Dental News - Floating Doctors provides dental care in Panama

Dental Tribune International

Fri. 24. August 2018

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BOCAS DEL TORO PROVINCE, Panama: Many regions of the world still have very limited access to dental care. Volunteer dentists at the nonprofit organization Floating Doctors perform dental treatments to people living in remote areas. Recently, the Dental Whale Savings Network, a nationwide group that provides dentists with inventory cost controls, partnered with Darby Dental Supply to donate essential products to Floating Doctors. The supplies went to Floating Doctors’ dental program in rural Panama, where there are just eight dentists per 10,000 people.

Floating Doctors provides free acute and preventative healthcare services to those who are not able to afford it. Since more than 80 percent of the world population lives within 5 miles of a coast, the Floating Doctors medical team travels by boat to reach communities in remote, poverty-stricken areas without access to basic healthcare.

Dental treatment is one of the most important services Floating Doctors provides, as it is very difficult for people living in rural areas to access proper dental care. Dentists working with Floating Doctors perform extractions, fillings and other procedures, and dental nurses do cleanings, examinations and other procedures within their scope of practice. These services are in very high demand in rural areas.

The partnership between Darby Dental and the Dental Whale Savings Network to donate supplies came about after Dr. Glen Miller, a volunteer with Floating Doctors, approached the network about donating consumable supplies such as impression materials, composites, anesthesia, gloves and other disposables.

“We are happy to help Dr. Miller out by coordinating a supplies donation effort along with our supply partner, Darby Dental,” said Jim Gochis, Vice President of Procurement at the Dental Whale Savings Network. “What he and Floating Doctors are doing is amazing. At Dental Whale Savings Network, we’re proud of our relationships with people like Dr. Miller and suppliers like Darby.”

“I appreciate the supplies and support of the Dental Whale Savings Network and Darby Dental,” added Miller. “It’s great to see companies like them give back to the community—no matter where that community may be.”

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