More than 30 students and faculty from the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry volunteered in Guatemala and the Philippines over the dental school’s Fall break, providing dental care and oral health education to underserved communities while gaining valuable global service-learning experiences.

During the week of Sept. 28, one group traveled to Xenacoj, Guatemala, where volunteers provided care for more than 250 patients. The team restored 101 teeth, performed 117 extractions and delivered oral health education and other services.

Established by the Pacific Dental Services Foundation in 2015, the clinic serves patients year-round with support from volunteers, dental students and residents.

In Cebu, Philippines, a second group provided care to 435 students at Ramon Duterte Memorial National High School. Volunteers restored 293 teeth, performed 420 extractions and provided additional dental services.

Beyond their clinical work, volunteers had opportunities to experience the cultures and sights of their host countries. Activities included hiking, swimming, cooking, shopping and other local excursions.

"Experiences like this are truly life-changing because they remind you why you chose dentistry in the first place. Being able to take what we’ve spent years learning in school and use it to help children get out of pain was incredibly rewarding.” said Maddy Hayes, a Philippines trip student leader with the DDS Class of 2027.

“Seeing the immediate difference we could make in a child’s life made everything feel real and reminded us that the skills we’re learning can have an impact far beyond the classroom. Our team looks forward to a career filled with service at the heart in all we do!"

Local communities in both countries face barriers to receiving even the most basic dental care. Many children have never seen a dentist before and suffer from untreated decay, infections and pain that affect their ability to eat, sleep and learn. 

“Our trip to Guatemala was so fulfilling because it gave us a chance to apply everything we have learned in a setting where we were directly impacting patients in need,” added Brenden Weaver, a Guatemala trip student leader from the DDS Class of 2027.  It was also an amazing chance to bond with classmates outside of school who you don't typically get to see as much!”

Students raise funds throughout the year through crowdfunding and events on campus to help cover trip expenses.

External funding was also provided through a $5,000 grant from the PDS Health Foundation for the Guatemala trip and a $2,750 grant from International College of Dentists for the Philippines trip. Organizers also received a $4,500 grant of supplies from Henry Schein Cares for both trips, and a donation of 100 pediatric dental goodie bags from the Brighter Smiles Initiative at UC Berkeley.

Building on these ongoing efforts, the Dugoni School plans to organize future trips to Guatemala and the Philippines while expanding its global outreach with a new service-learning trip to Vietnam during summer break in 2027.