Deciding to go with a group of strangers to the other side of the world for two weeks was the most radical thing I’ve ever done and one of the things I’m most proud of. Whilst I have always wanted to be a volunteer, the anxiety of going to a faraway country with strangers quickly gave way to enthusiasm and excitement. Before the pandemic, I had the dream of travelling to a country and volunteering there, but I kept putting it off for a multitude of reasons. Finally, in 2022, I summoned up the courage to sign up with Dentaid!
Dentaid is a charity that provides free dental care in the UK and African and Asian countries (such as Cambodia, Malawi, Morocco and Uganda). Here in the UK, they have mobile units that support homeless people, refugees, asylum seekers, cancer patients, abuse survivors and fishing communities.
Finally, the day of travel arrived! Factor 50 sun protection, insect repellent, medicines for headaches and stomach-aches, head torches, toilet paper, hydration tablets, gloves, masks, visors, stickers for the kids and vaccines were all prepared and ready for the adventure.
We had a 12-hour trip to Hong Kong, where we made a stopover and another almost three-hour trip to Phnom Penh. As soon as we arrived in Cambodia, the heat and sense of community embraced us in such a way that everything seemed familiar.
The next day we started our volunteer work. In the first week, we were in a mixed low-security prison and the second week we were in schools.
I have to admit, I was more excited about going to the schools and interacting with the children, but working in a prison was, for me, surprisingly rewarding and friendly. When we arrived, it is fair to say we all were a little shaken by the reality at first. We were working in the street, with a tent over our heads and with fans to keep us cool, which didn’t even feel like work at times!
We didn’t have suction or x-rays, the handpieces broke down quite often and we didn’t have the correct forceps or burs to work with. There were many times we had to improvise, especially the dentists, as doing extractions without x-rays or drilling and doing a filling without suction is not something they ever had to attempt before. We were supported by an association from Cambodia called One-2-One and they did everything possible to make us feel comfortable and supported, creating the necessary conditions to do our work. In total, we treated 186 patients, extracted 255 teeth, performed 112 fillings and 10 inmates did not need treatment.
In the second week, we went to Kampong Cham and we were going into different schools each day. I can say with total honesty that the children’s smiles helped all of us to forget the unbearable heat and humidity we felt under the scrubs in this remote part of the country.
In the schools, the main priority was to carry out preventive treatments (fluoride varnish and fissure sealants) but we also had fillings and extractions in which we saw extreme cases of dental neglect.
The schools we visited had no running water or electricity, the tables and chairs were old and damaged, but the picture of the King was front and centre! The bathrooms were simply empty cubicles and toilet paper, so hand sanitiser and a head torch always had to go in with us. It is each for us to forget that these amazing young children don’t have simple ‘luxuries’ that so many of us take for granted each and every day.
We did not have access to handpieces or chairs for treatments... Our solution? School desks. Students lay down on school desks and we did the best we could with the little equipment and limited supplies we had. We often had to stop treating the children because we didn’t have any more clean instruments, or because we didn’t have gloves, which led to occasional delays. In total, we treated 354 patients, including many children and community residents.
Of course, not everything was about work whilst we were away. Despite the fatigue and the extremely high heat and humidity, we managed to muster some energy and took the opportunity to get out and explore the capital in our free time. On our weekend off we went to Siem Reap to see the fantastic Angkor Wat, the largest religious complex in the world. It is a truly unforgettable place, and looked like something out of an old movie!
After two long but fantastic weeks of intense work, it was time for us all to return to England. Tired and with an infection typical of South Asian countries, we made our 15-hour trip to South Korea and following (somewhat brutal) final five hours to London.
On reflection
One of the things I know I will never forget about my time away is how peaceful, friendly and gentle all the local people are. Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world and experienced horrific genocide in the 1970s, which tragically killed about 25 per cent of the population. Yet, even with this heavy historic burden being so recent, they are such happy and hospitable people with nothing but generosity of spirit, who probably never know just how great a lesson they taught us.
I know what we did was a mere drop in the ocean. Millions of people across the globe don’t have access to dental care, but we can rest knowing that we made a difference for 540 people, something I will always be deeply proud to have been a part of.
If you are interested in broadening your horizons and looking into volunteering overseas, I recommend looking into and signing with an association like Dentaid with whom your passion for dentistry will reinvigorate in a way you never knew possible. For me, it was a turning point in my professional and personal life, and one I will always treasure!