Dental volunteering

For many, volunteering provides an unforgettable experience. Volunteering is an opportunity to travel and live in different communities making new friends and learning exciting things along the way.

Whether you are thinking about taking a career break or are a dental graduate looking to boost your skills and experience, this article will highlight all the details you need to consider prior to volunteering and how to approach a volunteering placement overseas. It also features snippets from other dental volunteers who share their stories and it will provide you with useful contacts should you wish to take the challenge yourself.

Why YOU should volunteer

There are many different types of reasons why dentists choose to volunteer their time and help provide oral healthcare around the UK and abroad. For some dentists it's simply the satisfaction of helping others in need of treatment and making a real difference to the local community. However, others consider volunteering as an opportunity for a change, and a chance to have a new working environment from the usual scenery. Volunteering is often thought as a positive learning experience which presents challenging dental problems that you might not necessarily come by in your normal dental practice or hospital enhancing your experience.

• Dental work abroad gives you the opportunity to encounter different cultures and explore a new country
• Dental volunteering has the added benefit of learning new skills and developing your clinical experience
• Dental volunteering enables you to view how other dental professionals practice dentistry around the world and you can also examine the techniques/procedures used

Before you volunteer

It is important to do your research and find out as much information as you can before you go:

• Speak to volunteering organisations and charities directly, as they will be able to answer your queries and offer information about how to go about organising your volunteering placement.
• Ask your friends and dental colleagues for personal recommendations or information on volunteering organisations/charities
• Consider your budget and the costs involved eg flights, visas, accommodation, medical screening etc.

Preparing for your volunteering placement

It's really important to get as much practical information and knowledge before you go on your volunteer placement:

• Establish the main dental requirements of the patients that you will be treating where you are situated
• Research accommodation and transport links in the local area
• Try to determine the availability of dental equipment so that you can select any additional equipment from your dental kit to take with you
• Find out the local language spoken and buy a language dictionary
• Be sure to take any prescription medications which you will need or any other personal medication. Often travellers seem to be prone to catching flu or diarrhoea so make sure you visit a pharmacy for some essentials prior to going
• Ensure you have dental indemnity. Don't forget if you are with Dental Protection your indemnity will travel with you during your volunteering so you can seek assistance from Dental Protection with any claims for negligence, damages and associated legal costs.

During your volunteering placement

• Take any personal items that you may not be able to buy elsewhere such as toiletries and recreational belongings like an iPod, phone charger and camera etc.
• Your personal safety in a foreign country is crucial, so when travelling be mindful not to carry too many valuable items or large amounts of cash
• Stick to public transportation routes when you're on the road and carry a mobile phone
• Write a blog, update on social media to let everyone know what you are doing

After your volunteering placement

• Tell theyoungdentist.com about your dental volunteering experience and we can publish it on our website
• Update your CV to boost your career in dentistry and demonstrate your new skills and experiences.

Here's what others have said about their dental volunteering

People waited for hours to see us and it felt very special to be one of the six dentists lined up on the veranda. The team atmosphere was incredible, everyone supported and helped each other and there was a real sense from our team, our clinical officers and the patients that we were really making a difference.
Harriet Moss, Tanzania.

The amount of oral surgery experience that we gained was invaluable; we were able to extract many more teeth in Nepal than we ever would in the UK.
Emily Hooper, Nepal.

I had been looking forward to being able to volunteer abroad and offer dental care to vulnerable individuals ever since I had started my career in dentistry. I couldn't wait to go somewhere completely new and experience dentistry in another country, experience the cultural differences and hopefully make a difference to people's lives!
Catherine Sherlock, Nepal.

When we walked in nervously on our first day there were around 30 people standing in the small waiting area and queuing out of the door. They all looked at us as if we had landed from Mars but smiled and said hello.
Jane Rutherford, Vanuata (South Pacific).

My work as a dental volunteer in the Cook Islands was something I will never forget, it was by far the most exciting and fulfilling experience I have ever had and would recommend it to everyone. It's also a bonus when you can finish work, cross the road and go scuba diving in the beautiful coral reefs of the South pacific.
Fiona McDonnell, Cook Islands.

It became apparent as we started dental treatment that some of the patients had been in pain, not for days but years. The highest number I heard was 12 years! It made the reality of how much we were helping almost overwhelming at times.
Arti Hindocha, Brazil.

By the end of the two weeks I was much more confident about the extractions and my technique and confidence has definitely improved.
Jane Rutherford, Vanuata (South Pacific).

One of the most important aspects of our trip was promoting oral hygiene to allow the local population to improve their dental health themselves and reduce future dental disease. After each patient was screened, we reinforced how best to brush their teeth, providing toothbrushes and toothpastes to those who required them. We saw patients of all ages and my confidence in treating patients really increased.
Catherine Sherlock, Nepal.

I absolutely loved my time in Nepal! It was an amazing experience, from both a learning and a social perspective. I really enjoyed my time there, it was a real eye-opener and I would recommend volunteering in Nepal to anyone. I would love to do something similar in the future.
Catherine Sherlock, Nepal.

I loved my time in Vanuata and learnt to just get on with it. The patients more than made up for the facilities - they really are the happiest people in the world. Jenny, one of the dentists, laughed constantly and Carina, the dental nurse, would just laugh at us for no reason at all (that we know of).
Jane Rutherford, Vanuata (South Pacific).

The experience of volunteering in Nepal has been an amazing adventure and I definitely would do it all again! I have been able to experience dentistry first hand in a remote corner of the world, as well as giving me a huge amount of confidence in my own clinical skills. I've been lucky enough to have an opportunity to make good friendships and experience a new and fascinating culture.
Emily Hooper, Nepal.