We Serve to Serve Others

BY: CARLI KINGSLEY, Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility

This past April, and for the first time since February 2020, our team of volunteers were able to travel to Xenacoj, Guatemala to provide much needed oral health care to patients, some who spent several hours traveling to visit the Pacific Dental Services Foundation Clincia Dental. This dedicated team of PDS-supported clinicians and team members provided more than $172,000 in donated dentistry to a record 165 patients over three days.

“No matter the age, these patients were brave, tough and so strong. My most rewarding experience came from helping an older gal who needed nine root tips extracted. At the end of her treatment, she gave me a thankful nod. Knowing that I prevented her from getting a potentially life-threatening infection and seeing that she appreciated it was beyond rewarding,” Christina Donnelly, DMD, from Olympic Modern Dentistry and Orthodontics (Office 352) said.

Thanks to modern technology and social media, we’ve been able to keep in touch with our team, clinic friends and all who continuously help support these trips. However, nothing will ever compare to the experience of serving together as a team.

“Each patient came with such kindness and humility, but we were humbled to treat them. We even had the opportunity to work on our shuttle driver who was in significant need of dental treatment, having had no care for the last several years. This was our third time back to the clinic in Guatemala and I would go so far as to say that it was the best trip,” Marisol King, DDS, Owner Dentist, from Cottonwood Smiles Dentistry and Orthodontics (Office 567) said.

Special thanks to the following volunteers who graciously served during the April trip to Guatemala: Marisol King, DDS, Bryan Graziano, DDS, Christina Donnelly, DMD, Lisandra Companioni, DMD, Michelle Symonds, RDH, Christina Pamatian, RDH, Mariela Aown, RDA, Ralph Villacorta, SRDA and Claire Golubski, Regional Manager.

Join us for an upcoming trip to Guatemala

April 11-16, 2023

July 18-23, 2023

Sept. 26-Oct. 1, 2023

If you are interested in learning more about serving internationally with the PDS Foundation, please email InternationalTrips@ pacden.com.

CARLI KINGSLEY, Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility