Dental outreach in Nepal

This two-week project takes a team of elective students to low income village or mountain communities in Nepal. Working from temporary dental clinics in local primary schools or community hospitals, we will conduct a screening and referral programme for a community that otherwise has little or no access to dental health care. This is followed up by free treatment for those patients that were referred, using dental equipment brought from Pokhara. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on clinical experience as much of the treatment work will be carried out by the students.

Project Itinerary

On the first day you will travel out to the village for a full orientation led by Work the World staff. This is followed by a traditional welcome from the local community.

The project work begins with a screening programme open to the whole community. Any of those screened who require clinical treatment (and this can be as many as 60-80%) are referred for free treatment at a clinic set up in the village.

After several days of screening (the exact timetable has to depend on how many patients need referring each day), the team focus on the clinical treatments of those who have been referred.

Supervision & clinical experience

While Work the World organises all the logistics of the project, responsibility for clinical supervision lies with Pokhara’s regional hospital. We have a dental supervisor with us in the village to assist with difficult or unusual cases during the screening process and to oversee all clinical work.

The idea of this project is to have elective students carry out as much of the clinical work as possible, under expert supervision. However, as with all our placements, what your supervisor allows you to do will depend on the level of trust and respect you can earn by demonstrating your abilities and confidence.

Accommodation & food

Accommodation for the project team is provided in guesthouses or home stay. Three meals a day are included in our package with a hearty breakfast and dinner at the lodge/house and a simple lunch provided at the clinic. Living and working amongst the community is a great way to sample Nepalese hospitality and you are sure to be welcomed by friendly and fascinating people.

The work is from Monday to Friday and so the weekends are free to relax or travel. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the real Nepal. Travelling around local villages is an amazing experience and you can also make the most of any trekking opportunities. Many of these villages are high in the mountains – the world is quite literally at your feet.

Dates

Dental Outreach projects run during the summer months and all dates are listed in the "project dates" box.

Please note that places for this project are limited and fill up early. If you would like to discuss organising a project on another date, and have a few friends interested in joining you, we are always happy to look into setting up new projects.