        2. Dr. Francis Alder is a returned
          mission president who speaks good Spanish and has formerly worked on
          projects there (360-877-4858).
      2. Puerto Vallarta
        1. Dr. Gordon Croft and Dr. Doug
          Hymas (Boise) have organized trips to this city and plan another in
          2009 with a few other dentists (usually four total).
        2. From Doug on Nov. 20, 2008:
          1. I’m going down Jan 22, I’ll
            return 1 Feb 2 with Doctors Sam Smith and his wife Holly (a hygienist
            in Boise) / Scott Davis and Preston Polson (both from Idaho Falls)/
            and, possibly John Goodrich (Mtn Home Idaho). We don’t need more participants
            in ’09, maybe in ’10. No other cities/trips in the near future.
          2. We work in an empty room in
            2 orphanages in Pto Vallarta, we use a temporarily vacated school classroom
            in a village about 45 min. to the north of Pto V. We have 2 Adec units
            provided by the Academy of LDS Dentists that we store there in PV. Dr
            Gordon Croft and I have each purchased an Adec unit. We (Croft and I)
            have also purchased various tubing cords, instruments, and compressors.
            We have had an autoclave donated (in fact, it was donated by Delmar
            Gray!) We have some wooden chairs, and some canvas lounge chairs stored
            there. We take down anesthetics, instruments, medicaments, disposables,
            and head lights (like miner’s headlights).
          3. We have very good local support.
            However, the one “bug-a-boo” we keep running up against ,is a place
            to store everything (but we are working on it.)
          4. The project is on-going, that
            is, Gordon and I have been going down every year for about 5 or 6 years.
            We originally went down together, (He found out about the opportunity
            from Dr. Francis Alder, who started going to PV from Guadalajara (4-5
            hours away). With the addition of the Adec units in PV, it has now evolved
            to the point where Gordon takes 3 or 4 dentists down to work the week
            before me, and I then lead a teem of 3 – 4 the following week .We
            are currently in the process of trying to add more units, get more chairs,
            and get more docs familiar with, and participating in the orphanages/villages
            we serve. (Especially some Spanish speakers). With the additional equipment
            and docs (that they are familiar/comfortable with the area/situation).
            We hope to line up additional weeks of treatment by more groups of dentists
            sighing up (for successive weeks).

    1. Belarus
      1. Dr. Jerry Capener (dentist)
        and his wife are LDS missionaries there.
        1. Their two dentist sons were
          going there this Fall to provide service.
        2. While Jerry is there it would
          be easier to create some service opportunities.
        3. The government does not encourage
          us to do service there.

    1. Honduras

    Smiles for Honduras

    Smiles
    for Honduras is a group of 40-50 who have made humanitarian trips to
    Honduras the past several years. Recently trips to Nicaragua and Guatemala
    have been organized and completed. Not only has dentistry been the focus,
    but humanitarian efforts in orphanages, hospitals and other community
    needs have been done. David Sheets and Stan Miller of Provo are the
    heart and soul of this group. In Tegucigalpa, Honduras the group has
    placed tremendous amounts of equipment in the Dental School at the University
    of Honduras over the years making it one of the finest dental schools
    in Central America. Any and all are invited to participate and can make
    contact at     dsheets@beprepared.com. The above was written by Dr. Greg Oman, Farmington,
    UT.

    Contact/Coordinating person (contact
    info.): David Sheets 801-371-8920 and Stan Miller 81-227-7898

    Next trip: Guatemala instead of Honduras
    in April 2009. See section on Guatemala below. Check with David Sheets
    for details.

    Duration: Usually 20 days with 2 days
    in Belize, Roatan, or another place for R&R.

    Estimated cost for each participant: About
    $2000

    More detailed report on each one available
    on request.

