Dental elective placements in Arusha, Tanzania

Many Tanzanians suffer from dental fluorosis due to contaminated water and diet, so working with severe decay and advanced disease is inevitable.

Government regional hospital - Our placements are based in the largest government run institution in the area, with a busy dental outpatients department. Once you have built a close relationship with your supervisor, there is scope for patient interaction in a range of treatments and surgeries and lots of opportunities for manual work in extractions and scaling.

Private clinic - We have a great relationship with a church funded dental clinic that charges patients but subsidises poorer Tanzanians. It is better equipped than the hospital and offers a range of services including fillings, minor and major surgeries and root canal treatment. The supervisor is excellent and students will find they can get involved in scalings, amalgam and composite restorations and veneers, as well as extractions.

Don't forget - if your preferred speciality is not listed, give us a call as we can usually accommodate most requests. You could also think about other opportunities to make more of your elective:

Split placements - If you are in Tanzania for more than three weeks, it's a brilliant place to do a split placement. We can arrange time in both the regional or district hospital, as well as in the private clinics. There is also the option to travel further afield to our programmes in Lake Victoria or Dar.

Village healthcare experience  - To complement your city placement, we offer a fantastic opportunity to spend a week living in a rural Maasai community. There is not much call for dental treatment but working in a local dispensary is good experience for those interested in primary healthcare, and living with the Maasai is a unique cultural experience.  Read more on our Arusha Village Healthcare experience page.