Dental Resident Finds Way to Give Back On Humanitarian Mission to Uganda

Shalom Benzaquen, D.M.D., B.Sc.

During my dental education, I realized that I wanted to embark on a dental outreach mission in a foreign country, in a region with little access to dental care. I knew that I wanted to give back as a dentist in the future, as I had benefited from vital services offered within the community when my family needed it.

When I, by chance, stumbled upon the Build Your Smile Dental Foundation at a time when they were accepting applicants for their upcoming two-week trip to Uganda, I knew I had to seize this opportunity. I had never participated in an organized humanitarian trip before, let alone in a position where I could provide essential healthcare services to those in need. I did not know much about what this mission had to offer but, ultimately, it was one of the most unusual, fulfilling and life-changing experiences of my life.

Dr. Shalom Benzaquen, on first humanitarian mission, treats patients in village school site in Kabale region.

Nineteen volunteers took part on this trip, which occurred in January and February 2020, and was led by prosthodontist Dr. Izchak Barzilay. The group included prosthodontists, periodontists, general dentists, dental students, denturists, dental technicians, dental hygienists and dental assistants. After a 26-hour journey from Toronto, Canada, to Kabale, Uganda, we were stationed at the locale of Kigezi Healthcare Foundation (KIHEFO).

Over the course of two weeks, we traveled by bus to various villages around the Kabale region and carried out our makeshift dental treatment arrangement within schools, churches and other available buildings. Aided by an onsite laboratory (for processing dentures for the most necessary cases) and fully electric dental operatory and scaling systems, we could, amazingly, offer a full range of dental services, including screenings, fluoride treatments, oral hygiene instruction, dental scaling, operative procedures, extractions, implant restorations and, even, dentures.

What struck me the most about the people in this region was the extreme contrast between their way of life in their rural communities compared to ours. In a large area of Uganda, the economy relies upon subsistence agriculture, and people must live in small rural communities or villages to be able to maintain their livelihood. Ordinary aspects of everyday life that one might take for granted back home were not even an option for the people living there. These included access to clean water, restroom facilities, medical or dental care or, even, food.

Onsite laboratory for denture fabrication is located in village church.

For many of these people, we were the only access to dental care they had, and it was clear by the consistently large turnout of people in the villages how much they appreciated our group being there. Many would travel for miles on foot just for the opportunity to be seen for a toothache or a dental prosthesis to replace an anterior tooth that might be a major factor in their likelihood of becoming married.

One noteworthy encounter I had was with a young woman who arrived at the clinic carrying a young child and asked to be seen by our dentists to resolve her dental pain. Unfortunately, she had arrived at the end of our clinic day, as we were beginning to close our facilities. She described how she had spent the day travelling with her child to reach us and the significant pain she had due to an abscessed posterior tooth. She explained to me that the nearest hospital that might possibly treat her if we didn’t was hours by foot to reach. Fortunately, I was able to find the equipment needed to make sure she could leave without pain.

This encounter enabled me to truly appreciate the significant benefits our humanitarian travels have been able to offer the people of Uganda and to appreciate the access to care I am afforded in Canada and the USA.

Over the course of our mission, I was fortunate to be able to make a difference in the lives of a large number of patients in a short period of time. And I was even able to deliver four denture cases to patients. What made this trip truly special were the bonds and friendships formed along our journeys in Uganda and among the team members. A strong sense of team spirit and camaraderie were felt throughout the often-arduous work and journeys we undertook.

Dr. Benzaquen, middle, second row, with Build Your Smile Dental Foundation 2020 Uganda Dental Outreach team.

Over eight clinic days, our clinical group was responsible for 2,034 smiles, including:

• 1,423 children (oral hygiene, fluoride treatments, triaged for restorations and extractions).

• 503 extraction patients—830 extractions performed.

• 105 dentures completed and delivered—282 teeth replaced.

• 98 hygiene and restorative treatments carried out.

• 6 implants restorations and one natural tooth crown inserted.

I could not be happier about my time with Build Your Smile Dental Foundation and I wish to thank Alpha Omega Montreal Chapter for the grant it provided me that made this amazing experience possible. z

Shalom Benzaquen, D.M.D., B.Sc., is a prosthodontics resident at Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester. An Ottawa, Canada, native, he graduated from McGill University in 2019 and subsequently underwent additional training as a general practice resident at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, New York City.