Launched at the beginning of the 2016 school year, our pilot Dental Hygiene Program in a local Thomassique school has been teaching children the importance of brushing their teeth, and how to properly brush. Their progress was monitored throughout the year, and we saw a reduction of over 35% in the students’ plaque index!
We plan to expand the program during the coming year. This can help Haitians lead healthier lives (we see many life-threatening infections at the clinic that have resulted from poor dental hygiene).
We thank Dr. Joseph Cavallo for taking the initiative to start this program in response to the great need he saw during one of his volunteer dental trips to Thomassique, We thank him and our other volunteer dentist, Michael Morch, for traveling to the Clinic for over 15 years to provide dental care for villagers who had never seen a dentist before. They are helping Haitians to lead healthier lives.
We also thank Colgate Palmolive for donating the toothpaste and toothbrushes that make this program possible.
