The problem Guatemala has one of the worst dental services in the world, ranking only behind Haiti. Most of the children here have never received any dental treatment or dental education in their lives besides the treatment that they have received from our program. According to information given by the principals of the local schools, the percentage of students with cavities has reached 77%. On average, each child has 11 or 12 cavities. Children are not in a position to receive proper dental care due to lack of financial means.
Without this program the communities of El Tigre and Xecnachavox located in Western Guatemala would not get the opportunity to see a dentist or learn about dental hygiene.
Our Approach Yearly Kamalbe Mobile Clinics have managed to provide assistance to 400 children; however, the situation in Guatemala is still severe and we need help to keep running the program and reach our goals.
Thanks to the agreement between Kamalbe School and Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Quetzaltenango, Dental School helps provide us fluoride application, dental extractions, and lectures for children in the communities of Salcaja and Xecanchavox. We also assist some parents with minor dental treatment, and all the treatments are free to the children.
Kamalbe Clinics has the goals of reducing the number of children with dental cavities and assisting local schools with their education. We are not only trying to avoid dental problems but also create a healthy culture through educational programs for the kids by teaching how important it is to take care of their own teeth and general health.
Many rural families do not have access to general health services; therefore our free services are fundamental to assist dental health as well as reduce costs for rural families so that this money can instead be put towards feeding their family.
Costs
Running this program costs approximately $800 per year — about $1.65 per dental piece (tooth) treated. Even though our dental professionals volunteer their time and skills, we still cover their transportation, along with essential supplies: medication (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, amoxicillin, azithromycin), local anesthesia, gloves, syringes, and needles, cotton rolls and gauze, dental mirrors and basic instruments, sterilization supplies, disposal bags for biohazard waste, fluoride treatment, and toothbrushes and toothpaste for take-home preventive care — along with proper chairs for dental treatment.
Every donation helps, no matter the size:
$5 covers treatment for 3 dental pieces
$10 covers treatment for 6 dental pieces
$20 covers treatment for 12 dental pieces
100% of donations go directly toward keeping this program running for the children of Xela.
