By Natasha Clare from Peninsula Dental School
Organising your own overseas adventure is a scary process, let alone when your trip involves sailing along the River Amazon finding indigenous people and giving them dental treatment on an adapted ex-navy ship. This all came about after a chance meeting with a senior member of staff at Peninsula who had a contact in Peru.
After numerous phone calls to several people including a lecturer at another dental school we were put in touch with The Vine Trust, a Scottish charity who are committed to making a huge difference to some of the poorest communities in the world.
With trepidation and excitement we packed our gloves, face masks and mosquito repellents not knowing exactly what to expect before getting there. The daunting process of carrying out the Dental work was heightened furthermore by our severe language barrier.
Fortunately we had two fantastic translators by our side at every clinic. The work carried out was primarily extractions and simple restorations alongside a fluoride varnish programme for children.
Our advice for organising an overseas dental adventure is to speak to as many people as possible who have previously been on the trip, make sure the country is safe to visit, book your flights in advance to save some pennies and don’t forget to get your Dental Protection indemnity cover.