Physical Health Bolivia Project #17807

Provide Dental Care for 67,000 Bolivian Children!

by Smiles Forever

Project Report | Jul 13, 2021
Smiles Forever Brings Care Packages to Shelters

By Sandy Kemper | Founder of Smiles Forever & Cochabamba Clinic

Care Packages Table at Cochabamba shelter

DONORS AND SUPPORTERS SMILES FOREVER UPDATE - REPORT

Three New Shelters Served, including for victims of abuse, and a rural boys shelter

Thanks to our supporters currently we are able to increase the inclusion of new shelters, homes, centers to our beneficiary and partner organization family as Centro la Providencia a shelter for girls victims of abuse, Rosa de Saron a shelters for girls and Arca de Rescate, a shelter for boys in the country side of Cochabamba.

During our Care packages Program (a program designed to provide lifesaving biosafety supplies to our partner and beneficiary organizations so they can adequately protect themselves) we were capable to include new organizations, that desperately needed support in the dental field since this pandemic has hit them hard financially, and been able to safely mobilize the children to our facilities reducing the exposure to Covid – 19.

The Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF), program continues as our Safest treatment option

The Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF), program continues, for now, completely positioned in the Smiles Forever Community Service Dental Clinic, documented and recorded as code, regulations and intern protocols requires and demonstrating that during this pandemic times is one of our most effective tools to treat patients by reducing the risk of exposure for both patients and members of our dental team.

Although our biosafety protocols exceed the official requirements to attend patients, we must consider that most of the power operated dental equipment is based on an air and water spray system, making dental services one of the health operators with greater risk of contagion of Covid - 19. And being the SDF a treatment that does not require the use of equipment based on spray operation systems, allows us to carry out more treatments at present and in the future we will concentrate on the aesthetic part of the patients, always focused on prevention and thus avoiding future life-threatening infections and dental pain in children.

Dental Emergency & Urgent Care Mandated for Covid-19 Safety for patients & staff

Likewise, the Dental Society of Cochabamba published the instruction that dental services in all the clinics and dental offices in the state of Cochabamba must be reduced to only provide care for patients considered as a dental emergency or of extreme urgency, and that any other treatment should be postponed until the health authorities determine so.

Sadly, in May 2021 we were affected directly by Covid - 19 as two members of our team tested positive, a Dental Hygienist and our administrative assistant, both then quarantined at home and received the corresponding medication. Thank God they were able to improve without the need for hospitalization in a medical unit. After laboratory analysis, nobody else on the team nor the patients they were in contact with tested positive; we closed the clinic for 2 days and fumigated the entire facility. This situation coincided with the highest peak of infections, hospitalizations and diseases in Cochabamba, Bolivia since the start of the pandemic in 2020. At present they are back and rejoining the team and their work. All staff celebrates their return to our activities that did not stop even during the most complicated scenario.

We would like to encourage our donors and supporters to participate in the GLOBAL GIVING July 14th BONUS CAMPAIGN. Gifts from $100 to $1,000 receive matches on a sliding scale up to 50%.

$400,000 dollars will be given out in this one-day opportunity to make your dollars go farther. You're encouraged to give early in the day, beginning at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Your donation will allow us to keep providing free quality dental care to our beneficiaries.

Thanks for your support during this dark and difficult pandemic times.

Sandy Kemper RDH, BS

Founder

Smiles Forever Foundation

Care Packages for Villa Esperanza

Smiles Forever brings care gifts to Solomon home

Smiles Forever dentist uses special SDF treatment

Our dentist gives tooth saving treatment

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