Dr. Hayley Quartuccio and her team from Ten Mile Dental in Frisco, Colorado, recently traded their familiar Rocky Mountain setting for the highlands of Guatemala. In early June, they arrived in San Martín Jilotepeque, ready to make a difference in the lives of those lacking access to dental care.
Working at an unprecedented pace, the team treated approximately 600 patients over six days. Dental assistant Tagan Nowicki noted the intensity of their work: “I have never turned a chair over faster in my life,” she said in an interview with Summit Daily.
The experience was deeply impactful for the Ten Mile Dental staff. They were struck by the gratitude of their patients and the welcoming nature of the local community. Dr. Quartuccio shared with Summit Daily, “Even just walking around the town, little kids come out from their shops or their house and want to say, ‘Hi.'”
Central to their mission’s success was Cristy Velasco, the local community liaison. Velasco’s multifaceted role in coordinating dental services, running a restaurant, and managing an animal rescue left a lasting impression on the team.
This trip marked Dr. Quartuccio’s second visit to Guatemala for dental outreach. Her previous experience during graduate school inspired her to share this opportunity with her staff at Ten Mile Dental.
The team partnered with Global Dental Relief, an organization committed to providing continuous care in communities worldwide. Their approach involves returning to the same locations year after year, fostering lasting relationships and sustained oral health improvements. In addition to their two locations in Guatemala, they revisit towns in Kenya, Cambodia, Nepal, India, Mexico, and Kentucky, USA.
Global Dental Relief’s work extends beyond dental clinics. They also operate an oral health program in Nepal, Cambodia, and Guatemala, reaching 29,000 children annually with classroom education and care. Additionally, they run a school lunch program in Nepal, providing essential nutrition to children in high-need situations.
“One of the biggest things of why I wanted to work with them was they continue to go back to the same community over and over again,” Dr. Quartuccio emphasized in the Summit Daily interview. “They’ve been going to this clinic in Guatemala for 15 years.”
This mission exemplifies the profound impact healthcare professionals can have when they step beyond their comfort zones to serve those in need, creating smiles that transcend borders.
Read the original article by Kit Geary on August 5, 2024 for the Summit Daily: Frisco’s Ten Mile Dental swapped Summit’s mountains for Guatemala’s in recent service trip
Watch a video depicting volunteer work with Global Health Relief: