Serving Patients and Endodontists, Alike

With 2019 off to a running start, the Foundation for Endodontics is pleased to unveil is international access to care plans for the next 12 months. The Foundation for Endodontics/Henry Schein Cares Foundation International Outreach Program is now entering its third full year of programming. In early 2017, the Henry Schein Cares Foundation agreed to support four iterations of the program, annually, which sends three volunteers to Treasure Beach, Jamaica to provide endodontic care. Prior to our volunteer’s arrival, no endodontic treatment had ever been administered by a specialist at the well-established Helping Hands Clinic. Now, an awareness has been built among the public about endodontics and the doctors who save teeth.

The plans for 2019 have taken shape, and 12 volunteers are being positioned to serve deserving patients for the following week-long trips:

• March 9 – 16
• March 16 – 23
• July 13 – 20
• July 27 – August 3

In addition to the financial and in-kind support provided by Henry Schein Cares, the teams will be outfitted with a Seiler IQ Dental Microscope-SLIM LED to provide the highest level of care. Thank you each of the Foundation’s valuable corporate partners for their roles in providing the equipment, technology and funds necessary to serve.

Now that the international program has become a main stain of Foundation programming, there are a variety of actualities and outcomes the program provides, beyond the obvious access to care potential. The Foundation would like to highlight:

• This program allows volunteers to work side-by-side with pre-doctoral students and general dentists from the U.S. to educate them about the value of seeking and referring to a specialist;
• The side-by-side work with students and dentists allows volunteers to display the intricacies of endodontics, further highlighting the need for specialists;
• The week-long residency in Jamaica serves as an extension of post-graduate education, providing access to a variety of difficult and complex cases;
• The trips create opportunity for fellowship among residents from different programs and mentorships between the mentor and residents;
• The experiences serve as a catalyst for involvement in the Foundation and organized dentistry;
• The program serves as a method to create public awareness of the specialty among interested donors, patients and in a variety of communities.

While the Foundation is deeply rooted in its support of endodontic research and education, providing access to care to and underserved community and patients has proven to be a worthwhile experience for all involved, offering lessons in case difficulty, invaluable educational experiences, philanthropic goodwill and public awareness of the specialty.

Future Plans

The hope of the Foundation is to grow this initiative and provide a dedicated funding opportunity for post-graduate residency programs to apply for funding to do good within their communities. Keep an eye out for details as this initiative develops.