Source: East Madison Dental
East Madison Dental has sent a team of five dental professionals to the rural village of Khichan in Rajasthan, India to run a week-long dental mission trip.
Led by East Madison Dental owner and general dentist, Dr. Narpat Jain, the group includes a hygienist, two dental assistants, East Madison Dental’s office manager, and a registered nurse.
“The idea for this trip comes from a desire to help take care of the people who need it most,” explained Dr. Jain. “My family has roots in the area we are traveling to, and this is an opportunity to give back to the region by helping those who are with the most need—many of whom have never seen a dentist.”
He added, “It is also a wonderful chance to share my origins with my team members and show them where I’m from.”
Glenn Anton, dental hygienist, has never been on a trip like this, but has always wanted to: “I think it’s extremely important for dental practices to provide donated services, if they can. So many people grow up in areas without access to dental education or services, and if a practice can provide that for even a small group of people, it is undoubtedly worth it.”
Dental assistant Maria Nayan looks forward to making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate, and hopes to bring back a greater understanding of another part of the world: “Helping people feel good about themselves makes me feel good,” she beamed.
While East Madison Dental has been providing free dental services to its local community for the last three years with Free Dental Day, this will be its first international trip.
The group is operating out Kalpurnam Hospital in Khichan, India, located in the northwest of India. The trip was organized through the international non-profit, International Human Benefit Services, which is based in New Jersey. IHBS provides support to a local organization in Khichan that runs the hospital, along with a bilingual school, several health centers, and mobile health units throughout Khichan. The hospital provides care to hundreds of Khichan residents, specializing in eye surgeries, dialysis services, and cleft-lip surgeries for the very poor.
The team would like to thank the generous dental vendors who made this trip possible through their donations of materials. These include Matt O’Malley with Henry Schein, Colgate, David Kleinman with Newark Dental-Pemco, Dental Studies Institute of New Jersey, Ultradent Products, Inc., and Kerr Dental Supplies.
You can find out more information about the donors and get other updates from EMdental.com. To find out more about the work IHBS, visit to ihbsTrust.org.