Ghana 2025

Led by team leader Dr. Nilesh Patel, the 2025 mission trip was made possible “through the dedication of our volunteer dental professionals and the generous donation of a dental chair and equipment by Operation International and supplies donated by our proud sponsor Henry Schein which greatly enhanced our ability to deliver essential oral health services,” Dr. Patel said.

The team also offered a special thank you to their host Holy Family Hospital and their staff for making the mission possible and providing continued local and remote support with the donation from Operation International of 2 mobile dental units for years to come.

Operation International's Dental Team began in 2014 with what would become yearly missions to Haiti, providing much needed dental care to rural areas of the country. Each visit, the team treated hundreds of patients, trained local staff, and donated equipment that made dental care possible in areas where access to care was previously very limited.

The team has taken the same approach in its subsequent trips to Ecuador, Uganda, Bolivia, and Tanzania, treating at times more than 1,000 patients in a single mission by setting up a full-service clinic in regions lacking regular dental care. The dental procedures the team performs on each trip range from surgical extractions, to root canals, fillings, crowns, dentures and cleanings. Often, patients travel far distances to access the free dental care and have waited years to have their oral health and smiles restored.

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