      1. Various projects have been
        on-going with the dental school in Tegucigalpa.
        1. Dr. Gary Crawford is a returned
          missionary from there and is a good resource for information.
        1. There have been visits of
          Honduran dentists to Salt Lake City recently to observe clinical situations.
        2. The Academy is helping with
          a February 2009 shipment of equipment and supplies.
        3. Dr. Wayne Tomkinson is a full-time,
          LDS dentist missionary at the dental school in Tegucigalpa but is challenged
          with the lack of some equipment and supplies.
        4. David Sheets and Stan Miller
          (non-dentists) have dental and other types of humanitarian projects
          going on in Central America, namely Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvadore.
        1. David Sheets owns Emergency
          Essentials (          www.beprepared.com).
        1. His projects are usually “large
          scale” and often involve shipping “container-loads” of goods for
          the people.

    1. Guatemala.

    From David Sheets:

    It
    has been a wonderful year for the work in Central America with three
    humanitarian service trips undertaken and four within a ten month period.
    Many wonderful people have been served through your selfless sacrifices
    and we are extremely grateful for all of those who have participated
    in so many different ways.

    Our
    trip to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala this past September was a tremendous
    success and marked our thirteenth expedition to Central America. Over
    500 future and full time missionaries received treatment in Guatemala,
    bringing the total number of future missionaries treated in the
    previous 20 months to approximately 1160.

    This
    upcoming trip to Guatemala (April 23-May 3, 2009) will be with our largest
    group yet. About 20 general dentists, 4-6 oral and maxillofacial surgeons,
    2-3 physicians, and others. We need volunteers.

    The
    focus is on helping future missionaries from 20-25 stakes. We will screen
    about 800 potential missionaries in a stake center. We will set up 25
    dental chairs and units and do complete dentistry: restorative, endo,
    surgery… We saw about 500 last September and many of them have already
    received their mission calls.

    I
    will go earlier and meet with stake presidents. They will interview
    all young men age 18 and older. We will hold a fireside with about 1200
    people attending including 700-800 prospective missionaries. There will
    be a general authority speaker.

    Future
    missionaries generally have appalling dental conditions in their mouths.
    They may been treated by what they call an “empirical dentist.”
    In this culture, dental health is “free from pain”. Over the last
    five years we have spearheaded a dental equipment drive each year –
    shipping seven containers of equipment and supplies.

    1. Dental lectures to several
      thousand dentists in developing countries.
      1. Each year for the last several
        years, Dr. Gordon Christensen has taken a group of U.S. dentists to
        foreign countries to provide a different kind of service – didactic
        instruction to help elevate the clinical expertise among those who attend.
      2. The trip is usually sponsored
        by a major U.S. dental manufacturer.
      3. Next year’s locations:
        Thailand and China.

    1. Tonga
      1. Talk to Wayne Chisholm in
        Moroni, UT. 435-896-4347. Have a 5-chair clinic in a building. Need
        people to cover once a month.

    1. Beehive International. Contact
      person: Marion Jenkins.

    1. Chile
      1. Trip set aside temporarily
        – mainly because of the lack of local support. They are not a third
        world country even though they have needs just like in the U.S.

    Project Levels:


    • Clinical
      services using portable equipment and Nomad x-ray/computer monitor
      as needed.


    • Clinical
      services using their local dental units and other equipment.




      1. We
        can establish permanent clinical facilities although this should
        include ongoing use by volunteers or local dentists.




    • Clinical/didactic
      teaching in dental schools or other clinical facilities.



      1. Specialists
        highly desired. Many times, general dentists/hygienists can do
        this also.




    • Didactic
      instruction to large groups. State-of-the-art dental training plus
      recognition of the Church in these countries.



    Emerging standards: Have an emergency kit (I have seen anaphylaxis to
    latex gloves), $79 blood pressure monitor (in China 10% of the
    elderly have BP over 200 systolic and 120 diastolic – prime for
    stroke or death in the chair), small defibrillator (take in your
    carry-on baggage). A pulse oximeter, especially for morbidly obese,
    elderly patients, or longer procedures is desired – small $300
    finger monitor or larger (even then they can fit in your pocket).
    Have a glucometer (many pharmacies will donate them). Use a simple
    health history form in both their language and English. Be prepared
    with local measures for bleeding problems (Gelfoam or hemostatic
    gauze, small cautery device, bone wax, extra sutures).