More than 30 students and faculty from the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry spent their fall break bringing dental care and oral health education to underserved communities in Guatemala and the Philippines. 

Through hands-on service, volunteers treated hundreds of patients while gaining valuable global perspectives and putting their clinical skills into practice in communities with limited access to dental care.

During the week of Sept. 28, one group traveled to Xenacoj, Guatemala, where volunteers provided care for more than 250 patients. The team restored teeth, performed extractions and delivered oral health education and other services.

Established by the Pacific Dental Services Foundation in 2015, the clinic serves patients year-round with support from volunteers, dental students and residents.

In Cebu, Philippines, a second group provided care to more than 400 students at Ramon Duterte Memorial National High School. 

"Experiences like this are truly life-changing because they remind you why you chose dentistry in the first place,” said Maddy Hayes ’27, a student trip leader. “Being able to take what we’ve spent years learning in school and use it to help children get out of pain was incredibly rewarding.” 

Local communities in both countries face barriers to receiving even the most basic dental care. Many children have never seen a dentist before and suffer from untreated decay, infections and pain that affects their ability to eat, sleep and learn. 

“Seeing the immediate difference we could make in a child’s life made everything feel real and reminded us that the skills we’re learning can have an impact far beyond the classroom,” Hayes said. “Our team looks forward to a career filled with service at the heart in all we do."

The trip also offered opportunities to experience the cultures and sights of their host countries. Activities included hiking, swimming, cooking, shopping and other local excursions.

“Our trip to Guatemala was so fulfilling because it gave us a chance to apply everything we have learned in a setting where we were directly impacting patients in need,” said Guatemala trip student leader Brenden Weaver ’27. “It was also an amazing chance to bond with classmates outside of school who you don't typically get to see as much.”

Dental students raise funds throughout the year through crowdfunding and events on campus to help cover trip expenses.

External funding was also provided through grants from the PDS Health Foundation and the International College of Dentists. Organizers also received dental supplies from Henry Schein Cares and dental goodie bags from the Brighter Smiles Initiative at UC Berkeley.

The Dugoni School plans to organize future trips to Guatemala and the Philippines while expanding its global outreach with a new service-learning trip to Vietnam during summer break in 2027, providing students with another opportunity to apply their dental education in communities with significant unmet oral health needs.